National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-05-26
THE TRUMP TRAMP.


-
A Journey OF 1,4OO Miles on Foot-Jow-
ctvs Trip from Jacksonville 90 Ips-
witch.
Boston Globe.
That's him that's 'Miah. can tell him
by his walk" and the speaker stood up in tho
little dory and pointed across the waste Of
marsh, creeks, aud dunes toward the spot
where q figure, half hidden, bent over tho
sands with clam-ho in hand. The speaker
was q freckled-faced youth with expansive
countenance, and the corners OF whose
mouth, as he smiled, passed each other at the
back of his head. The youths companion,
reporter, seated in a dory, was exploring the
various creeks and inlets about the mouth Of
the Ipswich river in search of Nehemiah Al
vim Jewett who had recently reached his
home after journey of HOO miles, which
he had traversed on foot.
Yes" he said, 81 am the man who walked
from Florida to Ipswich, and good tramp II
was. | left homo tho week after the wreck
of the City of Columbus and went to Jack.
sonvillo by steamer, intending to remain
there and work. When / reached that place
found there was no work to be had
stayed there just q week, and, finding no
work and my funds becoming exhausted, l
resolved to come homo, and there was no
way to do it except to tramp IL. So turned
my face to tho northward and set out"
did you travel alone ~
81 started alone, but few miles out of
Jacksonville fell in with young colored
fellow who was on his way to Beaufort, s. G.
He had run away from homo with party of
boys and had Como to jacksonville TO work at
dipping turpentino. He had got tired of IL,
aud homesok, too. | guess aud so set out to
tramp 1t home. We travelled in company to
Savannah, where we worc treated finely. l
stopped in a large house iii the suburbs Of tn Q
city and asked for something to eat. i was
invited in aud given bountiful meal. l had
promised to meet the young colored fellow
the other side of the city. After travelling
some distance further he wanted to sit down
and rest. So We turned out of the road Il
little way, and he sat down, and in q few
moments he fell over TO the ground, sound
asleep. I saw he could go no further. so
gathered wood and built fire, and lay down
and went to sleep myself The next day we
started on again, and continued together
| until he turned of to go to Beaufort, and
continued on to Charleston"
did you visit any Of the points Of interest
in Charleston ~
mo; / was on tho tramp and attended
strictly to business. had no time for his
torical investigation"
"Did you get plenty to eat by the wayP
"Yes; great abundance. Both white!
and negroes wero very kind. They gave US
the best they had. They arc pretty poor in
that region, but thoy gave us plenty of pori
and corn bread"
"Did you stop in the houses or cabins"
mo; thoy would not lot me in to sleep.
slept in the woods and fiolds while in thu
warm region, and when l got further north
where it was COLDER had to take to the sta
ton houses"
"Did you have much company by the way2'
"Tramps just swarm in the south, and
I - ,xt,1,n kn &c thn,,
wero heading south. They travel in com
panies, some of them very large comprising
score or moro. When they near city o
large town they scatter and enter IL from
different directions. After thoy get file
up they meet at the further side of the cit.
and go on"
did you meet with any trouble ut tb
hands of any of them?"
"None at all. had no trouble from tn
beginning of my tramp to the end. Nea
, Richmond l met two finely dressed youn
men. l supposed they were on foot jour
ney for pleasure, but found, after som
conversation with them, that they were pre-
fessional tramps. We are tramping for
living they said. Leaving Richmond mex
struck Fredericksburg, crossed tho Raj
pahannock and pushed on toward Washing
ton"
, did you have any difficulty in finding til
way2"
, None ut all. l followed the railroad III
, entire distance. SO l could not go astray. A
: ter lett New York, and when 1 was passir
z through small town, conductor Of
= freight train which was stopped there askt
me where / was bound, and said he had see
me on the road for nearly q week. He a
Z vised me TO stow away on his train, but WI
! afraid to try 1t. / had business to attend I
: and didn't want any Jail experience.
!, passed through Hartford and WOrceste
: After reaching the northern states l passC
: the nights in station houses, as 1t was Il
cold to sleep out of doors. | stopped in u
) station house in Boston the last night on
, and started on the homestretch between
: and s o'clock in the morning. l reacht
| Ipswich about A in the afternoon. l had a
: offer of lift in wagon on that day, but.
/; / had walked every step so far, thought
L would put 1t clear through. guess l lookC
I, pretty rough when | struck the town."
n n "How long were you on tho wayP'
v eleven weeks; and for 800 l will sta
(; right out for tramp back tho same road"
D Did you enjoy good health throughol
!. tho journey"
n "Never was better. Tho first few days
IS was footsore, but l soon got over that AZ
d had no trouble afterward."
J. At the conclusion of his narrative "Miah
\ picked up his clam hoe and resumed his labo
:. The wind blew sharp and cold over I'll
Is marshes, and the dory was headed up ii
!. stream, and after an hour and Il half OF hal
" pulling the wharves of Ipswich were reache
> did YOU find 'Miah ~ was the salutatic
= from the wharf as the dory came within ha
ing distance.
!. "What is left of him." answered the yout
!; of the open countenance.
Unity and Strength.