Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-07-06
1riee ; gemts
A TRAMP'S DIARY.

The following cutting from the PuH
MAJ Gazette of March Is, affords a
very good instance of how we manu-
facture criminals under the present
system, absolutely compel them to steal
by force more irresistible than the
sCourge or the sword:
In the pocket of man convicted of
larceny in the Tyneside Police court. a
diary has been discovered which con-
tains minute record of the owners
experiences, After describing how on
one night he slept on the sands, and on
another contrived to hide and find
nights lodging in pew in church, the
diarist notes day by day his attempts
to get casual employment, with vary
ing success, at the docks and elsewhere
On one occasion he appears to have lad
the good fortune to be engaged by
some engineer aboard ship for several
days, for which he received 15s. With
part OF this he purchased cap, scarf
and pair of shoes at a cobbler's. The
diarist then continues as follows
Tuesday, : a. m. off to the docks
once more; if i could only get another
berth like that, but don't spent 10d.
for grub and Cd. for bed
Wednesday, same old round and moth,
ing to do; spent Sd. on tuck and Cd. for
bed.
Thursday, do, do, etc; expended
Is. 3D.
Friday, do. do. Is. 3D.,
Saturday, things look blue; Is,
Sunday, bed till II a. M; got nothing
to eat. Bible class at 2.30; church at $50;
bed at $50; beastly hungry; what a lot
of money beds cost-my last 9d.-left
with half-penny
Monday, 6 a. M; half-penny pot Of
coffee and off to the docks; feel fam
| ishlng; get ONE ship biscuits on board
one of the boats, and that's all for two
days; walk about all night.
Tuesday, 5 a. M; chop sticks for a
woman until 70 and get d. for it--mean
old screw--bought some breakfast; no
more till 3 p, M; carry a portmanteau
and get bob; trust the men; clover that
night.
Wednesday, M. went to the docks
hopeless; to station, carried two
loads, Is 3D.. grub, 3d., bed, 9d.
|
work; got meal on board one of TIE
boats at 8 o'clock; got some biscuits at
3 O'Clock; no more grub; no more work;
no bed to night; no breakfast in the
morning; ! am dreading Sunday.
Friday, 2.30ta. M, crossed in the ferry
and knocked about the quay till seven
O'Clock; then went into the s. H Of
| fee; then up to - dock; Just as bad
here, not even a biscuit to be had. sup
pose if they knew how bad wanted it
they might give me one, but they don't;
think they can't surely know, or they
would not refuse me. How shall get
this weekend over? I'll not 90 to the
work house if ! starve in the street, and
| don't know of 4 single friend to turn
| to. wish to God ] was dead and it
was all finished with me. I'm sick of
the fight Honesty, charity, love of
fellowmen Why don't they preach
| substantial bodily sermon to poor devils
like us; and ] suppose I'll have to 60
and put in another Sunday in church
for the sake of seat and to get warm.
rfeel as though could bite the throat
out of some of the fat, greasy, self
satistied-looking brutes as they loll in
and out of church. Last Sunday, when
they went sailing past me, and |
thought of all the good things they
would have | hated them, every one.
| Surely some of them might have seen
how hungry ! was | felt faint and
sick enough if didn't look it. Perhaps
! glowered over hard at them when they
did look. However, got over it and
| suppose I'll get over this. Doesn't much
| | ar1ft tn
much what | do or where go. If |
only had my life over again from the
time father died how differently l
would have done, for only one of my
lost chances, my wasted opportunities.
But what's the use: guess I'll have to
drive through this and worse before I'm
out Of the rotten hole"
Let any one in imagination go through
the eleven days as this poor fellow de-
scribes them; let HIM see the result of
his bit of good fortune growing less and
less each day as he trudges about
vainly seeking work, until at length
it is all gone, and he has to walk the
street all night, unable to get bed or
bite of food. Let any one imagine the
suffering that he must have undergone,
weary, hungry, and, worse than all,
hopeless What a wretched, dreary,
world it must have looked to him
What beastly, selfish fiends the well-fed
people must have seemed as they passed
by, leaving him ten times more lonely
and wretched for their very presence.
Let any one if he can realize the utter
drearness of such a life, the hunger,
WEAKNESS and sickening despair, and then
let him remember that every day there
are thousands and tens of thousands of