Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-01-21
@Give us a bit o poetry, mate"

haps save our sanity and self-respect.
Here is another story. A tanned face,
unkempt hair, intelligent eyes, clothes
worn into fluffy softness of texture, boots
with loose soles, obviously never made for
the wearer, hands dirty and large, an
nounced to me, as 1 looked at them, a
broken down specimen of the work seeker.
His companion, suspicious, furtive-look-
ing tramp, sailor, and not unlikely the
inspirer of the journey. Condensing what
it took me couple Of hours to learn, this
was his story:
Respectfully connected, had never learnt
trade; had been shop porter, married
pretty seamstress, lived happily together
for years on our Joint earnings. No chill
dren-didn't want them-hadnt care.
Wife's work fell off, food lessened; she be-
came ill; bit by bit furniture sold, her heart
broken at parting with what she had pain
fully won by her labor. When we had to
sell the sewing machine, could see twas
all oversize clammed and died. After
her funeral, started off. Friends
had left the place. couldn't
stand the work. No more happi-
ness for me, sir. Whittier bound2 TO
S.. Worked there once-might get
job. T the only man l knew. Hard,
| sir-very hard!"
During this fragmentary conversation,
saw the man greedily grasp at fragment
of newspaper, lying upon the ground,
which had evidently been wrapped round
| something.
"Might have an advertisement on it, you
know!"
The sight of sewing machine always
suggests his touching history, told me
| along q road skirting the sea one misty
spring day.
Tramps are mainly men with no definite
trade at their finger ends. There is always
chance for them somewhere, and they
lose nothing by not asking for it. The
| skilled men on the road are much rarer
now, since railway travelling has become so
cheap, and unionism has developed. A
crisis or strike will, however, act in two
ways-sending men out, and drawing them
in. A bundle of clothing or tools is gener-
ally carried by the skilled tramp, and his
gait is more energetic.
To show how gait betrays, here is an odd
story. Meeting two brawny navyies in
| Cornwall one day, said to my companion:
1.-TWO well-set men. See how they swing
in step; ex-soldiers or policemen, evil
| IDENTIFY"
Two days afterward we were near one
of the barrack-gates at Devonport when,
| behold, our two tramps coming along IN
custody. An acute rural policeman had, SO
we learned, noticed their military step and
bearing and gone up to them, saying, with
bold guess:
"You are deserters from Devonport?"
Taken aback, as such persons are If you
can show you know anything about them,
and possibly suspecting the man had de-
scription of them, they admitted they were,
and offered no resistance, discipline once
more asserting its power. They belonged
to killed regiment; they had only been
five days from barracks; and finer fellows
1 never saw. They were navvies by occu-
patton.
Foreigners on the tramp are not very
common, except on the coast-roads, and
they are mostly sailors. They are not COM
municative, and know little English. The
oldest specimen of foreigner l remember
was a German clock mender / met in the
Midlands, who puzzled me greatly. He
walked like drilled man; had well-kept
side whiskers, and bag over his shoulder.
We passed and repassed several times. He
called at roadside houses, and as l slack
ened pace, generally overlook me, but l
failed to get him into fair conversation.
"Going far? To M? Long way yet. +"
His peculiar German accent was coming
out more strongly.
Seeking work?'
"Yes, as he went along"
For several minutes We kept step in ST.
lence. Taking out a newspaper began TO
! read. The mans face relaxed.
"Any news of Garibaldi?" was the sud-
den question that startled me. A Carl
baldian, / said to myself ut once. 1t was
Just ut the time the Italian hero made his
last armed venture. / read him the news,
and he broke out warmly:
"Ah, bad man-bad, wicked mani" He
became more of puzzle than ever-a nut
i must crack.
waited on his movements, diverted from
my intended walk, and devoted myself to
getting his story. He became too excited
to be very connected, and his German came
grinding out at intervals with orchestral
effect A friend had beguiled him into as
sociating with Republicans; he had been in
some trouble in the movement of 1848; he
had been imprisoned for opinions he did
not hold; he was an absolutist and q skep-
tic. He had lost all his friends, and had
come to England. He was clock -mender,
good at Americans or any other make, and
he tramped district from center, earn
ing about ten shillings week. Our con-
versation became lively; he forgot to call
at roadside houses; and TO my defense of
Garibaldi, all he could splutter was, bad
man--very- wicked man?' The chat seemed
to excite him very much, and at last he
ambled into a little shop, got job, and
went forward.
Beggar- -tramps are the honest juniors
aversion. They are full of tricks, and
sometimes smart in speech.
II never give to beggars on the road"
remarked to one of this class, airing a
young mans general principle, perhaps
with some self-conceit.
"Will yer honor oblige me with yer name
and address, and I'll call on yer?" was the
! prompt retort.
Between Coventry and Kenilworth
swarms of beggars had formerly a line har-
vest. ! once counted twenty. Some were
blind and lame; others were singing
vagrants, humming snatches of their wall
ing ballads. One elderly man, with his
legs in the dyke-a true tramps way OF
sitting-was coming written testimonials
, OF begging letters, written on dingy yellow
paper, that Chatterton might have envied
, He had a tiny black pipe in his mouth, the
, kind of thing tramp carries in his waist
! coat pocket, and he was studying his papers
with an authors self-admiring interest.
, fear he was marking down some country
parson for victim.
"Dear Sir-The bearer" was all
could see before he slipped the paper int
r pocket in the lining of his waistcoat.
! A dingy haversack and dirty garments
, may make even an honest junior seem like
. a bcggar. Calling at house in lionel,
part of well-known Yorkshire dale, Il
/ ask where / could get refreshment, the gir
, shut the door abruptly, and said nothing
I To a second knock ii opened again, anC
D two timid women appeared, the elder in tn,