Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-31
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
How Migrants Construct Winter Quarters
From Small Trees and Fence-Rai1s.
From the PHILADELPHIA Cimesl


From Small Trees and Fence-RailS.
From the Philadelphia Times.l
Wistar's woods, near Ardmore Sta
ton, on the Pennsylvania railroad, for
more than year. past has been regu-
lar rendezvous for tramps. The woods
are about a quarter of mile from the
Lancaster road, and embrace nearly a
hundred acres of wild, unbroken forest.
Such wilderness affords stragglers all
the seclusion and protection that they
desire. Through the woods flows a
stream, along the banks of which are
high, shelving rocks, and fantastic,
gnarled roots of trees, overhung and
intertwined with saplings, vines, ferns,
and wild flowers. The rocks afford nu-
merous places Of shelter to the tramps,
the roots give them opportunity for the
exercise of their skill, while, strange as
it may sound to some, they were not OBJ
liTious tc the charms of the sylvan beau
tie, by which they were surrounded.
Traces of tramp-occupancy may be seen
all along the creek. In one place sew
eral fence-rs>ls have been stretched
from stump to stump to form benches,
the backs being made by bending down
and irterwea ing young beech-trees and
grape-0ines. Beech-trees and grape
vines also form quite an airy rustic
bower, within which may be seen large,
fat, blackenel stones piled together for
a fireplace; several old pots, tin-pans,
and walters, while here and there may
be seen scattered faded flag, an old
boot, or piece of suspender. Perhaps
this was summer-house. winter-quar-
tiers evidently being more substantial.
One place was in sort of o natural
cave, formed by deep depression in
the earth, overhung by great rocks.
Here may still be seen the blackened
''hearthstone," with the inevitable ac-
compartment of old tin-pans. From one
tree to another stretches piece of tele-
graph-wire, from which are suspended a
lantern and a hanging basket filed with
moss and vines. It would seem that
tramps have taste for the beautiful.
The hut is quite work of art, con-
structed according to no rules but a
tramp's own sweet will. The visitor
sees hollow about ten feet square and
six feet deep, the hollow being on the
side of hill, which slopes above the
depression for about fifty feet and be-
low it for about fifty more, covered with
most luxuriant growth of tall forest
trees, thick underbush, and carpet
of ferns. At the left side and back of
the hollow rise high rocks, with smooth
perpendicular faces, and around it grow
dozen or more slender beech-trees.
The visitor can imagine tramp OF
other architect tying some of these
beech-trees together with telegraph
wire, bending others against them, and
resting logs and rails upon the wire and
saplings by one end, and placing the
other upon the rocks and swelling
ground. He could easily form root
so, filing in the crevices with sticks and
dried leaves. He could close the spaces
between the upright young beeches
with perpendicular pieces of wood and
bark, so as to make the front and one
end of his cabin, the rocks and hill con-
shutting the back and the other end
Of course he would leave door and a
window in front. He miglit-for this
tramp did-make fireplace of stone
against the rocky end, and fix an old
rusty milk-churn above it, through the
roof, SO as to do duty as chimney. He
also filled the greater part of the earth
door with drv leaves for bed.