The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-01-23
A TRAMP'S PHILOSOPHY.
HE ASKED THE REPORTER FOR A
QUARTER AID EARNED 1T.

ny the Genutne Arttcle OF Ifamil-Eool-
ish Prejudice Against Dirt
Eyes, l am tramp, pure and simple
Ashamed of it, do you ask7 Why should bef''
The most wretched man that ever invaded
the domain of the Bridewell was not sorrier
looking or dirtier than the invidunl who
spoke these words. He stopped The Herald
reporter on his way home near the corner OF
Wells and Kinzie streets, to ask for quarter
The reporter, after rapidly taking in the
healthy looking form OF the beggar, de-
nounced him as a tramp, and was about to
pass on when he was arrested by the words
quoted, which were uttered in tones Of
wondrous richness.
81 have no use for tramps,'' the reporter
replied.
There are tramps and tramps,n said the
man, not the least Disconnected. 81 grant
you there are men OF my calling who violate
the eighth commandment. So, doubtless,
there are men of yours, whatever it may be.
The Saviour had his Iscariot, but shall you
say in consequence that Peter John and Bar
tholomew were traitors and scoundrelsln
HE CLAIMED ENOUGH.
lis there case upon record of tramp
who was of any use to himself or his gem
erationgn
"a thousand might readily be named.
What was Jacob when he hed from the
wrath of Esau, and raised his bethel in the
robber infested wildernessa Have you not
heard of Cadmus, the Phoenician, who intro
duced letters into Europei 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 it fell from the cloudsl Pompey,
Caesar and Anthony were very princes of
tramps, betaking themselves hero and there
wherever there was novelty of scenery or
rich treasures to DO despoiled. Columbus
was a very illustrious member of my contra
ternity, dying as he lived as veritable n no
mad rs 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. Trampsm
he continued, after q very brief pause, rails
ing his voice and talking rapidly. ''What
but tramps were Cook, Magellan, Behring,
Dir. Kane, Gordon Cummin, Livingstone,
Stanley and the entire army of travellers and
vayageurs. What are you, sirl" he asked
sharply, turning upon the reporter
Precisely" he continued after he had been
truthfully answered. II had thought us
much. Letme tell you that honored as your
calling is, do not fear to enter the lists with
you and volunteer to name Roland of
distinguished tramp for every Oliver of an
illustrious journalist you may recaln
"What quality, for instance, do you pos
sess that fits you to he classed with the long
line of illustrious individuals whom You have
namedso
81 might name n thousand had you time
or patience to hear. Primarily am edu-
Gated. The child of wealthy parents, had,
first, a private tutor; then instruction in an
academy, and finally / completed the full
course at one of our leading universities /
am now &c. Until three years since, when
asuntr~-a tho ierge RrurS 81 which n1nsnuw a
member, | was great reader, devouring all
kinds Of books that came IN my way. Since
began my travels have not read books SO
earnestly, because of tho petty prejudice of
vulgar minds, which decline to come in close
contact with men who are, ms | am, trifle
negligent in their attire
1T is all a matter of taste / am not sym
pathetic. My father being rich was raised
in luxury and became 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 a month after
his failure. My jewels, fine clothes and the
thousand or two of pocket money my father
had given me kept me in idleness for four or
five months One morning l awoke to the
fact that l was absolutely penniless and
friendless. After mature elaboration l 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, aim honest, truthful and vlrtuous."
LENDING TO THE LORD.
'But you are u beggar. You stopped ME
TO beg quarter"
THAT Is very true. But am alone in this
Is not the world crowded with beggarsi Do
not grave senator's beg their seatsi Is there
an officeholder in all this broad land who does
not owe his place to his piteous pleadingsi
Did you ever attend church that failed To
shove contribution box under your nosei Il
there merchant, lawyer, doctor, or manu-.
facturer who begs not for patronage and sup.
portg'
"Thoso men, however, give something in
return
"While do tho same thing. All systems
OF religion declare ii Is more blessed to give
than to receive. Why, declare to you that
full a thousand times my own heart has beaten
with gladness as l have seen the happiness
upon the face Of q good woman after she had
passed over to me food had asked for. These
good people are trained to believe that he
who gives to the poor lends to tho Lord, and
when they give to me they fully believe
they are laying up treasures in heaven.
sit 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 as
respectable as mine, nor was his person as
cleanly. II you were reader of theological
history you would know that the Eastern
bishops present at the first Nicene council
which met to discuss and settle the matter Of
the divinity Of Christ, were SO filthy in their
habits and so afflicted with vermin 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
decldedly aVefse, as Class, 10 water. Yet
Russia Is great nation. There is too great
prejudice against dirt; anyway, since out of
1t comes all our food, and, indirectly, our
raiment.n
'But you fellows are dishonest; you steal.
Possibly some do, but as a 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 a 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 reformatories"
The tramp got the quarter Chicago Her
aid.
Origin of Popular Song.