The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-02

The Itinerant System Of
Large class ofssMen.
A Short Account Of the evil and Its
future Solution.

| The tramp and his system OF tramping
is fast becoming one OF the hxed institu-
ton of this country. aud those Who see
nothing but evil in the system predict
serious trouble from thisscause at no dis
tant day.
Already a series of crimes have been
credited to the. members OF this class
which include all the various shades OF
offenses from the petty larceny of food
with which to keep body and sou! together
to the more exalted ono of taking human
life.
The neculiar nomaudic life of these in
diyiduals and the wandering about the
face Of the earth with no home and
| no ambition save to secure
a little money to buy the necessities OF
life ia not conducive TO law and order.
but often times they are wrongly accused
of misde eds of which they are totally inno-
cent.
From Police Ioficers 10 this city it is
learned that
THE FIRST ARMY
| OF trampS Vlsit6u LUIS eSottou III euc year
| 1877. although previous to that time stray
elers were occasionally entertained at the
armory, Anterior to that year. which ia
noted for the serious strikes thst took place
| on the large railroads of the country, q
tramp made bis appearance in this city
and in falteripg manner asked for lodg.
ing. It was then considered a species of
disgrace to travel around with no visible
means of support. Nine cases out of ten
the itiuerant individual was arrested for
vagrancy and ordered either to leave the
town or be subjected to Imprisonment. All
the cities bordering on the river we're ope.
rating under the same law, and as q result
few if any tramps put 10 their ap
pearance Their absence at the early
settlement of. this western country il
further explained by the fact tha.
everybody worked in those early
days. and If q stranger made his appear
ance asking for work. he usually succeeded
in securing it.
THE TRAMP SYSTEM
has always been more or less carried on
among the farming community. and 9
rule they differ materially from their fellow
craftsman who does up the cities. Taken
as class they are willing and iapxieus to
work. although they possess marked
exceptions. During the winter large
class of them work in the southern states,
and following the season as it progresses
they wend their way northward and arrive
10 this neigh borhood about harvest time,
They continue north in their persigrina-
tons, and having comp leted their selfim-
posed circuit. they are ready for the com
ing season. Members OF this order may be
termed the tramp while to distinguish
second class it would not be inappropriate
to tsrmshim
TIE vAdRANT TRAMP
To this subdivision belong the various
people who travel from city to city, live at
the police stations and for want of q better
living. appropriate anything that comes
within their way. The only object per-
fectly safe FROM theira molestatioD is said
to be red ot.stose. None of them have
desire to perloin that article.
Since the summer of 1877 these wan
dering Ishma lites have greatly increased
10 mum bers, until now q tramp room is set
aside for their especially accommodation at
the city Armory. They come to Rock
Island fully expecting that they will be
housed and what is true of this city is
also characteristic .ot other towns 10 this
ssate. 1t is no longer . disgrace to be q
tramp. and the parties IN that capacity
appear to feel that they have claim on
the city to the extent of giving them their
lodging.
THE NEW TRAMP.
During the present spring and past
winter Q new SPECIES of traveller has made
its appearance in the tramp system which
10 none other than women.
The city armory nightly entertains such
visitors. and they are not always of the
lowest grades of society. although the mai
ority of them could not be ranked very
high in the social scale. They usually tell
some heartrending story of their destitu-
tirn snd assertion. It is even no uncom-
mon thing for mother with her little child
or children to seek the protection of the
static house when belated in their journey
from town to town.
So general 10 this iramping system be-
coming that its importance is fast being
recognized. and the difficulty of properly
dealing with the evil will be apparent to
anyone who gives. the subjecr the least
consideration.
To soothe disturbed feeling brought on
by cold, and to cure Coughs, Group and
Hoarseness. take Dr. Bulls Cough Syrup.
Price rs cent.