The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-11-25
A New York Hotel for Tramps.

A few days ago a reporter for the
Graphic, having been made acquainted
with the location of genuine, Simon
pure tramp boarding and lod ging house.
visited the place. The proprietor, who,
by the way, is an ex-tramp,- displayed
considerable forethought in the selec.
ton OF his earavansary, which is in the
heart of the business portion of the city,
and but a stones throw from the CITY
Hall. just before dusk the reporter
reached the place indicated, and with
some difficulty groped his way dowr
two flights OF stairs to a long, narrow
sub-cellar of an immense building, the
upper portion of which is used for vari-
GUS mechanical purposes. The sight
presented near the door led the reporter
to think that &c fab cleaning' was in
progress, whitewash buckets and un-
planed boards almost impeding Ais en-
trance. 47-Yii
&c Undergoing internal improve
ments?' he queried of seedy, lank
object with unkempt hair, shaggy beard
and close-fitting duster, that Law out
stretched upon the dining table, half
asleep.
Kinder, jist whitewashin' a bit,''
drawled out the fellow, without making
the least effort to move. Not wishing
to disturb him, the reporter glanced at
the interior, Or rather so much of it as
was discernible, it being totally dark at
the farther end of the s' 'hotel.'' On the
right was what might be accepted as an
apology for a kitchen Two iron frames.
in which smouldered few embers of
wood, composed the cooking apparatus.
Near by on the floor were four empty
tomato cans, one spider" broken
Kettle and a stewing pot. In a butter
tub, half filled with dirty water. were
piled a lot of crockery, while on the
counter, which was made of two boards
held up on either end by two props,
was pan of what appeared in the dark
ness to be beans. A questionable ham,
bearing the marks of several fingers, re-
posed innocently. ON saucer, alongside
OF four lOaves of bread near the other
end of the counter. There was no
elevator in the rear" or if; there were
it was obstructed from view by stack
OF mysterious looking bags and sugar
mattings.. rfg - ..,,o.,..t.
"W6at do you intend doing with all
those bagsp" asked the reporter. Ill a
The tramp shook himself and sat
upright or as near to it as he could.
''Them's the beds,' he answered; we
fixes them in the night" = d91ol ea
:" You don't charge anything to sleep
on them, do youp''
"Yes, we does. We charge er fl
pence to sleep here.n ,r,~.z.-4 f,t
A sound resembling a buzz-saw
wrestling with lignum-vite knot
emanated from dark corner thus far
unnoticed. 1t proved to be the snoring
OF a wearied traveller at rest, who pre-
sented the appearance of bag of rags
in coal bin. This corner undoubtedly
was the receptacle of the combined
pickings, stealings. indables, presenta-
bles and changeables of the entire pro-
fession. 1t was here in this corner that
the reisepde pooled their tissues. Were
it not for the fact that tramps never
steal, the reporter would certainly have
thought that burglary had been COM
mitted on a junk shop. Rags, shoes,
hats, paper collars, bill posters, tin
cans, umbrella frames and a hundred
other articles reposed here in indescrib-
able confusion and in the midst of this
mound of rubbish lay undisturbed this
gunny bagged snorer. ~ =
While regarding this strange sight
being stumbled down the 8. .hoter' stairs
and darkened the room as he entered
the door. He sat down at the table,
called for . ham an beans,'' abstracted
a mysterious looking, shining can from
beneath his outer garment, pressed it
to his lips and for a long time endeav-,
ored TO see what fastened the bottom to
the can. The object that lay on the
table dragged its form slowly towards
the lunch counter, alongside of the pan
already described. ' - %
"Give us yer money fust," said the
cashier to the man with bull s-eye nose,
as he held the plate firmly In his hand.
"Think I'm goin ter give yer er
funny racket, here's yer money!. an
swered the tramp as he threw nickle
at the cashier
''How many dodgers do you enter
tain at a timeP''', asked the reporter of
the Charge d Affaires as he deposited
the cash in the safe. s'st - 'ol 8
e.'Cool weather comm now, we has
over er hundred some nights, but as a
gineral thing not mor'n twenty"
''Do they all board with youP''4 1es
Eyes. More eats here than sleeps
here. They go around all day gauging
with can and fills it full of beer that
they ketch from empty kegs, then come
here for beans, git drunk and then we
fire them over in the corner and let EN-
Sleep"
"How much do you chargefor beans?'
''All the dishes is five cents. Stews,
roasts, frys or anything, all is five cents;
but the bloats must pay up fore they.
kin git the eatables. / must make up
these beds as some of the fellers comes
in as soon as it gifts dark"
He snatched a lot of sugar mattings
and bags from the pile and laid them
along the floor. Et
"That's better'n sleeping in the parks
and gittin' robbed.'' he said as he
moved towards the door, which was
again being darkened by the approach
of three guests. Mechanically they paid
him the bed money and disappeared in
the dormitory. It was getting dark and
the young man in the close-fittino Cus.