The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-21
WITH THE TRAMPS.
THE vAGABOND PROBLEM INvEsTI-
GATED nv NEWSPAPER
CORRESPONDENT.
His Experience On the Road not Favorable
To That Mode Of Llfe-Hts Troubles
and pfscOmfOFts.

L
Davenport jail Is the most attractive
one In the State to the tramp, owing
probably to the kind-heartedness Of the
sheriff, who takes good care to feed
them we'll, and consequently Is q very
popular man with them, as. In TACT, ne
is with everyone. Many Migrants will
tramp hundreds Of miles in the winter
for the purpose of committing some
trivial depreciation in this city, and
thereby favoring him with their society |
during the cold season. On leaving |
the prison the writer, anxious to observe
little of the country life OF the noble |
vag," donned his professional suit, and |
beginning himself with dirt, sauntered |
slowly out Of town; after proceeding !
about mile under burning sun, he
came suddenly upon gang OF four
lying In ditch under the sha de OF
tree. "Hallo, pard," one shouted,
''traveling ?" Then came the
usual question, SCOT any bacca
about your" Upon pulling out a
large paper, which they were in
formed had been given to the bearer IN
| bOWn. U6 WthS hahOo w JOAA
them, which he did and passed the
"baeca" round, and pretty big hole
they made in 1t before he got It back
one of them slipping about half OF 1t In
his pocket. Your correspondent made
no remark, for they can't help stealing,
even from o "pal." It's the nature OF
the beasts. It was getting near dinner
time, so we decided to move along and
see IL there was any chance OF getting 9
hnuninn Mt upVpFaI
houses and receiving only handouts,
that is pieces OF bread and butter, and
sometimes piece Of meat or stale pie
they became disguised and council
was held as to what was best to be done.
It was finally decided to go in body to
the next farmer and offer to work for
any wages that we could obtain. No
, sooner said than done, and we started
: off, After calling at three farms and get
ting nothing but refusals, we at last
struck q victim. He told US IL we real
ly wanted to work he could give US
some, and would pay US 81 rs q day
with board and barn to sleep in. We
readily accepted 1t, and told him We had
walked sixteen miles since sunrise with
out d bite or q sup, and before COM
: mencing we would like to get something
= to eat. He took us all in and bounti-
full meal was spread, aud your CORE
! spondent was astonished with the
5 amount they put away, pork. cabbage,
! potatoes, bread and pie vanished with
> wonderful rapidity. They cleared the
] table, and then, like Oliver Twist, asked
| for "more." Their cheek and impu-
, dence were marvellous. One wanted
I coffee, another preferred. tea-cotfee a.
ways dave him pain In his In ards and
/ another thought 1t was mighty strange
! there were no berries around this time
8 of year, The farmer took 1t all in good
1 part, and when they had gorged them
{ selves to repleti@D, he good-naturedly
, remarked, "Well, boys, / guess you
! were hungry; let's go out now and do
i some work.
r We followed him into the yard. Said
Q he, looking at your correspondent,
9 you've never been used to much work,
T by the look OF your hands," replied |
was q book. keeper by trade, but could
4 work as well as the rest. 'It's @ mighty
j long time ago, amt it p he said, taking
: stock Of my ragged and tattered gar
t ments; guess I'll find you a job round
] the house." [ told him | was q rare
d hand at washing dishes, and could clean
!, silver first rate IL he had any lying loose
Z around the house. This offer he did not
q appear to take up with, and the Migrants
= prinned from ear to ear. He entered
q the wood-shed and returned, armed with
j a big buck and saw, and showed me the
If pile and told me to go ahead on that for
!, q start. "All right, Gap" | answered,
Y and commenced to roll out the logs. He
, went into the house again to provide
q tools for the others, who were not slow
!. to seize upon their opportunity, and We
Il all skipped over the fence and down the
/. main road. And when the farmer came
II to the door nary tramp could he IND
q until he got unto the main road himself,
7 when he swore in good round terms, and
y demanded our immediate return, but
v we only laughed at him, and placing
le our thumbs to our noses, spread out our
le fingers, thus, giving him what they term
g. the "Ozadani' sign, as parting salute.
l, After running some distance we en-
?. tered the woods and threw ourselves on
u the grass and smoked and slept until
,e the sun went down. We then trampeC
e few miles further and decided to sleer
ID in the woods that night; but Of course
IS they could not retire without their even
4 ing meal, especially after the good din
le ner thew had had. and they thought they
=; should like little something TASTY
II We had passed flock of geese about
If half mile back; what could be nicer
a For OF all the birds which flies
ye There's not one half 80 nice as goose.
it So it was decided that goose 1t should
~ be. Who would steal it? The cards
were produced and dealt around. "First
Jack steals" said the dealer, and i'm
mediately it fell to him. Second JACK
q goes along" he concluded, and another
ut hard looking cuss was elected. The re-
~ mainder Of us were to get The fire anc
e. cooking apparatus ready. The latter IL
~ very simple and primitive arrange
Of ment, consisting only OF heap OF cla1
In or mud.
IN AS soon as 1t was dark they returned
Is; with the goose, where and how obtained
40 it is impossible to say. They cut off thu
be head and plastered the body feather
10 all over with the clay and mud unit
to not vestige of it was visible. Tn
nd coffin was then placed in among tn
&C; burning logs, which were heaped up al
nd over it, and in about an hour the cook
e ing was complete. The mass was with
in drawn from the fire, the ,hard-bake66
W clay was taken off, with which came al