The Bossier banner., 1884-06-19
A Philosopher In Rags.

''Say, boys, did yer see my pard about
here?n The speaker was sitting on
stone wall by the roadside in Dorches-
ter about dark last night. The speaker
was of medium height and rather slim.
He wore skull cap and an ill-fitting
coat. His shirt had probably been white
once. His trousers had seen better
days. On one foot was congress shoe
and on the other large boot. His face
needed to be shaved. He was tramp.
"Your pard? How did you happen
to lose himP" asked some one.
''Well, yer see, we were sittin' on a
fence up the road there and cop came
along and told us to git. Pard, he
skipped, and told him / would meet
him down the road here. wasn't
afraid of the cop; sat there and had a
chin with him. l guess pard will turn
up. Have yer got any terbaccer?'
Some tobacco was produced.
eyer see, boys" continued the man,
al arrived in town this morning; just
came from Putnam, Conn. Came up
on the New York & New England Did
yer know itP That's a good road to
travel on. met three of the old boys
ON the train"
.'Did you have to pay any fare?"
swell, / guess not; came up on the
freight. The brakeman on that train
is smart chap; he played good trick
on me. Yer see, was on the roof of
one of the box cars, and thinking that
it would not do for him to see me, /
crawled down into the car as he came
along. He saw me, and what did
| he do but lock the door, and of course
that locked me up in the car.
Bimeby he came along and asked me
what station | wanted to get off at, and
/ told him Hyde Park, and when we
got there he opened the door and let
me out.
..Yes; what are the best roads to ride
on deadhead?"
is the Providence. The Fitchburg is
the bully road, and the Old Colony
| pretty near as good"
"Were you ever in Boston before9'
Eyes, plenty of times Boston is the
| darling place to live in, if feller has
| plenty OF money. If / ever strike for
| tune l am coming to Boston to live"
''Are you married?H
''Yes; left my wife in New York.
She was tough un."
''How did you happen to leave her?'
"She had three bad habits eating,
smoking and drinking-and it cost toe
much to support her; just the same
with all women"
! "Do you ever do any workp"
every seldom the doctor says thai
work will injure my health. had {
job offered me about month ago. A
man down in Hartford said he would
give me $3.50 month to run an eating
house for him. You know | am jus
taking a vacation, and didn't want II
break it for any such position as that
Work and had a falling out. / ain
lazy, but / guess l was born tired ant
never got over it. -
"Do you find any trouble in gettin,
enough to eat?''
Eyes. / generally keep somethin;
ahead, though" Here the tramp I'm
buttoned his Prince Albert and dis
played an inside pocket filed with foo,
and cigar stubs, He began to analyz
the stuff "That piece of cake
bummed from little kid up the street
those apples were given to me by tn
old man that keeps the bakehouse ou
near Hyde Park; that piece of bread
got from philanthropic old lady VIII
lives in the large, old-fashioned hous
up at a place called Mount Bowdoin
She asked me if / didn't want q 10
saving wood out in her barn. / toll
her that / was in a hurry to get I
Lowell to see my wife, who was dyin
of consumption. This touched the oil
lady's heart, and she gave me ten cents
| guess | have got enough for a coupl
of days"
"What do you find the hardest stu
to get hold of?''
"Tobacco and money. / can ge
Z along without money, but without th
tobacco am gone. The other day
man offered me glass of whisky, bp
I told him | would rather have
: chew. He didn't have plug, but b
7 gave me a dime and | bought one
7 'Do you find any trouble in gettin
? enough to drink?''
'sCanada is the place to get the pun
old whisky and plenty Of it; but over
Detroit the darned rascals make thre
Barrels out of one of the Canada barrel
They adulterate it; but that is busines
/. and they make money out of it.
3 81 started to 60 pinto that house ther
, but I saw dog laying out on the bac
; piazza, and thought L had better ski
e 1 amt afraid of dogs, but this one W;
D ugly looking"
Where are you going to sleep +
4 night?"
9 II have been down to the police ST
ton, bat don't ike the looks of Il
5 rancho, and there's too many cops la,
ing around. guess | will go out
the Milton station house; they furni.
:, a good feed out there; down here thu
d don't. Milton the daisy place f
grub; there's none of yer brass -buttonc
n peelers around there.
5 '.Where are you going to strike f
= when you leave this placer"
/ Il was thinkin' Of goin' over
9 Europe, but its hard to beat passa,
!, On steamer, and if they happen
q ketch you they will make yer work j
9 passage. So have kinder given up t
7 7 idea. / guess will 60 West. We
Y boys, must skip; here comes cop.
|. you see chap that looks like me, al
L