Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-09-16
NEW YORK MENDICANTs.
Where the Street Tramps Pass Their
Nights.

where the street Tramps Pass Their
Nights.
When the wind blows cold and the
air is crisp with frost it is not an un-
common thing to meet at evening in the
streets of New York, especially below
Canal street and in the Bowery, beggars
whose claim to consideration is either
hunger or the assertion that they have
no place to sleep. The plea of hunger is
perennial, but the request for money to
pay for nights lodging is one that is
seldom or never preferred at this season
by the sophisticated or professional beg
gar. He does not now sigh for the
shelter of a lodging-house. but is well
content to forego the accommodations
which later he will beg to secure. The
lOdging-hOuse keeper is not at present
the person to whom he must look for
such disturbed slumber as, in winter, he
can snatch in the brief truces between
himself and the predatory insect band
whose name is legion. 1t is the police
man who is the autocrat of his bed
chamber in summer, and the canopy is
the sky. If he can only manage to escape
the notice of the man with the club and
of-hand manner, he is willing to insure
the rest and to discount the worst
efforts of all the mosquitoes in Manhat-
tan island.
Where does the homeless beggar of
New York sleep in the summer-the
beggar whom the attractions of green
fields, babbling brooks, henroosts and
potato patches cannot seduce from the
city to be a country tramp? The re-
porter whose duties lead him about the
streets at midnight stumbles upon him
in many places; sees him curled up in
doorway, stretched out in some hos
| pitable truck wagon that has been lett
in the street, or wandering away in
search of some secluded spot where
neither the light from the street lamps
nor the policeman's eye will find him
out. And he may be found on the
benches in the public parks, where he
enters upon possession at the witching
hour of midnight. It is curious to note
what classes of people enjoy these parks,
and when. Of those who make use of
| the seats and shade for the leisure
hours of the day nothing need be said,
| for it is patent fact that the old men
and children under the charge of their
white-capped bonnes are then largely
| in possession. As evening approaches
| the children go away home, and their
places are taken by a variety of men
many OF them young and well-dressed.
These do not, as a rule, remain long
enough to decide where they will 60 to
seek amusement. When the last meal
OF the day has been eaten, and the
| dishes have been cleaned, the servant
girls and their male friends begin to ap-
| pear in the parks. To watch them
closely is to discover that the poor girls
are invariably so wearied by the labors
of the day as to need the supporting
arms of their escorts. which are never
denied them. After an hour or two
spent in the mildly exciting pleasure of
talking and heing hugged, the girls go
their ways to rest, and little later the
| beggar begins to slink into the parks
| and to court forgetf1lness of his daily
wretchedness in sleep. 1t may be that
| honest workingmen have been In the
| parks to breathe for few hours purer
air than they can hope to find in their
hot lodgings. These begin to go when
| the beggars and tramps come, in order
not to be confounded with them.
Where has the beggar been since the
sun set2 Walk in any of the streets ad-
jacent to the park and the question will
answer itself As you go along you will
become conscious at times of shadow
even though it be at night; a shadow
that is erect and walking. If you show
that you are conscious of its presence,
| the chances are that you will hear the
shadow muttering some words, among
which may be distinguished ''a few
pennies 7" and mot bite to eat." This
shadow is the beggar who, unlike the
wise husbandman. strives to make hay
while the sun does not shine, and who
wearily moves on !" through fear of the
police, until he has moved with the
hours to midnight. He then goes to the
parks and sleeps, unless the park police
man, who must remain awake himself
maliciously decides to keep him awake
also. And this is usually the case, for
1t is an every-night affair for the man
IN gray uniform 10 fit about through the
parks and roughly shake into semblance
of wakefulness the wretched creature he
finds, and admonishes him not to sleep.
With growl that is an oath the beggar
declares himself awake, and straight
way mods again This is often repeated
during the night. At earliest dawn the
policeman makes final round, and with
the voice of authority announces that
sleep must positively have ending. This
time he is obeyed, though with the
slowness of unwilling acquiescence. The
beggar sits sullen, blinking and yawn-
ing. until he finally becomes thor
oughly aroused, when he rises and dis
appears. Usually, as he sinks away,
he seems like one who is 8 drunk many
times day, if not many days entirely
drunk" He is sad specimen OF ruined
manhood, of an utter mental and moral
waste.