San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-20
TRAMPS OF LONDON
METHODS, MANNERS AND MORALS OF
THE DEVOTEES TO INCIDENCE.

A Creature of Romance--His Educational
Meager Breakfast-At the Pawnbroker's.
The Summer Tramp-Invariably Civil
and Respectful.
One of the best examples of London's low
livers is the tramp, and him in his many |
varieties we will consider London tramps
have more freedom than the tramps of the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts possess, because
there is more attention-almost sentimental
attention-paid in England to the freedom
of the subject" and TO the liberty of the
streets" So long as the tramp moves on"
like Poor joe" he is let alone. Vagrancy is
"winked" at by the authorities. These do
not wish any more Charges on the parish"
than they are obliged to incur or take notice
of. In the day time they are entirely lost
sight of in the swirl of the human tides, and
they are only TO be well studied at night
time.
y tramp's name is usually an assumed one.
He selects some name i'll fiction, the drama,
poetry or annals of criminals, which appeals
| TO his innate sense of fitness to his own case,
or yields itself to the glamour in which he
-
| He cherisheS i'll his veins the ideal traditions
of the Romany, though there be no drop of
| gypsy blood IN his poor body. He is often
| very intelligent, cursed alone with chronic
| laziness. Provided he is not an idiot from
| birth he is never hopelesSly ignorant. His
| life in the streets has sharpcned his wits and
| developed a certain form of low cunning
which, if not intelligence, surely stands
| Cousin German" to il.
THE TRAMPS' EDUCATION
Very seldom, indeed, is he unable to read.
He feas;s on the daily papers, acquiring
rough shod knowledge of politics, and know
ing perfectly all the questions discussed in
both houses of parliament How does he
procure the papers, you ask Nothing is
easier. In certain parishes one or more of
the dailies is pasted on the regular bill
boards along the street One-hslf will be
| pasted under the other half, the two papers
| giving one paper complete when spread out
Before these the tramp stands in the very
early morning. With his hands thrust in
his pockets, his broken shoes or bare, dirty
feet, his rags and tatters, he is truly gro
| tesque object
| He rambles in the dawn past the penny
and ha'penny cocoa Shops occasionally paus-
ing az OilC. rum bllC iiOuOiht IIS
establishment issue the fumes Of boiling
cocoa, tea, coffee and light breakfast viands.
| This is sometimes his sole breakfast. He
feasts on the appetizing steam in long inhala-
tons. Often passer by bestows on him a
penny or two which he quickly invests in this
shop terrifying himself thus for his long,
monotonous day. He does not necessarily
beg His attitude is in itself a mute petition
| foro aims II bn docs hacr IL iS with rfNCs11
depreciation: Sir, bestow on mo the price of
a cup of cocoa; ha'penny, if you please"
Seldom is such an appeal uttered in vain, and
so universal is politeness here that the poor
tramp bows and thanks the giver grandtlo-
quently He even thanks him if tho coin be
refused
Before the windows Of the pawnbroker's
shop the tramp may next be seen, gazing in
tently at the pledged loot. Poor fellow
| Who knows but that he may be casting
| furtive chances at some unredeemed trinket,
once his, now put on sale. 1t fascinates him
| to keep thus TO a thread even of personal
proprietary rights. The old print shops in
tereSt him as well Perhaps he likes curios
because he is himself species Of human
| curio
He is very dirty, very disreputablo in APP
pearance, very "gone to seed" in condition,
and he is very smelly person withal His
face is never animated in expression. But If
| he lacks animation of visage he makes up for
it in animation of another sort. Don't, pray.
get too near him, else you may learn to your
sorrow that misery" has made him acquaint
with strange bedfellows."
DIVIDED INTO SEASONS.
Tramps are divided into seasons. There is
| the tramp of the summer He may work in
the winter or the reverse He is happiest in
the summer, when deserted alleys, news,
gates and doorways, above all the bridges,
afford him rest and shelter. He is most mis-
cradle in the winter when he, like the
woman vagrant, is driven TO the casual
wards. In the long, cold, wet nights of
| autumn he procmes practical umbrella I'M
| der some friendly porticO, and thus may keep
! a little dry, which is better than to be SOAK
! ing wet In spring time he haunts the mar
! ketS, feasting on cabbage leaves or early tur-
nips dropped from an overloaded country
wagon, emptying its treasure trove
later on, garnered in Kent, Surrey,
! Sussex and Middlesex rural districts.
| | have seen these wanderers lurking al
most under the wheels Of market carts,
scrambIing for the bit of dropped green stuff
before it reached the ground There is
pub" or public house" in old Covent Gar
den market which is opened at daylight for
the convenience of the market gardeners, who
have travelled often since the new day began
with their produce on market days This
pub" does lively trade in bitter beer" and
spirits. The tramp, like and evil shadow,
insinuates himself inside the door unknown
to the bartender. Crouching down to the