The Osceola times., 1884-09-27
A TRAMP TYPO.
The Men he Met on the March and What
they Were Doing There.
BOSTON Globe

BOSTON
"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:
81 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 a great deal higher than the re-
portorial pen commanded. He was dii.
ferent kind of 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 me 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 90 South again.
"How do you travel?"
"Tramping. Queer business, isn't it
get a good many free rides on the cars
but when can't manage that way take
the foot train. When strike town
sometimes work for few days but ! get
uneasy and of go again. By keeping
ahead of the cold weather ] manage tc
have pretty good time. ! don't need
many clothes, you see. When tirs
started out / carried a printers trunk-a
collar box with comb and some buttons
i'm it-but found luggage burdensomt
end threw il away. Now ] have nothing
| to trouble me; not soul in the world tc
worry about me, and | have the choice
| of any part of America for free board
and lodging. So long as ! earn enougl
to keep me supplied with cool, refresh
ing gin, ] AIN all right.
"Do | have much company? Well,
should say so. am rather ashamed o
it, but sometimes find very decent fel
lows on the tramp. You see, there art
good many kinds of us. Some have
got used up through hard times and sick
ness, and are on the honest lookout fol
work. Then there is the fellow who
never did work, and never intends t.
work as 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, ant
more times doesn't. That's the kind o
a tramp | am. I've got good character
but Pm lazy, and make a business of il
| / wouldn't work a. all if 1t wasn't that
needed little cash for incidentals.
can always find place to sleep, and
never go hungry very long whether
work or not.
| There is always plenty of grub to bt
got for the asking, and in the country
places a tramp who knows how to worl
the racket always gets the best that il
| going. It's bad time to strike tn,
country, not out what they will use you
well enough, but they want you to hell
in the hay field. It's good fun for hal
a day, but after that it's too much like
work. By the way, have you got such {
thing as a quarter you can loan me
Much obliged. Hope to see you agar
when times ore better"
As the tramp typo started off he gen
tly hummed TO himself, "Oh Sweet is tn,
Vale Where the Mohawk Gently Glides,
and was speedily lost to view.