The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-08-28
DEER LODGE MONTANA, AUGUST 49, 1885.
WORKING THE FAMILY GATHERINGS.
A Tramp's Scheme for Getting Grub and
Good Clothes-Some Mistakes


Good Clothes-Some Mistakes
New York Tribune.l
SWELL" sail the tramp to the reporter, "if
you won't give it away I'll tell you. For
the past two years I've been working the
family gatherings-those folks, you know.
who advertise for every body of their name
to meet at some one place to chin about
themselves and have picnic. You see,
one day last summer, ! was kiliin' time
readin' a newspaper I'd found when I run
across one Of these meetin's Well, 1t must
have been-must have been-what is't that
gives them poets q stserr
"Inspirationr suggested the reporter.
3Yes, that's il, it must have been that:
Tor all Of sudden sutlin' said: That's the
racket for you, my boy. go make believe
you're one Of the gangr You see, before
] got way down where was when you first
saw me ussi to "supe" around theatres;
that made me think how easily 'twouId be
for one Of them actors to put up such job.
Well, the first lot tackled was on a big
farm up the North river. / got a piece of
blue pencil made an anchor on my wrist
and put their name under it. SO as to look
like India ink, you know. / had on q sail
or's blue flannel shirt when I went on the
grounds. There told 'em I had always
foller'd the sea, and had lately had hard
luck: had read about the meetin' and come
to sec IL knew anybody of my name
swell, they are always jolly and free at
these places; SO they asked me to rest my
self, and raised me some better clothes than
had on; after that we had SONS bully
grub. walked around and answered ques-
tions as well as could. Now and then
when no one was looking, some good old
maid would come up, unlock her sachel
and slip dollar or two in my hand. I've been
goin' from one place to another. summer
,ni fall ever since. keep the run of 'em
by the papers and what hear around, and
/ get plenty OF good duds and lots OF cash.
/ play the sailor dodge most always. Some
times fix up, but it isn't good way, for
they expect you to chin too much.
"Say, il ever you go on this racket, let me
give you the straight tip; don't be fresh,
don't talk morein' you can help; let them do
the chinnin'. l made a mistake that way
where was last week: was gettin' along
first rate, had been there two days At
lunch under the trees the last afternoon an
old lady squintsd at me through her specs
for while and then said put her In mind
Of 'Ike,' who went out west number of
years ago to see some cousins who were not
known out this way. Well, ! was fool
enough to say belonged to the western
branch, as they called it, and remembered
Ike That settled it; they all soured on
me at once, and l found out that the west
ern blokes had got Ike a drinkin' and
gamblin' and that branch of the family was
looked at as N. @. So, didn't get rake
that time.
Another thing: don't take in any folks
with long highfalutin names with de or van
to 'em; they generally have their families
down fine and you'll get left sure; better
go for the Smiths, Thompsons or Browns"
A Couple of Funny Mistakes
lCor. Baltimore Americana
A newspape per man Of long experience got
into reminiscent mood the other night and
told Of several funny mistakes which he
hal met with in press dispatches Said he:
"In the carly days of telsgraphing whom the
wires and operators were few. the task un-
heard Of before. was undertaken Of sending
one of President Folks messages through TO
Pittsburg. The operator was heartily tired
Of the job long before he got through,
and after ticking of the sigma
ture, James K. Polk, he added, In
his joy, the words, God and liberty in the
style Of q Mexican pronunciamento. The
receiving operator, tired to death and half
asleep, wrote the concluding exclamation.
and it appeared in the papers as part Of the
message, to the modification of all con-
cernsd. During one Of the great debates in
congress on the slavery question the bred
Scott decision in the United States supreme
court was frequently referred to, but one
night in the press report it was written out
DIR. Ell. Scott Fortunately, the error was
corrected before reaching the w.papers"