The New York herald., 1879-08-04
BOSTON BOOKS.
TRAVELS OF A TRAMP.


BosroN. August 2. 1879.
Summer novels are much like ball room bellies.
The rustcs and the new comers appear early deter.
mined not to lose opportunity Of securing part
ner; others, more experienced. wait until crowd
has assembled before they enter the ball room, and
few daring spirits not seen until very late and
are conspicuous from the moment Of their advent.
'That Husband OF Mine" was one Of the last named
class, and is ga Tight Squeeze which Lee "
Shepard will issue in few weeks. 3i.-g8lstfFf
The love story Of this book. although sensational
enough far as it goes. is very slight and is only
used to make the true story which underles it
attractive. Not long ago certain New Yorker.
called Benjamin Cleveland. In "a Tight Squeeze"
made the journey from his native city to New Or.
leans starting in absolutely penniless
condition, begging his meals. stealing his pass
sage on trains and steamboats,, and moro than
once falling into serious peril and ut last
arrived in New Orleans in time to send q telegram
to New York announcing his presence in the Cres-
cent City and to be informed in response that the
stakes had just been paid to the other party
the wager the difference in longitude having caused
his telegram to arrive fifteen minutes too late in.
stead of half hour too early he had intended.
In the fiction he is compensated for the loss OF mis-
money by the gift OF rich young wife. which 10
only fair considering that the author OF the story.
him stripped of all his inheritance except $500 by
the loss his bet while in reality he still retained
u reasonable competence. As he was once rather
than half hung, nearly crushed to death by
lumber aud twice sentenced to sixty days imprison.
ment as u vagrant, he did not lack adventures; but
the petty trials of tramp life the most Interest,"
ing.
At the very beginning Of his journey Mr.. Cleve-
land is brought to standstil by the lack of money
to to Jersey city but acting under the advice
of an experienced tramp who begins by asking aims
and ends by giving him counsel. he begs passage
on a wagon and makes such progress in the regard
of it's driver THAT he gives him quarter when they
separate. In Jersey City the wanderer picks up .
companion. who. although only boy, is person OF
experience in tramp lore and the fortunate pos
SCISSOR Of an infinite number OF the tramps war
maps-i. e., the time tables prepared tor railway
hands. Under advice OF this youth he sleeps in .
lumber yard and learns the valuable lesson OF
covering his head to keep warm, but is unI
BILE to bring himself to beg breakfast the
next morning. and buys nve cents worth Of
crackers. This is the last homage that he pays
custom, and he rides from Elizabeth to Trenton ON
the pilot of engine; from Trenton to Easton In
empty coal car. and from Easton to Harrisburg
in freight car. company with three other tramps.
bound to Cincinnati At Harrisburg he fights with
consequence. is brought before judge. who sen.
him to sixty days in the workhouse but gives
him an hour to leave town. opportunity OF which
he avails himself, and boards n lumber train
going West lie stows himself in the space between
the lumber and the end OF the and s nearly
crushed to death when the train goes up
steep grade that the brakeman takes pity ON
him, and not only gives him breakfast. but passes
him on to Pittsburg, the best city for tralnps In
the United States. Here he lodges in the Home"
eating of its extraordinary soup for his break
fast although not quite able to do so at supper
From Pittsburg he departs with u man who says
that he has been reporter, auctoneer, teainster.
raftsina railroader. clerk, stableand and evanse-
list and that the last occupation paid so we'll that he
should have continued in it had hc ever been able to
stick to anything. At Columbus the two wanderers
visit the Hotel de Log open air resort tor tramps
established by q good natured member OF the frater.
nifty and leaving II the evangelist is hung
as a horse thief. aud Ben narrowly escapes dying in
the same way. Fortunately the citizens of the town
in which the execution takes place object to being
reminded of IL by Bcn's presence and send him
uway with railroad ticket that takes him 900 miles
nearer st. Louis. Here he finds himself ON the
harvest range. the track OF the harvest hands who
40 North each year to the grain fields of Minnesota
and come South in small groups winter ap-
proaches. Fifteen of these scalnps, including MIR.
Cleveland, board car aud refuse to leave IL. Tho
Conductor teegraphs to tho next town for assist
ance and the citizens wckedly charter the car for
the conveyance of live stock and send the tramps
through to East st. Louis Here they are sentenced
TO sixty days imprisonment and given ferry tickets
to st. Louis. by which course the town freed Of
them. From st. Louis to New orleans he makes his
passage by steamer. meeting with some apocryphal
adventures introduced by the author. and, not being
true, Of no value To the student of tramp life.
The book is carelcssly written. aud derives al its
interest from its novelty.