The Red Cloud chief., 1888-01-27

WEARY WANDERERS.
b Ways and Means Of Honest aud Dis
| honest Tramps.
Since the panic Of 1873. when thou
sands of men we're thrown out of EN-
ployment and began their desultorJ
wandcrings from city to city. the nam.
of tramp has become . significant
term in u language.
At first. tramps were in the main
honest u~nfortunates, and every farm.
house along their wearying march
generously and willingly gave to them
at least u morsel of food. Worthless
wretches and thieves VINO never gained
support for a fortnight through honest
labor. noted the success of those seek.
ing work and saw in it a glorious op-
portunity to travel over the country.
upon a 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
Ill rapid succession 30 many horrible
outrageS. bold thefts and daring deeds
OF deviltry that to call i man a tramp
meant no less than '.thou dog" among
the children of Judea. The newspapers
We'd with each other in hcapin. upon
them every %invective and followin. up
their Vaccinations. realizing that life
and property Were not safe with this
lawless class wandering hiiher and
thi'her at 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. a reporter asked Chief
Hadley Clack. of the Nashville police,
for some information concerning them.
Those who come to the station
house," sad he, ''are not tramps by
profession. and appear to he such only
from unfortunate circumstances. Usu-
ally they are endeavoring 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"
The mere fact Of their coming to
such Il place and asking to stay over
night indicates that they are not very
great criminals. becausc they would
that their deeds ard description of
themselves were furnished TO the police.
They come usually just about six
o'clock in the evening. as soon us it
to grow dark. and do it only to
get off Of the street. knowing that they
would he picked up by the officers dur
night. and being without money,
They have no place to 90. Early in the
morning they are turned out and that
IS the last We ever see of them"
''IIow is it then. that they are sup
posed to be of desperate character?"
1.-The thieving and lawless tramps !
visit the city during the day. and
sleep at night in some barn or straw
stack outside Of the corporation. Often :
hey build \ fire. using some farmers
'aiis. and keep warm in that way.
These do about all Of the villainy, and
continue their depredations to the
and edges of the city. They
their living in this manner, and
no desire to secure work"
''What do the tramps usually have,
md how do they act when they come
'Well. nearly all of them are men.
t being extremely rare for a destitute
to come for lodging. They
lever have any money. you may be as
ured. or they would never rest content
With such accommodations as:are fur
Iished them II this old trap. Neither
ave they any good clothes. for every
r,icle Of value would be pawned for
bod. lodging or drink. : Except in
cry few eases they are extremely
jagged. but you never find one that
OeS not carry Il needle and thread
lstened in his coat collar. Most Of
hem have some kind of Il little bundle
ed up in \ handkerchief. u walking
lick. and very often Il little coffee pot.
''When they walk into the office they
once tell what they want. and we
permit them to sleep here. We
III them that they will have very
accommodations. but they are
with any place of warmth and
''Of what color and nationality are
icy usually" !
''They are always white. A negro
amp would never come here. 1t
Ould be hard to tel. which nationality
redominated, the German. Irish and
merican being about equally divided.
"Now and then something amusing I
when we search them prior to
Itting them in the cell. An old Irish
an. small and feeble. came here not Z