Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-09-06
A TRAMP TYPO.
The Men he Met on tn. March and What
they Were Doing There.
Boston Globe.

How do you do, Mr.? Pm glad to
see you. l didn't know you were in
Boston,"
The Daily Globe reporter looked at
the speaker, hard-looking citizen, who
was evidently down on his luck, and re
piled:
Il cannot say that | recognize you.
Who are your"
"Well, you ought to know me. I've
set deal of your copy in old times.
Don't you remember Billy Buckington,
who used to stick type in the Chambers
burg Sentinel officer"
The reporter did remember him. He
had known Billy years ago when Billy
was :: bright eyed, active typo, earning
wages great deal higher than the re-
portorial pen commanded. He was din.
ferent kind of a Billy now, as he stood
in seedy clothes, ard with face bearing
all the traces of dissipation.
"What has happened to you, Billy?
You don't look as well as you did in old
times"
:.The same old story. tried to wres-
tie with lead poisoning by drinking gin,
and gin wrestled with m and threw
me. | was down in New Orleans last
winter, but came North in the Summer
season to avoid the hot weather. When
the frosts come shall 60 South again.
"How do You travel?"
"Tramping. Queer business, isn't it?
l get good many free rides on the cars,
but when 1 can't manage that way l take
the foot train. When l strike town ]
sometimes work for few days but | get
uneasy and off 60 again. By keeping
ahead of the cold weather 1 manage to
have pretty good time. don't need
manv clothes, YOU see. When first
started out l carried printers trunk--a
collar box with a Co b nd some buttons
in it-but / found =; ..;e rdensome
and threw 1t away. NV L have nothing
to trouble me; not a soul in the world to
worry about me, and | have the choice
of any part of America for free board
and lodging. So long as l earn enough
to keep me supplied with cool, refresh
ing gin, am all right
do | have much company? Well. i
should say go. | am rather ashamed OF
it, but sometimes find very decent fel'
lows on the tramp. You see, there are
a good many kinds of us. Some have
got used up through hard times and sick
ness. ano are on the honest lo' kout fol
work. Then there is the fei.J.. who
never did work, and never intends tc
work "a long as he can live without it
Next comes the crooked tramp, who
steals whenever he can, and then comes
the tramp who works sometimes, ano
more times doesn't. That's the kind o.
a tramp / am. I've got good character
but Pm lazy, and make business of 1t
/ wouldn't work a. all if it wasn't that
needed little cash for incidentals.
can always find a place to sleep, and
never go hungry very long whether
work or not.
There is always plenty of grub to b.
got for the asking, and in the countr,
places tramp who knows how to worl
the racket always gets the best that
going. It's bad time to strike tn
country, not out what they will use yo'
we'll enough, but they want you to hel
in the hay field. It's good fun for haI
a day, but after that it's too much llk
work. By the way, have you got such
r thing as quarter you can loan me
Much obliged. Hope to see you agal
|, when times ere better"
AS the tramp typo started off he ger
, tly hummed to himself, "Oh Sweet is til
| Vale Where the Mohawk Gently Glides
and was speedily lost to view.