, 1883-06-07
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Lew Migrants Construct wlnter-SsaErtsEs
From Small Trees and Fence Rails.
From the Philadelphia Timesl

From Small Trees and Fence Railk.
from the Philadelphia Times.I
Wistar's woods. near Ardmore Sta
tion, on the Pennsylvania railroad, for
more than year past has been regu-
lar rendezvous for tramps. The woods
are about quarter of mile from the
Lancaster road, and embrace nearly O
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,
gnafled roots of trees, overhung and
| lntertwlned 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
hvlous to the charms of the sylvan beau
ties by which they were surrounded.
Traces of tramp-occupancy may be seen
all along the creek. In one place sew
eral fence-rails have been stretched
| from stump to stump to fern benches,
the backs being made by bending down
and Intervening young beech-trees and
D-efS 'AtieS' RIdDt-
vines also form quite an airy rustic
bower, within wlnch may be seen large,
Hat, blackened stones piled together for
fireplace; several old pots, tin-pans,
and walters, while here and there NAV
be seen scattered a faded flag, an old
boot, or piece of suspender. Perhaps
this was summer-house, winter-quar-
ters evidently being more substantial.
One place was in 4 sort of 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-
companim"''t of old tin-pans. From one
tree to an th stretches piece of tele-
graph-wire, .iom which are suspended
lantern and hanging-basket filled with
moss and vines. 1t would seem that
tramps have n taste for the beautiful.
The hut is quite work of art, con-
structed according to no rules but n
tramp's own sweet will. The visitor
sees a hollow about ten feet square and
Blk 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
a most luxuriant growth of tall forest
trees, a thick underbush, and carpet
of ferns. At the LETT side and back of
the hollow rise high rocks, with smooth
perpendicular faces, and around it grow
n dozen or more slender beech-trees.
The visitor can imagine tramp or
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 q roof
so, filling 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-
stituting the back and the other end
OF course he would leave a door and
window in front. He migbt--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 q chimney. He
also filled the greater part of the earth
door with dry leaves for bed