Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-01
A TRAMP'S PHILOSOPHY.
HE ASKED THE REPORTER FOR A
QUARTER AND EARNED 1T.

tsh prejudice Against Dirt.
Eyes, l am tramp, pure and simple
Ashamed of it, dc you ask, Why should be'n
Tho Ilost wretohed man that ever invaded
the domain Of tho Bridewell was not sorrier
looking or dirtier than the invidual who
spoke these words He stopped The Herald
reporter on his way homo G the corner of
Wells and Kinzie streets, TO asa for a quarter.
The reporter, after rapidly taking in the
healthy looking form of the beggar, de-
nounced him eS tramp, and was about to
pass on when no was arrested by the words
quoted, which yero uttered in tones of
wondrous richness.
Il have no use for tramps," the reporter
replied.
There are tramps and tramps," said the
man, not the leIst disconnected. Il grant
you there are mon of my calling who violate
the eighth conn laIl,lment. SO, doubtless,
there are men of yours, whatever it may be.
The Saviour hal his Iscariot, but shall you
say in consequence that Peter, John and Bar
tholomew were traitors and scOundrelsFn
lie CLAIMED ENOUGH
''Is there case upon record of a tramp
who was of any lse to himself or his gen
erationl"
"a thousand might readily be named.
What was Jacob when he fed from the
wrath of Esau, and raised his bethel in the
robber infested wilderness1 Have you not
heard of Cadmus, the Phoenician, who intro
duced letters into Europe! His restless spirit
caused him to sail up and down the Mediter-
ranean, and, doubtless, oftentimes to go far
out upon the swollen waters of the great
Atlantic. Going back in history, is there not
Moses, who for forty years tramped TO and fro
in the desert, idle and indifferent, gathering
his food as 1t fell from the cloudsi Pompey
Cesar and Anthony were very princes of
tramps, betaking themselves here and there,
wherever there was novelty of scenery or
rich treasures to be despoled. Columbus
was a very illust1 ious member of my contra
ternity, dying as he lived, as veritable no
mad as the swart Arabs of the sandy wastes
of the old world. The spirit of the rover
was stamped indelibly on Napoleon, SO that
not even the seductive Establishments of an
imperial court could enchain him within the
precincts of Paris, the beautiful Trampsln
he continued, aftcr very brief pause, rails
ing his voice and talking rapidly. What
but tramps were Cook, Magellan, Behring,
DR.. Kane, Gordon Cummin, Livingstone,
Stanley and the entire army of travellers and
vayageurs. What are you, sir" he asked
sharply, turning upon the reporter.
Precisely" he continued after he had been
ruthfully answered. Il had thought as
much. Let me tell you that honored as your
calling is, do not fear to enter the lists with
you and volunteer to name a Roland of a
distinguished tramp for every Oliver of an
nlustrious journa ist you may recall"
What quality, for instance, do you pos
sess that fits you to be classed with the long
Nf Ind ha,
named'"
Il might name a thousand had you time
or patience to lear. Primarily am edu-
Gated. The child of wealthy parents, / had,
first, private tutor; then instruction in an
academy, and finally | completed the full
course at one of our leading universities. l
am now &C. Until three years since, when /
entered the large army of which | am now
member, was q great reader, devouring all
kinds OF books that came in my way Since
| began my travels | have not read books SO
earnestly, because of the petty prejudice of
vulgar minds, which decline to come in close
contact with men who are, as l am, trif1e
negligent in their attire.
1T is all q matter of taste | am not SYM
pathetic My father being rich was raised
in luxury end bscame selfish / never en-
ployed my mind in auGht but reading, and
was trained to esteem all mankind as robbers
ready to prey upon me and all the other
scions of wealth. The old gentleman, my
sire, In his declining years went on Wall
street, and in year his great fortune was
swallowed up. He was so silly as to be honest
and refused to save aught from the wreck
The modification of the thing killed him and
my mother, both dying within Il month after
his failure. My jewels, fine clothes and the
rhnrSpu1 Orf nf -pr fof fha,
had given me kept me in idleness for four or
five months. One morning ] awoke to the
fact that l was absolutely penniless and
friendless After mature delihcration | re-
solved to let the world desp.sed care for me,
while l cultivated my love for travel and
observation. | love nature ! have no petty
vices, am honest, truthful and virtuousn
LENDING TO THE LORD.
"But you are beggar. You stopped me
to beg quarter
THAT is very true. But am | alone in this2
Is not the world crowded with beggarsi Do
not grave senators beg their seatsl Is there
an ofiiceholder in all this broad land who does
not owe his place to his piteous pleadingss
Did you ever attend church that failed to
shove a contribution box under your nosel Is
there a merchant, lawyer doctor, or manu-
facturer who beg not for patronage and sup
ports"
Those men, however, givo something in
return"
while l do the same thing. All systems
Of religion declare it is more blessed to give
than to receive. Why, declare to you that
full q thousand tines my own heart has beaten
with gladness as | have seen the happiness
upon the face OF c good woman after she had
passed over to me food had asked for These
tpo TO IoI 81, 81.
who gives to the poor lends to the Lord and
when they give to me they fully believe
they are laying up treasures in heaven.
1T is true the tramp is dirty but Di-
ogones, who was philosopher of some merit
though he lived in tub never used one for
bathing purposes. His garments were not US
respectable mine, nor was his person as
cleanly. If you were reader of theological
history you would know that the Eastern
bishops present a. the first Nicene council
which met to disc Iss and settle the matter of
the divinity of Christ, were SO filthy in their
habits and 50 afflicted with verulin that the
Western bishops sat apart from them in the
council chamber. Yet were Diogenes and
those bishops famous, despite their lack of
personal cleanliness. The Russian people are
decidedly averse, rs q class, to water. Yet
Russia is O great nation. There is too great
prejudice against dirt, anyway, since out of
it comes all our food, and, indirectly. our
raiment"
But you fellows are dishonest you steal +"
Possibly some do, but as class We are
as honest as other people, and at the most we
do but take when hunger drives us to it. and
are content with sufficient food for single
meal You will find no burglars, safe blow
ers, defaulting cashiers or treasurers In our
number We do not fill the penitentiaries or
other alleged refolmatories
Tho tramp got the quarter Chicago Her.
aid.
$500 Reward.
We will pay the above reward for any
case of liver complaint. dyspepsia, sick