The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-21
WEARY WANDERERS.
The ways and Means Of Honest and Dis
honest Trampa,

sanuS OF men were thrown out OF en-
ployment and began their desultory
wanderings from city to city, the name
Of tramp" has become significant
term in our language.
At first, tramps were ir the main
honest unfortunntes, and every farm
house along their wearying march
generously and willingly gave to them
at least morsel Of food. Worthless
wretches and thieves who never gained
support for a fortnight through honest
labor, noted the success of those. seek
ing work and saw in it glorious OPP
portunity to travel over the country.
upon borrowed reputation and with.
out display of means. The plan be.
came popular and these peripatetic
tourists became as plentiful as the
Kansas grasshopper. Then followed
in rapid succession 80 many horrible
outragcs, bold thefts and daring deeds
Of deviltry that to call man a tramp
meant no less than "thou dog" among
the children of Judea. The newspapers
We'd with each other in hcapin2 upon
them every invective and following up
their Vaccinations, realizing that life
and property were not safe with this
lawless class wandering hilher and
thithcr ut will. In most of the States
| rigid laws were enacted for the purpose
of suppressing this pest, which was be-
coming alarming in proportions.
Such was the reputation established
for tramps, and long will they have to
bear its stigma. and yet there is one
class of these folorn wanderers which
appeals to pity.
Winter being the season for these
transient guests, reporter asked Chief
Hadley Clack, of the Nashville police,
for some information concerning them.
| "Those who come to the station-
house," said he, "are not tramps by
profession, and appear to be such only
from unfortunate circumstances. Usu-
ally they are cndeavoring to reach some
certain point where they have relatives
or prospects of work. Nearly every
night during the winter months we
keep one or more of them over night,
registering their names upon what is
| called the charity BOOK.
| Tho mere fact of their coming to
such place and asking to stay over
night indicates that they are not very
great criminals, because they would
fear that their deeds and description of
themselves were furnished to the police.
They come usually just about six
o. clock in the evening, as soon as it
begins to grow dark, and do it only to
get off of the street, knowing that they
would be picked up by the officers dur
ing the night, and being without money,
they have no place to 60. Early in the
morning they are turned out and that
is the last we ever see of them"
"How is it then, that they are sup
posed to be Of desperate characterp''
1.-THE thieving and lawless tramps
only visit the city during the day, and
sleep at night in some barn or straw
stack outside of the corporation. Often
they build fire, using some farmers 9
rails, and keep warm in that way.
These do about all Of the villainy, and
continue their depredations to the
country and edges Of the city. They
make their living in this manner, and
have no desire to secure work.
"What do the tramps usually have,
and how do they act when they come
hereP"
"Well, nearly all of them are men,
it being extremely rare for destitute
female to como for lodging. They
never have any money, you may be as
sured, or they would never rest content
with such accommodations as are fur
nished them in this old trap. Neither
have they any good clothes, for every
article OF value would be pawned for
food, lodging or drink. Except in
very few cases they are extremely
! ragged, but you never find one that
does not carry a needle and thread
fastened in his coat collar. Most of
them have some kind of little bundle
tied up in handkerchief, walking
stick. and very often little coffee pot.
when they walk into the Office they
at once tell what they want, and we
always permit them to sleep here. We
tell them that they will have very
rough accommodations, but they are
satisfied with any place of warmth and
{, safety"
"Of what color and nationality are
they usually?"
"They are always white. A negro
tramp would never come here. 1t
would be hard to tell which nationality
predon'inated, the German, Irish and
American being about equally divided.
"Now and then something amusing
develops when we search them prior to
putting them in the cell. An old Irish
man, small and feeble, came here not
long ago and, after he had thoroughly
warmed by the stove. he was asked
what he had on his person. Not y
clint; not cint. All Oi have is just
this little bit of firearms,' he said.
pulling out from his hip pocket small
pistol. When it was explained to him
that to carry weapons was against the
law he replied: And l didn't know
that. They told me that this was u
dangerous country for man to travel
all alone, and that there's some queer
doin's goin' on here, SO just got that
little bit for protection He was as
innocent rs child about it. and being
SO old he was simply advised Of the risk
run and told to dispose of it.
"Most of the tramps come from the
Il k,,,,s k.~ Il