Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-11-18
TWO EXPERIENCES.
St. Louis Police Captain Ana ms Opiu
. ions About TrampG.

= ions About TrampG.
have two experiences to relate In
regard to tramps, which set me even
on the question of discovering honesty
and dishonesty among them. One
morning l was sitting in the dining
room at home when a poor fellow
came up to the kitchen door and asked
my wife for breakfast. stating that he
was hungry, could get no work and
was actually starving. went out,
however, to see what specimen of
beggar was there, and found an in
telligent-appearing young fellow,
dressed tolerably we'll in clean, though
threadbare, clothes. He assured me
that he Had tried in vain to secure
work until he was heartily discour-
aged, and as last. resort was con-
PEELED to wound his pride by begging.
eli you'll prove your willingness to
work by saving up that pile of stove
wood, you can have breakfast" said
1. We'll, I'll work." cheerfully re-
sponded the young man., as he threw
off his coat and pushed bucksaw
with an alacrity born Of hunger and
desperation. 1 gave him a good break
fast-the best my table afforded. In
conversation found him bright. He
was a book-keeper, he said. I took
an interest In him and secured him 9
position in the Missouri Pacific freight
offices, after persuading friend il
charge to give him a trial. The
young man proved one of the finest
penmen in the Office, and after trial
Of three or four months at forty dol
lars month he was given a fine
posi- ion in an otfico with the same line
in Arkansas The other experience
with tramp was with a. young
fellow who had got down
in the world, but came to
| this city from Leavenworth, Kan,
with letter Of introduction he had
formerly received from an acquaint-
ance of mlne there. He accosted me
one cold winters night and said he
had been sleeping out for two nights
and had not eaten any thing for two
days. L gave him a meal ti9ket and
paid his hotel bill for week. and took
him down to SEQ the same mar at the
Missouri Pacific Offices. which, was
inclined to beheve, was becoming an
asylum for unfortunate fellows who
were gaining my sympathies. The
manager didn't like the appearance Of
this young man, but he gave him @
trial The wages were not to be paid
for month. The young man braced
up and worked steady, and I stood
good for his board in the meantime.
One pay night he drew all his month &
salary, and that was the last ever
heard of him. He skipped. I was
Tin the soup" to the depth Of fifty dol
lars for his bills. I wrote the man il
Leavenworth, who had so highly rec
commended him to me for honesty tha
thought he ought to reimburse me
He replied that it was ''ny own look
out; he wasn't paying Sramps' bills.
/ happened to hear that he was fish
ing after an important Government
appointment at Washington. Tina
was pie for me. l wrote him to pay
that fifty dollars in thirty days, or
would nail him to the cross by getting
a certain United States Senator, wh'
was stanch friend Of mine, to fgh
him. Well. that fifty dollars came VI
smiling by the next mail. Bnt the fac
was was not acquainted with tn
United States Senator alluded to, AM
wouldn't know him II saw him. Blu
the keavenworth man wanted Office
and 1 knew / could scarshim into do
ing what was nothing more thai
, right st. Louis Globe-Democrat.