Connecticut western news., 1882-10-04
DODGERS IN THE PARKS.
Strange Sleeping Places of Many Who Have No Homes and No Money,

Strange Sleeping Places of Many
 Who Have No Homes and No
 Money.
 Under the trees in Madison Square at 11:30 o'clock Sunday night, says the New York Sa1,a, there were at least three hundred lodgers. Only half dozen were awake. The others were sleeping in almost every conceivable posture. The few who had early in the evening secured shares of the curved bench around the fountain were the only ones able to stretch out at full length, and those rested their heads on their crossed arms, or leaned upon an elbow, or were flat on their backs. The flood of elec- trio light from the high center pole bathed in blaze of light the tree tops, | that were like so many mounds of yer dure. It tipped the edges of the layers of leaves as with shining silver, and left the park beneath half in twilight and half in dark. Waving lace-work pat terms were seen wherever the shadows of the twigs and branches fell upon the walk. The effect produced by the elec- trio light was such that every lodger seemed we'll dressed. There was not light enough to show rent, stain. or a wrinkle in any of their garments. Even their shirts shone white.
 | But the lodgers looked uncomfortable. The high backs of the settees and the iron arm-rests separating the seats gave each man but eighteen square inches of bedstead. One young man who was occupying part of the settee close to Twenty sixth street and near Madison avenue, where George Francis Train is to be found in the daytime, was doubled up like half closed pocketknife. A lodger exactly across the way from the main entrance to the Fifth Avenue Hotel kept almost dropping hls head on the grass behind him and catching it in the nick of time. The exertion made him snore like the snarling of tiger. Every here and there gravitation brought two neighbors together with ones head on
 the others breast and his head on his
 companion's shoulder.
 "They are not all tramps," said the
 policeman on Twenty sixth street.
 "Some of them have homes, but prefer
 to sleep out in the air. One young man
 that I happen to know has nice home,
 but he hes some ailment of the lungs or
 chest that he believes is relieved by
 sleeping out of doors. Others would be
 less comfortable in the hot and crowded
 quarters where they live than they are here. We find out about them when we make raids and bundle them off to the
 station. We cannot hold those who have homes to go to. The others, form.
 ing the great majority, are simply va grants, who live by begging and steal ing, though some of them tell me they work once in while, long enough tc ! n1o%hno Fou then they tramp again. On some nights every seat in every park is occu'
 pied. The park police do not stay or l duty at nights, but we are supposed te keep the tramps away. We let 'em alone
 though, unless they get noisy. They l fight once in while, but most of the
 trouble is made by bands of young
 roughs who roam through the parks l from dark till midnight"
 eff decent man should fall asleer
 in one of these parks would he be safe ?
 "Well, he would, but his valuableE wouldn't. Sometimes gentleman comes crawling through the park late st nigh and drops on bench and falls asleep Then they go through him. I have
 known man to be robbed of his watch money, rings, coat, vest, hat and shoes . and have to make his way home in tha condition in the morning. Generally
 though, the tramps are not so cruel r They often take gentleman's silk ha and leave him their own in exchange. 3 "But," said the policeman, 'sI mus
 go and drive those fellows away iron l Delmonico's. The tramps. go to Del monico's when they get chilly, because
 there's grating there and the heat O 3 the kitchen comes up through it. Ther' was nice young fellow there last night l He had no coat, but his shirt was clea1 0 and good. He said his father turnet r him out of doors because he playet f pool, and he pawned his coat for tn
 price of meal"
 . There were about 500 lodgers il
 Union Square, and the plashing foun . tain, the embowered paths, and tn sleepers, under the wizard touch of tn
 electric light, made the scene remin ? one of the fairy tale of those who slum ' bered in the company of the Beauty i the Wood.
 The Prince who broke the spell i o the City Hall Park half an hour late # was policeman with 8 club two fee l long. The reporter had been walkin l. on the plaza between the grass an
 the City Hall, and had not noticed t lodger. The park was as quiet as ,- graveyard. But when this guardian J. whose voice was like the roar of fir l. trumpet, banged his club and sai6 IT 'fOut with you, or I'll bag the lot ( 6 you," the paths suddenly swarmed wit y shambling, stretching, yawning fgureI
 some at dog trot and some impin is like rheumatics.