St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-28
THE CITY HALL HOSTELRY.
The Odd Characters Who Apply to Landlord
O'Keefe for Lodging.

O'keefe FOR Lodging.
''Nine hundred and ninety-nine so fal
this month";" said Officer O'Keefe, familiarly
known as ''the landlord" as he turned the
leaves of the tramp register last night at the
police station, "and before this night is over
it will go over thousand" AS if in yerifi-
cation of this prophecy the thousandth walked
in at that moment, wrote in cramped hand
'John Eschff,' - and with the familiarity OF a
regular ledger hustled through the
door into the ''big ROOM" Dur
ing March last year 1897
names went down in the book. OF
course the number does not represent SC
many different individuals, as many of these
are found at the station night after night.
The mum Der this month promises to run
ahead of the figures for the same period last
year, as there have Been from fifty to fifty
five registered for several nights past. Most
of these are young men who work during the
summer and improvidently let slip the sea-
sons wages. The old veteran tramp is we'll
represented, but these are mostly ''foaters,"
and do not stay long in one place.
There came in a night or two ago
brakeman who was thrown out
of employment several months ago,
and has since been unable to get work. He
has gone from place to place and finally
stranded in st. Paul. He is fine-looking,
intelligent man, and an effort will be made
to find him employment. He was pointed
out quiet corner away from "the gang"
Among the regular visitors is one who is
known by the euphonious name Of 'The
Ferret" He has been nightly at the station
for the past three months, and stretches him
self in the same spot on the floor without a
variation of six inches in the location. If
any one intrudes upon the place of "The
Ferret'' the latter pounces upon the intruder
and hustles him off somewhere else. He is
little, thin, peculiar-looking person, with
a retreating forehead and almost no chin at
all. The effects Of these retreating features
are greatly heightened by long, sharp nose.
THE LITTLE BIPED
is 80 years of age, was born in Liverpool,
and is held in awe by the huskier brother
hood, whom he hustles around for the most
trivial breach of his rules of discipline, be-
cause he claims to '"ave the hauthority, you
know. of the hofficers." Often during the
afternoon he can be seen on the street cor
ners near the government building, and is a
different looking individual with his respect
appears in the station.
An ordinary person can scarcely stay a
moment in the room where these men sleep,
the vitiated air being sickening. Yet they
appear to enjoy NATURES sweet restorer, and
can be seen packed in like sar-
dimes, to all appearance soundly sleeping.
The only thing which creates suspicion that
the sleep is troubled is the never-endng
scratch, scratch, scratch Now it will be one
industriously rasping one leg with the foot of
the other, and then a second endeavoring to
reach the middle of his back by grabbing
over his shoulder. How human beings can
live in such an atmosphere is a mystery.
When spring comes these poor devils will
disappear, those who will work can then find
something to do, while the confirmed tramps
will take to the road. But winters approach
will find about the same number and in
many cases the same persons.