Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-11-26
TRAMPS.
How the Beggars and Bummers Make
a Living in This City.
The Parasites Reviewed, From the Dirty
Tramp to the Dandy Falir.


are of all kinds; one.tgged
men, one-armed men, nolegged
men, and no-armed men;
men with one crutch and men with
two crutches: blind men and olino
women men IN the prime OF life and |
the glory OF manhood. and men poor
old and decrepit; m,n begging their
first Leaf and first nickel and men |
who have served an apprenticeship to |
penury and consider begging legiti |
mate profession. Their methods ART
various Some will take position |
under n lamp-post Mt night, and |
when r passer.by steps on the side
walk, after crossing the street. wheel
In lire aud greet him with please,
sir, give me enough TO get loaf Of
bieau y Others do the genteel act, ana
come out boldly with, Captain, / an
really hungry, and while hate To ask
you, | must either get something to
eat or starve.n Then again, there l.
the big double-listed lubber who loaf
around saloons all night and who will
strike out in The morning to residences
in the suburbs when the family are al
breakfast and ask for coup OF cotle,
at'h u hlAt Va hAi y mug II ~ StihNln
that pater-iamilias has the hardne 8
OF heart to drive one Of these latter early
callers from his door. The coffee on his
table, piping hot, and the smoking
viands put him In good humoT ami
he usually gives the unfortunate way.
iarer on life's rocky road TO Ddbl in
something to assuage his gastronomi
cal yearnings. There are others who
hang around eatinp-houses content to
grasp al the crunbe that II rom III,
table, and then there are the fair
faced, light-fiugered falIirs who infest
railroad depots and through skill and
daring prey on the uuwAry travellers,
relieving them of their urses In most
deXterOus manner These mice men"
are the most desperate and dangerous.
The tramp proper will watch the
butcher shops and when citizen is
seen buying a nice piece OF
meat Mr.. Tramp follows him home
and watches the place until he thinks
the meal Ia about prepared, when he
drops in and with piteous plant be
seeches the owner 10 divide with him
Some Of the deformed beggars are
splendid actors One tld duiier on
Main street yesterday played the con-
sumptive, and 10 see him almost die In
| his tracks would put sarah Bernhard
to shame in her Vrandest delineatiOn
OF Camille. He could cry, too, great
| big, real tears; sincere as crocodile's
and profuse n u leaking n.olusses barrel
| He would beg for a dime, n quarter, d
nickel, anything which any body had
a mind TO give him, and
| when the sum Of fifteen
cents found It's way into his treasury
he would walk OIL sprightly and plank
| 1t down for four finCer drink ol
straight whisky, which he would toss
oil at one dTaught Some of the late
/ impoltaliOns use little boys as decoNs
and compel the oungs tiers togo around
with a tale of misery and suffering
which would melt the heart OF "A cellu'
loid statue. Whatever these children
extort nom the sympathy of pc, pie Is
swoOped down upon by their masters,
who stand close by To see that the work
IL we'll done The thieves and thugs
hang around the depOts. The unwary
burgher, who carries his money In
q snapping-turle pocket-book, IN
his pants pocket, is his game. The
countryman who has lot Of children
TO see on and of the train ia u certain
victim. He usually carries child on
one arm and an old rifle rolled up in u
meal sack with vallse aud basket
on the other. In this manner both his
hands ale tied and he Is choice pick.
ing for the fakirs. They single HIM
out and as he steps on the platform
one of the gang plants himsell
squaTely in the car door, while a con-
(, derate rushes up behind and shoves
him on, creating Jam, In the excite.
ment of which the money Is extracted
and the thief skips in safety. What
to do with these fellows is poser. To
arrest one Of them Is almost
impossible as they are sharp
enough 10 elude the vigilance
OF the police. Train men and express
men are on the lookout, and are pre-
pared TO deal with them. You must
catch them fir,t, however, and this
seems impossible 20 do. Only three
nights ago no less than three meme
pockets were picked while they were
getting ON the street cars nc the Union
depot, and another gentleman, who
with his wife and child, put up at the
Clark house, was attacked 10y these
thieves on the street cars in the pres
ence of this reporter. Ifspecial de
tectives were stationed at the trait !
they doubtless could pick out an ode
one by entrapping hem. This should
be done, and whenever one Is caugh
an example should be made OF hin
sufficient to deter Others rom tryibl
the same game The begging an6
sneak-.hieviDg tramps can be convert
ed into honest and induslriou
citizens by vigorous appllca
ton OF hickory club every time one
shows his phI8 Humanity pleads 70
the unfortunate waits who are blnwi
up on the shores OF ruin by the wind
OF adversely, but when mans poke
/, is picked or his Thanksgiving turke,
Is cut down in the ilower Of It's exist
ence and carried away TO the forest sol
! itudes 10 regale a lot Of thieving tramps
: the fDuntains of mercy are drS and tn
b tactical fluid Of human kindness turn
10 the bitterest sort OF buttermilk'
n man cannot work society shouldsup
mort him, but when an able-bodie'
vouug man voluntarily goes from doc
! 10 door, begging as profession, y
! should be treated to a genteei eiilo
d