Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-07-03
What to Do With Them.

The tramp problem is becoming
very grave indeed, and the farming
class, particularly at this season Of the
year, is called upon to deal with it in
an entirely new aspect. Heretofore
this floating element of candiUe has
alternated between begging and pill
fering, stealing rides on railway
trains and making itself generally
conceded nuisance. Not only this,
but large proportion of the crimes
throughout the country is directly
traceable to these vagabonds, who
will not work and who resort to al
most any expedient to keep soul and
body together. The cities have pour
ed this corrupt mass of humanity up.
on the country, the country has been
compelled.to endure its loathsome as
ISOLATION and contact. Thieves, bur-
glars, murderers, pickpockets, the
scum of creation,-have banded to-
gether, as it were, to devastate the
rural sections by plying their voca-
tons under the disguise Of charitable
appeals. The floating, drifting,
worthless element has made itself
felt and the people upon whom it has
fastened has been fairly unable to
shake of the horrible burden. Offer.
ed labor, they refuse it with all the
dignity of an insulted nature; ten
dered shelter, they repay the charity
by pilfering the hosts valuables
proffered substantial food, they ask
for only the luxuries; refused what
they term assistance" they invoke
the wrath of the inferno on the per-
son to whom they apply and commu-
nicate with their fellows to devastate
the premises should they happen that
way. They are veritable Cloths
securing a fair and prosperous land.
Now the tramps have struck "a
new deal" Terlning themselves
.'harvesters," they overrun the agri-
cultural sections ostensibly in search
of work, and repay the kindness of
such husbandmen as may employ
them by destroying valuable machin-
cry and in some instances burning
mowers and reapers. They take pos
session of railroad trains and compel
the officers in charge to run to SUIT
their wishes. 1t il reported that one
night last week some Of these tramps
well armed with revolvers, knives,
and clubs, boarded a Wabash train,
presented weapons to the head of the
engineer, and carried out their pur-
pose of riding as far as they wished.
Again, over four hundred of these
desperadoes boarded a Chicago, Bur-
lington and Quincy freight on the
Rockford, Rock Island and St. Louis
division, retaining absolute posses
sion of it as long as they desired.
Conductors and brakemen are entire
ly powerless to prevent any outrages
the tramps may see fit to perpetrate.
How to remedy this condition Of
things is q serious question. But it
does seem as though some wholesome
examples might be made of these hui
man scourges who are terrifying the
people of the rural districts and do
ing such material damage besides,
If not in one way it might be done in
another. Violence, of course, is to
be deprecated but we hope the far
mers will deal with these foes just as
they would with any other enemy.
As for mild measures, they inaugu-
rated very good plan in st. Paul a
short time ago, and it had the effect
to rid that community Of the tramp
nuisance. Every one they caught in
the city they made work in the coun-
ty house breaking stone. A tramp
won't work if he can avoid 1t, and
the result was they kept away from
st. Paul as soon as it became known
that there was nothing there for them
but surveillance and hard labor. This
plan is being successfully tried in
New Hampshire, also. Every tramp
found is forced to go to the work
house. It is worth trying elsewhere.
Ii this does not have the desired eff
feet, administer severer Justice to
such as may be apprehended in the
preparation of crimes.-Prairie Far
per.