The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-02-04
GOING TO THE SOUTH.
A Great Army OF Welcome
Tramps in Louisiana.
Their Services in Taking Off the Sugar
Crops and Building the Levees

A recent letter from the Parish Of Plaq-
uemines, La, to the New York Sun says
"The army of wandering laborers--like
the wild birds which have their summer
and winter haunts-come to us about the
first of November and 20 North about
the first of April. Many people call
them tramps, but they are kind Of well
come tramp, which is more, I 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 fittest
and get a pretty good gang organized.
The nucleus of this army starts
in Canada, is added to in New
York and on the lakes, takes in a
large corps of recruits at Chicago, and
when it reaches Cairo commingles with
the legions from the great Northwest and
California and sweeps on to New Orleans.
Itc tranenortotinp =, fp1p
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 prostration caused by over-eating.
The fare Is not usually very tempting, but
there is always full supply of meat,
bread, beans, rice, potatoes, coffee and
molasscs. A blanket and a little hay are
also furnished and the barracks, or cab
ins, generally have fireplace or stove,
with fuel supplies. Take it altogether,
it is pretty rough mode of life, but the
men seem light hearted and contcntcd. |
often wonder if the millionaircs who
come on Pullmans to the South in winter,
and go on Pullmans to Saratoga in sum-
mer, really get more enjoyment out OF
'ife.
You will find in this army men of all
nationalities, trades, and professions.
Not few doctors and lawyers have
seen putting cane on the carrier, and not
a few doctors of dentistry using cold
chiscl chipping the huge teeth of a spun
wheel. And all these men have histories.
A mans name, or the name he gives, is
written on the time book but it is never
heard among these associates of mo-
ment. The place he comes from or some
personal popularity christens him with
the appcllation he bears here and proba.
bly, elsewhere. Frenchy, Dutchy, Pad
dy, Scotty, and New York, Chicago, and
Frisco are common nicknames or if he i
small Shorty it is, and an auburn tinge is
sure to give the name of Reddy.
Now and then hear some interesting
incidents from the lives of these wander
ers. A foreman l now have told me o.
how near he was to getting into troubl,
last summer in Sedalia, Missouri. II,
reached there in the morning and took ;
room at the Atlantic Hotel, and few
minutes later stranger was given bee
in the same room. Mr.. NJ said hi
roommate seemed to be tacitum kline
of a fellow, but otherwise noticed moth
ing peculiar about him. After dinner h,
wished to see friend off on the trail
and hastencd to the depot The trail
Wao Il H'tic idtc, uilu DclUlc IL CaInc Ill
policeman appeared and arrested Mr.
NJ for murder. Though conscious
of innocence, a stranger in strange land
he could at best but feel uneasy. II
was taken to his room, and on one of tn
beds lay his roommate in pool of BLOOD
dead! When the coroner arrived tn
dead man, who was lying face down
ward, was turned over and the cxamna
ton commenced. 1t seems that an hou
before that the man had been seen t,
take hatchct from near the well in tn
yard up to his room. 1t was evident tha
he had tried with dull pocket knife
which was found by his side, to cut tn
arteries of his wrist and then to cut hi
throat. He had also stuffed silk hand
kerchief as far down his throat as posi-
bic, and then had wounded his head b.
self-inflicted blows with the hatchct
The coroner found that none of tn
ghastly wounds was fatal, but tina
death was caused by the stoppage of til
air channel with the handkerchief.
verdict of suicide, of course, released
Mr.. M from his close shave.
AConflrmed Dog Drunkard.
A German saloon-keepcr on Thirt