The Goldsboro star. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1881-18??, 1881-12-24
Religious Tramps.

"That man is a religious tramp"
said Manager Bunting, Of the Christian
Home for Incorporate Men. The man
had, apparently just passed middle life.
''He can sing finely, pray earnestly,
and exhort eloquently. wish I could
talk as we'll as he can"
"Why doyou call him religious
tramp"
~ will explain. There are religious
tramps just the same as there are
tramps who prey upon the general
public, and who are honest enough to
make no pretense of religion. These
religious tramps are known to every
evangelist, clergyman and philanthro-
pist. They haunt gospel temperance
meetings, make religious professions
in the meetings Of the Women's
Christian Unions, and are present at
the mission rooms, and when one city fails
to afford them further pecuniary relief,
they start on the track Of a temperance
orator, or follow up some revival move
ment, visiting all parts of the country.
God is not deceived. We are not de-
ceived. Many just such men, however,
have been saved, and have led useful
lives"
"You do not mean to say that these
religious tramps are ever sincerely con-
verted?"
"It is fact. Because it is SO these
man are asked to come under Christian
influence. 70 be sure, many Of them
will not reform. They love their
miserable drunken life. I have taken
men into this home, cast their ragged
clothes into the ash-box, given them
baths. new suit of clothes. and sobered
them up. Often they have secured
good places but, before giving days
application to their duties, they have
deliberately gone back to Chatham
and Baxter street dens and imbibed
poison to that extent that my next
knowledge OF them is that they are on
Blackwells Island shoveling ashes.
Men have been through all this and
then reform. It is q rare exception,
however"
"What is the right side Of this relig-
ious tramp pictureP"
"These men have one common place
of meeting. It is generally in back
room of groggery of the lowest des-
cription. recall one particular place
in Chatham street where hundreds Of
them congregate, because I have had
occasion to snatch men from it's infu-
ence. In this place can be found men
who were born tramps. The surround
ings of their lives have been such that
they could not help following vicious
course, almost from the cradle to the
present. Associated with them, linked
together by the common tie of misery,
are young men whose parents are hon
orable, respectable and wealthy citizens.
Drink has led them into errors, and
into the committal Of crime. They
have gone down stepby step in the
social scale, until to-day they subsist
almost entirely on liquid poisons, mere
semblances Of humanity. Some Of
them have been cast off from parental
recognition in some instances they
draw specified amount Of money from
home at regular intervals. have put
! just such men on their feet again, and
for years past have been blessed in
knowing that they are enjoying the
confidence Of their families, filling good
situations and leading Christian lives.
One of these men, who has been fol
some time leading an honest life, has
good situation in business house,
and looks on his past career as ter
rible nightmare, was asked: