Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-05-02

tattered, lmpecunlous vagabond that
'begs for a few pennies on the street or
for a piece of bread at the back door
The speaker was a young man, not
shabbily dressed save for the frayed
binding On his coat. His face overgrown
with a weeks old beard, was frank and
kindly. His companion wa also young,
and his appearance, too, was respecta
bh.
You don't look like tramps," said the
reporter.
THAT is very true, and yet, if you
were only to count as tramps those shift
less vagabonds, down at the heel-and ont
at the elbows, who jostle each other at
the soup houses and steal for the sake OF
going to jail, You would have little more
than bali the tramps in Philadelphia
today"
"What has been your experience ?"
"1Il tell you, but you must not pub
lish our N You can take them 80
that if any one, after reading the story,
has a desire to give US work, you can
let us know. We are both down in the
world, sir, but our self-rcspect has not
left us yet. pray God it never may.
We'll, as to how we got down in the
world. l am a travelling salesman. AT
the end Of 1884 depression in trade
threw nc out of a position had held for
two years / soon became poor, and
then followed the usual experiences
with pawnbrokers. | could get no work,
and finally my money was all gone and
l knew not where to turn to get a meal
My companion last year was an advance
agent for a circus. Before that lie was
an engineer. He has q wife and two
children in a little back room Oh Vine
street. We met az companions in dis
tress, and he took me to his room.
The scene [ witnessed there turned my
trials to triies and dispersed my sorrow
for very shame. His wife was sick and
his children stood shivering beside the
empty stove. There had been nothing
to eat in the room for two days"
The speaker paused a moment and
gave a great gulr, as though to choke
down a lump In his throat. His Dyes
had q glistening suspicion of tears in
them.
"Well," he went OF, 'that was q
month ago, and it was the beginning of
our friendship. Since then we have
been tramps, and we have worked to-
gether. How We managed to get along
is almost a mystery to me, now thu. the
first month is passed"
give me some idea of your opera.
TONS"
"Our meals are secured chiefly at free
lunch counters. Often enough we can
slip in and get a drink with a crowd
and then help ourselves or sit down and
eat, no one noticing that we had no
invested at the bar. Sometimes I would
go up to the counter, and when no on
was looking, pass back to my companion
enough food to make a meal for his tam.
lily. he has a place to sleep, but !
have none aud at night | have to shift
cor myself.
And how do you make out .
Sometimes l sleep at tho station
houses, but the officers will not ALLOW
mi to keep that up for mary nights
-Four nights | slept in empty freight car,
out near Brewerytown. When l fai
to find q place to lay my head ] sta,
around the Broad Street Station rnti
they turn me out. Yes, l am one Q
the tramps the station master talks abou
as constantly coming around there
and being as constantly asked to G.
out. Well, after | am invited out o
the station it is usually midnight.
have to keep awake and put in the tim
until morning. 1t is a weary time OF il
Sometimes | walk ont to Frankfort an
sometimes to Germantown. Very often
AM stopped by penuiless wanderers Xix
myself, who want a few pennies for
nights lodging. That is what | cali til
very irony of poverty.
ri could tell you q S good many thing
to make You smile. Do you remembe
the incident Mark Twain relates i
'Roughing It of the fellow who foun,
n dime and threw it down so he cou!
have the pleasure of finding it again
Well, had a similar experience.
found n silver quarter at Broad an
Spring Garden streets. | had not cote
anything for nearly thirty-six hours.
picked 1t mp and could not realize n
good fortune. tossed it down On til
pavement to see if it would ring. an
then walked away, and coming bach
picked 1t mp again. The pleasure {
going through the process of fndin
the coin the second time was equal
the tirst.-FhUddclphia Press.
I.u,srrER W. RAYMoSD, an experi
thinks that in q number Of cases /
which death results from asphvxia;io
Ivy Eliminating oaS and which a-a a