The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-16
THE TOWN TRAMP.

noticed that the envelopes and bits OF paper
were covered with writing. After no.little pains
for the scraps were written on both sides and
were not numbered and the writing was cramp-
ed and irregular, we succeeded In deciphering
the sentences which we publish below. ASIDE
from the signature, which is appended to the
communication, there was nothing by which
clue to the writer could be gained, Tor the OLD
envelopes were addressed to number OF diiler-
ent parties and had evidently been picked up
around town. We do not usually publish anon
vmous communications, but this came to us in
so singular manner aud Is so much out oil the
usual line in its contents that we forego our us
ual rule, while awaiting with some curiosity
the further letters promised-Eds.I
don't expect sling quite as slick
pen as you do, Mr.. Editor, and the boys
will probably swear a little at my
copy, as you fellows call it. but l get
to see good many things in the prac-
tice of my profession that never come
to your notice, and 1 do little think
ing of my own too, once in awhile; and
if you don't mind, I'd like to tell you
about some of the things l see and
think, for 1 haven't got anyone to talk
to. I'm a tramp and nobody likes to
be seen talking to me; and get lone
some sometimes. It's lonesome kind
of business, this tramping. Lonesom-
er than any other in the world guess.
To be sure there are lots of men in the
business and you have plenty of COM
pany such as it is. But 1t isn't the
kind of company that warns fellows
heart and puts him in good humor
with things generally. The truth is
that every tramp is afraid of every 9TH
er tramp, and men don't enjoy the So
ciety of some one they are afraid of or
suspicious of.
~
So as 1 said, Pm lonesome and would
like to talk to you once in awhile if
YOU don't mind. 1 know I haven't
told you who am, and I don't intend
to. Who would want to tell the whole
community that he was a tramp?
What few people do know me here in
town, think I'm pretty respectable
sort of man, and don't want them to
think different; for l have got some
pride about me yet, if l am a tramp,
and want people to think as well of
me as they can. I wasn't brought up
to follow this business. You can see, l
expect, by my spelling-though my
writing Amt quite up to the mark
that used to know how the inside of a
book looked. No, wasn't brought up
to il, but fell into the habit of it when
1 went to the war and I've never got
over it. I tramped over pretty much
all of the south during the war; and
I've tramped over most of the rest OF
the country since then. 1 dropped in
here two or three weeks ago and l
don't know but I'll stay here awhile
for to tell the truth, I'm tired bum
ming around. There amt SO much fun
in il after all. One sees heap of the
world, but it's mostly the bad side OF
it and he sees lots of men, but it's lit
tie enough good he finds in the best OF
them. So 1 think I'll settle down and
see if can rest little.
.*.
Not having anything to do the 9TH
er day, or not wanting to do anything
rather, I drifted into the court room.
I always like to visit court. One
reason may be, is because l studied
aw little myself, before went to the
war, but the main reason is because it
is good place to study human nature,
and that's a study Ialways liked.
And then it's good place to moralize
and I'm rather fond of moralizing. l
fell into it the other day at the court
house, and spent most of my time
there specializing on the queerness of
public opinion which considers as per-
fectly honorable in one class of men, a
course of conduct that it cannot find
language strong enough to condemn
inanother. II does ,iot upbraid in the
least lawyer who pleads cause that
it and he and all men know to be ut
terly wrong, providing only that he
gets well paid for it. He may resort to
every subterfuge that ingenuity can
invent, to :thwart justice and make
the wrong triumph over the right, and
yet this immaculate public opinion
will respect him just the same.
-
: But suppose that you, Mr.. Editor,
should adopt similar course. Sup
pose you should advertise chat your
columns and your brains were at the
service of any cause, however bad, if
but the money was forthcoming. Sup
pose you should publish an article say
ing that man whom everybody
knows to be guilty of a crime, should
be set free, aud that everybody knew
you did it because you were paid for it..
Don't you know that this same pub
lie opinion would never get done
abusing you? And the more money
YOU got for the article, the more it
would abuse you. It would Danish
your paper from every good'man's
house. 1t would make it a disgrace TO
be seen in your company. 1t would
make you social and business
bankrupt in less than a month.
guess nobody will deny that this