Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-02-04
TRAMPS IN OLDEN TINES.


TRAMPS IN 0LDEN TINES.
What the round-skulled Gael has
done to the short, long-sk,llled people
who preceded him the Saxon did to the
Gael He took his titled land from
him; in those days it was not much,
nine-tenths of the island being forest
and marsh; and he gave him no chance
of setting near him and bringing in
some of the wild country. That was
not done till later, when the monas-
teries, true agricultural colonies, set
the example of making the desert smile.
The conquered had nothing to do for it
but to submit to slavery or to "move
on" If he moved on with lot of
friends he might settle down some
where in Wales, or on the, Cornish
moore, or in the wild district called
Cumbria (Cymri's Dand), from Chester
to the Solway. But there would gen.
orally be somebody to turn out, so, if
he were alone or with few, begging
or robbing-the two were interchange
able-was his only resource.
Whether or not "race" was the cause,
tramps were very numerous in Saxon
times, else why the stringent laws
against them? Then, as now, they had
coaxing way with them; to wheedle is
from awaedlian, to beg. In summer
the woods gave them shelter and food.
In winter thew often starved, despite
benevolence like that which Bede re-
cords of King Oswald, who, feasting his
bishop at easter, heard that crowd of
poor were sitting around the door. A
silver dish had just been brought in,
full of rare meats. "Take it, said Os-
valid, "give the food to the poor, and
brake up also the dish into little bits so
that each may have one"
Then the numbers of the wanderers
would always be recruited from those
who consented to remain in slavery.
To be slave under the best of masters
must have been trying change, and few
masters were good, or mistresses either,
in days when lady thought nothing of
having girl logged to death for dress
ing her hair badly. Many, therefore.
would run away; become "fymas,"
that is, tramps, through whom the
tramp nature has been perpetuated.
The old natives of Great Britain we're
short, dark people-Basques, say some,
Eskimo say others; the tall light-haired
Gael beat them out from almost every
where, except parts of South Wales.
Then the Cymri, another Celtic people,
came across from the Cimbric Cher
sonese Denmark. landed in Aberdeen,
spread over Scotland as Picts, and,
coming southwark, were met by the
tide of Saxon, or Gas new lights prefer
to call it) English" invasion, and
turned aside into the Wales.
In Saxon times the beggar, unless he
found refuge in one of them thlnly
scattered monasteries was in evil case.
He belonged to the dangerous tribe of
"masterless" men, people for whom no
one was answerable; and those who
sheltered him were fain to do it by
stealth, for if a man stayed with you
more than a couple of days you we're
accountable not only for anything he
might then do but also for his anteced-
ents.
In King Edgar's canons drawn up by
Dunstan), the true rule for feasting is
laid down: "When one fasts let the
dishes that would have been eaten be
all distributed to Gods poor" The
1.-THE, as yet only voluntary charge.
was divided into three parts-one for
the church fabric, another for the poor
and for strangers (of whom many were
wandering monks), another for the
priest.
One cause which sSelled the army OF
tramps was that when, on his death bed,
a master freed his slaves they became
the "men" (serfs) of his heir, instead OF
being able to go where and live under
whom they pleased Of course, if the
heir was a hard man there would be a
stampede of his serfs, whose position,
little above that of bondsmen, made the
personal character of their master all
important.
In many parish books about three
hundred years ago, we find such entries
as these:
"Payd for wippin tow pore folk, lid. "
"Payd and given to pore man and
his wifi that was Wiped, ibid.
This was double the usual tariff, which
is represented by: "Gave the tow when
they went, ijd,"