New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-30
THE TR4NPS CIPHER.
From the Nalpdukee SentinlI.


The reporter suggested the prOpnety OF two
quarts Of beer aud comfortable hay1f which was en-
The tramp carried the beer after the reporter promised
TO come around and pay for Il some day
I'm no beggar," began he with much huency, " ana
always make 1t practice to render equivalent in
promises for avOrs received But know all the ropes OK
the boys, and 1t may be that I'll have 70 come down 10
their level day. Begging s in reality regularly
organized profession the principal varieties Of which ara
termed turks the fire lurk pretended losses by reG the
shlpwrecked sailors urk the fore liners lrk the acci
dent urk the sick lurk (Ifeended Illness some tie up
remain smu sting Illness while they send out their
companions to beg for them the deaf and dumb lurk;
servanui the GOLFERS lurk pretended loss OF employment
through eTploston the weayer oaenderers and cot
cove, shverng Jenny who goes about halfnakcd,
and the hghhyer, who Stimulates the brOkendown gem
tleman. officer or tradesman."
The happy tramp talked freely as though the sner
Of hls II would require book to deal c0mprc-
hensyey with all the decepons and disguses Of these
fellows, there Is hardly source or human suHeIhg or
passing calamity Of any magnitude which they do nOt
The following are the signs chaked by the fraternity
doors and gaposs for the Information OF their bretn-
: This road is better than the other.
Good for something to eat.
Religious but sood on the whole.
spodt BY too many ramps calling.
Likely TO have you taken up.
The uPpcrcr,st Of the fraternity those tina, are web
fixed" IN the ces) resort 10 the directories In puOhe
thousand thus marked in NewYork and Chicago, and
the gangs that profit by this system are well organized
and number from ten 70 thirty members.
The following their marks, with their meanings:
Means doubtful not called on before.
Z Means good or likely to give.
Means very good, or very likely 10 give
know OF gang OF twenty persons IN one OF tha
big towns, who make at least $40 week each.
The letters and petitions sent or presented are skul
fabrcaOns turgcre sometimes they sent by posi-,
bat more frequently they presented in person.
The petitions often profess 10 be signed by tae Mayor
and have attached them excellent limitations or the sig
natures a number OF influential people who are stated
20 have contributed to the sometimes the case -
that Of laundress whose horse had taken fright and
dashed her pieces nurng her only son and cauS-
irg great loss; other times the IS that OF
widow In distress, whose husband has died under affecting
circumstances and left her unprOvldcd Or-the clcun-
varying with the supposed social position OF the
husbaud widow Is represented as being In danger OF
IN consequence Of her shop being robbed by burglars,
or her having execution on her house. or OF her COW
having died OF pieuyO pneumonia.
Frequently the members OF the gang assume Yaley
Of characters and call people without letters on pe-
and recommend another for assistance on every
kind pleaan invalid child requiring 10 be placed In an
asylum distressed traGesmln foreigner, singer ot
celebrity who has fallen into poverty, sufferer by
shipwreCk fire. sometimes the members Of the gang
call suEly other times they work IN parties OF four or
going INTO the house while the Others Keep watch
IN the ueighborhOOd 10 give warning Of danger.
rne of the nelghOOTing clergy are Freely uscd,
either writers OF rccoMmcudaOry letters accompany
ing-Cdrds people position employed a. introduce
from the c.iu-D6ShtS
lying IN the halls OF other people.
The leaders Of such read all the social news IN
ouabe world and they make IL practice 10 supply them
with any kind OF reference that may prove useful
You may ask why am not one OF the kudt We'll an
tony and 20 on an occasional Dust. Coca Mght'