Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-02-03
GOING TO THE SOUTH.
A Great Army OF Welcome
Tramps in Louisiana.
Their Services in Taking Off the Sugar
Crops and Building the Levees,

lnelr SERVICES IN IaKlnS VII inc ougar
Crops and Building the Levees
A recent letter from the Parish of Plaq-
uemines, La, to the New York Sun says:
''Ths army of wandering laborcrs-like
the wild birds which have their summer
and winter haunts-como to us about the
first of November and 60 North about
the first of April Many people call
them tramps, but they are kind Of wei
come tramp, which is more, suppose,
than could be said for the real, sure
enough tramp. We rely on this labor to
take off our sugar crops and to build our
levees, the latter work being usually done
at low water in winter. In February and
March it comes in handy in planting cane
and digging the bitches and canals by
which our fields are drained. Of course
we get good many no-account men,
but by wedding the poor ones out we at
last reach Darwin's survival of the fittcst
and get pretty good gang organized.
The nucleus of this army starts
in Canada, is added to in New
York and on the lakes, takes in
large corps of recruits at Chicago, and
when it reaches Cairo comminglcs with
the legions from the great Northwest and
California and sweeps on to New Orleans.
It's transportation is free. Some few
work their way on the Mississippi river
steamers, but the great majority beat
their way on freight trains. Most Of the
men have money to provide just food
enough to exist on, and as soon as they
reach the city they are distributed by la
Dor agents to the various plantations and
works needing hands and then how
they do gormandizc! You are not able
to tell what man really is until he has
been on the place long enough to get over
the prostraton caused by aver-cating.
The fare Is not usually very tempting, but
there is always a full supply of meat,
bread, beans, rice, potatoes, coffee and
molasscs. A blanket and little hay are
also furnished, and the barracks, or cab
inS, generally have fireplace or stove,
with fuel supplies. Take it altogether
it is n pretty rough mode Of life, but the
men seem light hearted and cont2ntcd |
often wonder if the millonaircs who
come on Pulmans to the South in winter
and go on Pullmans to Saratoga in sum-
mcr, really get more enjoyment out of
'ifc.
You will find in this army men of all
nationalitics, trades, and professions
Not a few doctors and lawyers have |
seen putting cane on the carrier, ald not
few doctors of dentistry using cold
chisel chipping the huge teeth of Il spur
wheel. And all these men have histories.
A mans namc or the name he gives, is
written on the time book, but it is never
heard among these associates Of mo-
mcnt. The place no comes from or some
personal peculiarly christens him with
the appcllation he bears here and proba-
bly, elsewhere. Frcnchy, Dutchy, Pad
dy, Scotty, and New York, Chicago, and
Frisco are common nicknamcs, or if he is
small Shorty it is, and an auburn tingc is
sure to give the name Of Rcddy.
Now and then hear some interesting
incidents from the lives of these wander
crs. A foreman now have told me of
how near ho was to getting into trouble
last summer in Scdalia, Missouri. He
reached there in the morning and took a
room at the Atlantic Hotel, and few
minutes later stranger was given bed
in the same room. Mr.. NJ said his
roommate seemed to be taciturn kind
of fellow but otherwise noticed moth
ing peculiar about him. After dinner he
wished to see a friend off on the train
and h0stcncd to the depot. The train
was a little late and before it came in a
policeman appeared and arrested Mr.
NJ for murder. Though conscious
of innocence, strangcrn in strange land,
he could at best but feel uneasy. lie.
was taken to his room, and on one of the
beds lay his roommate in pool Of blood
dead. When the coroner arrived the
dead man, who was lying face down.
ward, was turned over, and the cXamina-
tion commenced 1t seems that an hour
before that the man had been seen to
take hatchct from near the well in the
yard up to his room. 1t was evident that
he had tried with dull pocket knife,
which was found by his side, to cut the
arteries of his wrist and then to cut his
throat. lie had also stuffed silk hand
kcrchicf as far down his threat as posi-
Bile, and then had wounded his head by
clf-innictcd blows with the hatchct.
The coroner found that none of the
ghastly wounds was fatal, but that
death was caused by the stoppage of the
air channel with the handkerchief A
verdict of suicide, of course, released
Mr.. Nj from his close shave.
A Confirmed Dog Drunkard.
A German saloon-keepcr on Third
street has dog that is most dissipatcd