New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-01-26
WHOLE NUMBER l59
4 New York Hotel for Tramps.

with the location OF a 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 caravansary, 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 CROPPED his way down
two flights of stairs to a long, narrow
suD-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 /" fall cleaning was in
progress, whitewash buckets and UNI
pianed boards almost impeding his en-
trance.
Undergoing internal improve.
ments?' he queried of a seedy, lank
object with unkempt hair, shaggy beard
and close-ftting duster, that lay out
stretched upon the dining table, half
asleep.
"Kinder, jist whitewashin' 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
the farther end of the $: hotel" On the
right was what might be accepted as an
apology for kitchen. Two iron frames,
in which smouldered a 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 filed with dirty water, were
piled lot of crockery, while on the
counter, which was made of two boards
held up on either end by two props,
was a 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 INSTRUCTED from view by stack
of mysterious looking bags and sugar
mattings.
"What do you intend doing with all
those bags?' asked the reporter.
The tramp shook himself and sat
| upright OF as near to it as he could.
''Them's the BEDS" he answered; "we
fixes them in the night.''
$. You don't charge ANYTHING to sleep
on them, do you?''
eyes, we does. We charge er f.
pence to sleep here.''
A sound resembling buzZ-saw
wrestling with lignum-vit@ knot
emanated from dark corner thus far
unnoticed. It 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, fndables, presenta-
bles and changeables of the entire pro-
fcssion. 1t was here in this corner that
the reisefde 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 junk shop. Rags, shoes,
hats, paper collars, bill posters, tin
cans, umbrella frames and 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 q
being stumbled down the ''hotel'' stairs
and darkened the room as he entered
the door. He sat down at the table,
called for &c ham an BEANS" distracted
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 e1
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 time?" asked the reporter OF
the Charge d Affaires as he deposited
the cash in the safe.
"Cool weather comm now, we has
over er hundred some nights, but as
gineral thing not NOR n twenty
"Do they all board with you?''
eyes. More eats here than sleeps
here. They go around all day gauging
with q can and fills it full of beer thai
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.''
elbow much doyou charge for 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. I must make un
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.
'sThat'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-ttting dus-
ter lit lamp that had sugar bowl for
its base. For the first time the rer orter
caught glimpse of the tables. Two
old boards nailed together and resting
on two flour barrels answered the pur-
pose of the tea table. One old board
resting on two soap boxes served the
purposes of dining room chairs. There
was some mistake about the cutlery,
for. there wasn't any and everything
had to be eaten with spoons, good solid
iron spoons. The linen was locked up
in the safe, which, on account of its
containing a combination lock, could
only be opened by the proprietor, who
is at present in Canada investigating
the extradition treaty. The crockery
is imported and bears the monogram
OF the proprietor.
The day clerk spoke very highly OF
his employer and the many acts of
benevolence he had bestowed upon
unfortunate workingmen.'
How much do you receive for your
labor?'
'.Three dollars month and board
and lodging"
| &ovor.,1 $50, >,,>, 3, ~ ~