Morris tribune., 1880-12-02
NEW YORK MENDICANTS.
Where the Street Tramps Pass Their
Nights.

Nights.
When the wind blows cold and the air
is crisp with frost, it is not an uncom-
mon thing to meet at evening in the
streets of New York, especially below Ca
nal 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
of the year by the sophisticated or pro-
fessional beggar. He does not now sigh
for the shelter of lodging-h house. but is
content to forego the accommodations
which later he will beg to secure. The
lodging-house keeper is not at present
the person to whom h, 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. It 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 es
cape the notice of the man with the club
and off-hand manner. he is willing to in
sure the rest and to discount the worst
efforts Of all the mosqait oes in Mamma
tan island.
Where does the homeless beggar Of
New York sleeep in the summer-the
beggar whom the attra. lions OF green
fields, Dabbling brooks, herroosts and
potato patches cannot Eeduce from the
city to be a country tramp? The re-
porter whose duties lead him about the
streets at mid eight stumbles upon him
in many places; seems him curled up In
doorway, stretched out in some hos
pitable truck wagon thai has been lett in
the street, OF wandering away in search
of some secluded spot whore neither the
light from the Street lamps nor the po-
lice mans eve will find him out. And
be may be found on The benches in the
public parks, where he enters upon pos
session at the witch1Dg hour OF mid
night. 1t is curious to note whet classes
of people enjoy these parks, and when.
shade for the leisure hours of the day
notbiug need be said, for Ii is patent
fact that the old men and chilJrcn under
the charge of their white, capped bonnes
are then large in possession. As evening
approaches the children so away home,
ard their places ere taken by variety
Of men, many OF them young and we'll
dressed. they do no., as rule, remain
long enough 20 decide where they will go
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 ftiends begin to ep-
pear in the parks. To watch them close
ly is to discover that the poor girls are
invariably so wear;ed 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
being hugged, the girls go their way to
rest, and little later the beggar begins
to stink into the parks and to court for
getfulness of his daily wretchedness in
sleep. 1t may be that honest working
men have been in the parks to breathe
for few bours 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
then.
Where has the beggar been since the
sun set7 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 q shadow
even though il be az night; shadow
that il erect and walking. If you show
that you ave CONSCIOUS Of its presence, the
chances are thai you will hear the shadow
mutteriug scme words, among which
may be distinguished "a few pennies"
and "not bic to eat.' This
shadow Is the beggar who, unlike the
wise husbandman strives to make hay
while the sun does not shine, and who
WEAKLY "movee ON Though fear of the
police, until be has moved with the
hours of midnight. He then goes to the
parks end sleeps, unless the park police
mar, who must remain awake himself,
maliciously decides 10 keep shim awake
also. And this is usually the case, for it is
an every night AFFAIR for The man in gray
uniform to Sit about through the parks
and roughly shake into oemblance OF
wakCiulness the wreiched creature he
uuuS, anu duWOuISucS uJm uOG W Sleep
With growl that is an oath the beggal
declsls himself awake, and straight
way mods again. This is often repeated
during the night. At earliest dawn the
policeman make1 q finel round, and with
the voice of autrority announces thai
sleep must positively hsve ending. Thi!
time be is obeyed, though with the slow
ness of unwilling acquiescence. The beg
gar sits sullen, blinking and yawning
until he finally becomes tho oughly
aroused, when he arises and disappears
Usually, as he sinks away, he seems llk'
one who is "drunk many times day, i
not many days entirely drunk" He is
sad specimen of ruined manhood, of al
utter mental and moral waste.
A LADY wants to know why the rail.