News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-12-27
AHEAD OF THE WINTER.
MORE TRAHTPS THAN USUAL IN THE
ANNUAL RUSH TO THE CITY.
Scenes in the StntiOn-A Movement Toward
Locking Up the Chronic Fagrnnts-Thrce
Hundred Sent to Jail.
From the New York Sun

the parks, the empty wagons, the Sta
ton house lodging room, the So called
distilleries, and on the sunny SIDES of
the streets. The country had at that
time begun to lose its attractions for
them. Chilly winds were blowing, the
grass became brown, the roads grew
hard, and the barns let in the cold. So
the disjointed army faced toward the
city and came to it in every conceivable
way, and by every road and railroad.
The majority walked, some stole ii les
on top of freight cars, and under other
cars; some rode in farm wagons, and
some i'll canal boats, schooners and
steamboats,. Now nearly all have ar
rived, and have begun the winter rOu-
tine of begging, washing barrOoms,
Longing about and sleeping in the po-
lice stations. When the sun shines the
parks are full Of them. When it rains
no one knows where they spend the
time.
Sergeant Creeden was behind the
desk in the EIdridge street station
Capt. Allaire) when the tramps began
to file IN at half-past o'clock one even
ing to get their lodgings for the night
More tramps go to that station than to
any other, for some reason. There is
very little formality about the securing
or the giving Of a nights lodging. The
Sergeant presides behind the big desk,
the doOrman stands idly by. The tramp
comes in, shuffies up to the desk, and
stops before the iron rail waiting for the
Sergeant to cease writing and look up.
The Sergeant sees him. recognizes him
OR recognizes his quality, and says: CAL
right; go to bed" Then the doorman
stirs himself, the tramp shuf1ies across
the room, door bangs, a lock rattles,
and the tramp lies down on a sIanting
platform Of boards with his coat under
his arm, perhaps, and either talks to the
others lying there with him, or else
goes to sleep. The lodging room is in
most stations big square apartment,
with an aisle up the middle and a slant
ing platform on either side, the slant of
the platforms being from the wall down
to the passage way, with a fall of six
inches in six feet. In the room for
women there may be a bit of looking
glass on the wall over the iron wash
sink.
The dodgers file in one at a time, all
coming along within an hour on either
olNtS W " " OlCNAs 4IGIS 10 HOW lll0N
look: Here is a man in a tattered me-
rino office coat with a cane, on which he
leans when he walks. He is rough
bearded and bIear eyed. He wears one
boot and one shoe. The next man is
stout and broad shouldered, not more
than 80 years old. His skin is sun
bronzed, and he has a bushv growth of
black hair almost all over his face. He
wears a straw hat. He has q most curl
GUS SLOUGH in his gait. His knees
spring, his shoulders roll. and his back
bends in and out. In spite of his heavy
frame and outward signs of strength, a
racking cough is torturing him. Next a
pert little old woman trips in. Every
thing about her is faded. Her hair has
the dead tone of straw, her eyes are
weak and bleached looking, her skin is
cOlOrless. Her once red shawl and
originally gay calico skirt have lost the
life that once was in their cOlors. Her
bonnet is of faded straw with faded
flowers uponit. She crtsies and trips
out of sight. Next, a weIl-built young
man steps in with heavy football and,
pausing, holds the door aiar until broad
faced, smiling, stout little woman comes
softly along, carrying something in her
arms. She lifts it up toward neshOulder,
lets it settle back in her arms in new
position, swings it and herself and her
skirts all together from one side to
another with a semi-circular movement,
and says, "Sh-h-h-h." The thing in her
arms is baby, done up in an old shawl.
The Sergeant has been saying that
ought to be done to discour-
age the chronic idleness and vagabOnd-
age of the tramps. He thinks they
should be made to work for the State.
Without having hoard Capt. A1lairo talk
upon the subject he Expresses the same
sentiments as the Captain, that is to say,
that if the tramps had to work for their
lodgings, or if, when they were punished
for disorderliness, they were obliged to
serve out their terms at street cleaning
or road repairing, or whatever the State
selects for them to do, there would soon
be an end to tramps in New York.
That is what he is saying when the
young man, woman and baby come in.
He bows 10 them pleasantly and moves
his head in the direction of the lodging
room and they disappear.
''Now, that's a curious case, he says.
''That young man is a German. 1t is
how many German tramps
have come here lately. Nearly one-half
the tramps that come here are Germans.
That's something L never noticed until
this year. That man is Il German. His
wife is a young Scotch woman. They
seem to be trying to do something, and
we have taken an interest in them. We
let him do little work around here,
the floor, bringing up coal and
one thing or another. They stick to
one another persistently day after day.
They probably were married when he
had employment but he has sincefallen
into hard luck. About two years ago
we had to send her TO the hospital,
where her baby was bonn. It is not
more than ten days old. think he'll
get something to do very soon. We
helped young man along once before.
He got into bad luck, and used to come
here, and we got interested i'll him. He
has got a horse and wagon of his own
now"
There is a silent war wa9ing upon the
tramps i'll Eldridge street, New York.
Captain Allaire is having them locked
up. He has had 800 dealt with thus far
this season. Only those are arrested
who come night after night, and who
show III many ways that they are not
merely unfortunate, but are determined
not to help themselves. Others, who
are believed to be searching for employ
ment, are not disturbed The various
Police Justices deal differently with
those the Captain sends before them.
Justice Gardner is strict. He sends
them to the Island for six months. JUS
tice Smith usually imposes three months
sentences upon them. Justice Duffy is
very mild. Five days or ten days are
the terms he seems to regard as just.
At the station house it is said that the
'rrmp evil is growing rapidly. Stout
young men are now frequently found in
the ranks, and one boy of Il came to the
station the other day Tramp women
are few, as compared with the male
tramps. Saturday nights blotter shows
that OF twenty dodgers sixteen were men
and four were women. Twenty is
night forty-nine slumbered on the soft
sides of the plank beds. The women do
not seem to quit the city and roam along
the country roads in the summer time
as the men do. They lead the same life
the year around.
In Captain Allaire's precinct many Of
the women get enough money for rum,
which is the only thing they appear to
want III the world, by working for the
orthodox Jews. On Friday evenings
and Saturdays these old-style jews will
not DO any work. They will not even
ride Oh II horse-car, 50 strict do they
observe their Sabbath. On those days