The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-07-15
THE TRAMP QUESTION


trump hep0rter.
"One, two, three, four, i've, six, seven Who
arc those wretches ?" THE CRITIC scribe asked
the oflicer In charge OF the Police Court coils,
as he counted the occupants OF tho "Dlack
Maria" which had Just backed UP.
"Thcm's tramps," answered tho ofllcer,
and tho Understanding lot I ever saw"
care many OF these gentry coming into the
city ?" the reporter asked.
"well, nc" was tho reply, "not many. Our
laws hero arc 30 strict you see, and besides
the weather is warm and they ind II much
pleasanter In the country, pressing sap out o.
railroad ties and robblng orchards and hon
roosts. Now and thon stragglcr comes along,
and he Ia collared and sent to the workhouse.
This crowd IL the largest lot we'vo had hero
Tor come time"
'Thoy're generally an ignorant set, are thoy
notr'
dLord bless you, no sir. Some OF them are
talented and well.read; so intelligent In fact,
that IL would surprise you TO hear them talk.
have seen lawyers, school Teachers, physi.
among the tramps that we've had here In my
time, all having been forced to Join tho knights
OF the turnpike, as they call themselves, from
strong drink, or Vices equally rs demoralizing.
Last summer when the excitement over the
shooting of President Garfield prevailed they
ss,warmed into washington. great many OF
that lot, however, were of the crank class,
and, II you remember, our officers were kept
busy looking after them. We don't get many
tramlS now.
SWELL about the causes OF these people TAX
ing to the road; are not many OF them forced
TO 1t through necessity
"some Of them, yes. We can generally toll
here, go TO the stntion.houses for a nights
lodgings, and moyo on again the next day.
They are seeking work, and locate wherever
here the other day--a schooltencher whose
employment was taken away by the fierce
storms In Iowa: He said his little school
m In
village were blown down and property 30 gen.
orally destroyed that many others, like him.
self, had TO go elsewhere TO seek a living 1t
being vacation time, employment In his line
was hard TO obtain, but he said he was going
TO keep ON, doing odd Jobs here and there, UNI
I'll he could ind steady work OF some charac.
ter. During the recent labor strikes several
OF those men passed through this city looking
for work: Sometimes whole families pass
through"
"Are many OF the colo:ed race represented
among the tramps?"
"well, no. negro tramp is rare. Why,
don't know; but suppose It is because tramp
Ing is too much like work for them. But We
fnd some very queer people among tramps
sometimes-an actor, perhaps, or maybe a
card.writer. Then there are thinkers and fell
lows who whitle fancy articles with their
knives and long list OF others who, by their
several specialties, manage to travel all over
the country doing practically nothing for
living"
"Tho majority OF the tramps, though, are
thieves or tricksters, supposeT
Eyes; most OF 'em are CROOKS and hard
lot. The professional tramps have language
of their own, on the slang or iargon order, and
sometimes you can hardly understand what
they gay. For instance, we had fellow here
last week suspected OF touching boOzer,' as
he termed II. The charge was really that OF
robbing drunken man. He proved an abb,
though, and whom he left he said II was the
first time that he had ever been up before 80
good-natured a 'cuffin queer meaning the
Judge. He asked me for n drop OF aqua
water said he was afraid that no would have
TO become q barrel boarder' "a bum-for q
time, and that II he took the 'barrel-fever -
jim.Jams-the city would have to sond him 10
The .Job's dock Hospital. ! asked him II
he had ever engaged In any legitimate
business, and he replied that he was ''mush.
room fakir," umbrella repairer by profession,
though when he could strike fair or horse
He had been "jarkman,' too. That he In.
terpreted, as being man WHO wrote charac
tiers for servants. That business did not pay
well. He nearly "got the collar''-arrested-
had to ''cap his iucky"-run away-from the
town In which he operated He added that after
that his next move was to "puli in with u win !:
m er MISUNDERSTANDING that 1t would BIO
.hard q graft''a soft snap-but 1t didn't
..pan out',.-pay. His "pai '-partner-'got
ody"-drunk-and after six months in the
"iug"-prison--"re the Governors stin'
| pardon. subsequently,, they ''tied up CONN
tie at their trades until they were "lush to tho
| balsam"-had plenty OF money. Concluding,
/ the tramp said that when their "boodle''-
| money-was gone his pal 'slipped his wind
| died-and was given an "earth bath'-burled
by the tramps who knew him as a ibene
| cull"-good fellow. AS he turned to 60 away
| he asked mo to "tip my daddle"--shake hands
| with him, which l did, declining at the
| same time to go and 'sluice my gab'-tal;o q
| long drink-with him. There are others with
| whom have talked who used Just the same
| lingo, and have heard 1t so often that am
quite well versed. But you must excuse mo
| now; courts open. Como around again." and
| nodding his head pleasantly the olIlcer moved
away among the cells, leaving THE CRITIC
| completing his notes Of all that he had heard.
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