Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-04
TIVE TranlEs.
| know two tramps.

was spruce dandified clerk.
Few people are familiar with the ORR
GIL Of the tramp. Generally their source
is wrapped in mystery. 1t is now the
duty of good citizens to give all the ac-
curate information possible regarding
the tramps with whose career they may
have been familiar; 1t must be suppressed
and if possible, nipped in the bud. To
nip vagrancy in the bud requires an ac-
emulation of personal knowledge COM
ing from many individuals concerning
the rise and progress of the tramp.
In 1910 this tramp was my school-fel-
low. We we're co-natives of Il Long
Island village. He was few years my
senior, and blossomed into adolescence,
tight boot, stand-up collar, fancy
ties and a girl much sooner than I did.
At eighteen this future tramp drank
liquor and in winter time recreated him
self with midnight sleighing and oyster
suppers at certain tavorite resorts few
miles from the village.
Many other young men OF the place
were also frequently in the saloons. They
too drank rum for rum was more popu-
lar than at presently hired fast horses and
with their girls INDUCED in midnight
sleighings and oyster suppers. But they
have not become tramps. Even now
they drink liquor in moderation. Some
are leading men in the community.
In 1S4S the present tramp secured d
position as clerk IN New York. He proved
capable and competent and was soon pro-
noted both as to pay and position. Once
year he revisited his native village and
created sensation by his city cut clothes
and tall white silk hat.
In 1854 the tramp was engaged IN a
fourshing and growing business in the
vicinity Of Catherine Ferry. was then
clerk in the city and passed my even
ings in his store. l think the tramp at
this time lived up to the full measure
of his income and possibly surpassed it.
But he had a doting and well-to-do faith
er who must have made good all defci-
encies.
Then came long interregnum. For
fifteen years I was thousands of miles
away from this metropolis. In 1868 l
heard of the tramp as a foremost hand
on whaler. He had become very in
temperate. His business was broken up,
and leaving a wife at ZONE he had gone
upon the face of the deep.
Returning to my native village in 1871
found the tramp keeping Simmer
clearinghouse. He had returned from
sea and friends had put him on his feet
| again. 1t was thought that his reform
| was permanent. l heard no more of him
for four years. Passing along South street
one morning some one called my name.
Out of a group of 'longshoremen came a
seedy-looking man with well frayed trou-
ser-bottoms I looked him full in the face
but did not recognize him. He told me
his name. | was astonished. After a
moment or''two something of the old look
came out on his face. But he seemed to
| have shrunk and his youth was all dried
| out of him.
4 few months later I heard that the
tramp had been seen at a very early
morning hour by a fellow townsman and
former schoolmate on Broadway, from
whom he asked the loan of few cents,
| which were given with bit of advice
| thrown in gratis to the effect that he
would profit the community by going
down To the nearest pier and drowning
himself. But he did not drown himself
N water.
In the summer of 1877 business re
quired my presence in secluded village
in the interior of the State Another
school-mate of mine resided there. I was
his guest. To my surprise he told me
that few weeks previous, the tramp, in
most discreditable external condition,
had, to his establishment and horror, pre-
sented himself at his door, and on the
score of auid lang syne asked for any as
sistance he might be disposed to give.
II could not receive him in my house."
said he. 81 gave him some money. He
went to the village, caroused at low
GROCERY, slept in an empty freight car
that night, returned to the dollhouse in
the morning, made disturbance, was ar
rested, put in Jail, and finally set adrlft
with all injunction never to return thith-
er."
These are few of the scattered tracks
of one tramp. There IS but one conclusion.
Rum did tor rather the lack of control
over rum have heard nothing of the
tramp since. He may be still on his trav-
els he may have reformed; he may be
dead.
1t may be safe to assume that his case is
parallelcd by that of one-half of our Ma
tional tramps. The question arises. Are
such people fit to be trusted to them
selves and what shall we do with them?
know of one more tramp. He is still
a young man and brother to u distin-
guished writer. Yeals ago he was resi-
dent of large Western city and held
there responsible position. He became
dlssipated, was implicated in rather
crooked transaction, lost his place, drank
to excess, lost every thing, and was at
last accounts an unmitigated, genuine
tramp.
The evidence here afforded is not very
favorable as means of creating sympa-
thy for the tramp collectively save with
the comparative few who regard the
drunkard as a victim of diseased appe-
tite. 1t is rather difficult also to ascer-
tain how much such men really suffer
from sense of their degradation, because
one man is not the measure of another in
this respect. The extremely sensitive
drunkard has perhaps the best chance
l.. I