The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-05
AMONG THE TRAMPS.
DESCRIPTION OF THEIR RENDEZVOUS
IN KANSAS CITY BOTTOMS.

How They Live in the Submissions
on Washing Days-subieats Which
They Find Time to Discuss-The Dis
cVvsrer OF America.
Very few persons in Kansas City, com
parati, e;y, have seen the tramps i'll their
summer quirters in the east lotions al
though 1t Is sight worth seeing The place
is not hard to find. The tramps have their
sign out in front of their summer hotel, aud
If you follow the railroad track u mile or
two through the bottoms you will be sure
to know when you It there. For perhaps
a quarter of Il mile GU VIII see tbs barbed
wire fence to the rigut of the railroad ira k,
lined tn tshaped articles of underwear
The wire fence, WI. its patched and tat
terel ornaments altering in the wind,
skirts the base OF gently sloping and
thicIy wooded bill The trees are large
and grow so closely together chat it is only
d chance sunbeam that occasionally finds its
way through the heavy foliage to dance
| and flicker on the green sward ielow.
Scatterel through out the woods are number
less clear, cold spring some of which trickle
! 1 H..
sparkling little pools which make ono
| thirsty to luoE at In the hottest days of
summer this sylvan retreat is cool and pleas-
ant, and while the heat rises in waves from
the 10 toms just across the railroad track,
here there is always a refreshing breeze
blowing
SUMNER QUARTERS FOR TRAMP
In this pleasant wood, in the rear of the
La
decorations, is the summer Headquarters OF
Tie tramts When the leaves appear i'll the
spring the tramps make the trees their shel.
ter IN the summer, and when they disappear
IN the fall the tramps disappear with them
Every summer there is a regular COLONY of
tramps here. They sleep on the ground
and the tire alike their only protection
from storm and heat
still summer is the time a tramp enioys
himself hen life Is worth living They
toll not, neither do they SPIN. Yet solomon
himself did not Ell oy NOR. solid comfort
than thess same tramps They are not
troubled about food neightoring corn |
fields, potato patches and chicken roosts |
afford plentiful supply of that They do |
not worry much more about clothes, for |
most of them do not wear any worth speak. |
plenty to eat all they want to wear. aud a
retreat that wond have delighted Robin |
Hood himself, tn east bottom tramps bass |
the summer about a contentedly as thcugh
ripe corn stood i'll the tiel Is all the wear
round, and spring chickens never grew
tough
y stranger with a sketch book in his
pocket appeared i'll the midst o. the tramps
- ta a u iFrf tt,..,-
10 him and did not feel at all Disconnected
when lie drew forth murderous looking
knife and began to carve out pictures of
them as they appeared while engaged in
their various time killing devices
With most of them it appeared to b.,
washing day. a fact which, IN view of the
popular Impression to the effect that tramps
never wash was somewhat astonishing.
Most OF the springs We're utilized by one
or more tramps who were hzily engaged in
washing articles OF clothing and hanging
them Oh the bushes to dry. They did not
wash III the vigorous button destroy ing
manner of Chinese laun iryman. but
dipped them in the spring and rubbed them
together IN a way that indicated that while
Ihey preferred clean clothes they did not
propose to sweat TO get the dirt out.
WI hhrt L IhllAIlONH OF WORK.
peculiar feature of the camp was the
number OF socks that strawed the grounds.
IL was impossible to walk thirty f, ct with
out running across one ard while they were
not as thick as the leaves which strew the
woods and hills III autumn they were suf-
icleutly numerous to cause a stranger to
Wonder where they all came from in sew
srai places a couple of tramps were heating
water old pON6pr panS lEban ,bo |
1ecane hot they dropped the dirty socks in
t, stirred them around few minutes and
hen took them out to dry. Then they used
he water to wash themselves
W hlle the tranlps gave imperfect imira-
ions Of men at work, they la4ily talked
rith each Other. Some of the subjects of
discussion were unexpected, AMI some the !
iles advanced were unique \ dirty look
ng Old fellow who had not taken part in
he washing day festivities first hroachsd
lie subject of strikes; but there was not {
luch difference OF opinion on this subiect
hey all agreed that strikes were useless
nd gave excellent reasons for their belief
For, said one Old fellow who was living l
ndar a tree IN an attitude of great abau- q
on, IF men did not work there would be no
trikes they strike because they work too
luch for the pay they get; ergo the way
} Keep from the necessity for striking is L
OF to work" His companions agreed that U
'ork was primarily the cause of strikes and q
esolved not to become strikers under auy Il
The conversation next turned on the dis
overy OF America. The discussion was a Ii
veiy one Several of the disputants held u
nat the continent had besn discovered by p
le Norwegians and SwedeS \ German G.
aimed that the honor belonged to his coun-
ymcn GO
1t was finally decided that Cabot .iiscoy- Ii
ed America several thousand years before IL
J'umbus landed. \ young man who had IL
1t piece out of II fellow tramp's coat. 2
ith which to patch the seat of his trousers. VI
nj WHO was engaged in The operation, asked
Cabot discovered the continent. and
oumius got the credit OF it, how it hap. :,
med to lie called America This was a h,
ser and no one attempted to answer it a,
hen the visitor lett discussion on the F.,
lsh hume rule question, which threatened =,
terminate fatally, had just begun kan W
; city Times N