Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-16
English Tramps.
THE Gentlemsn's Msgazlne.l

There used 10 be a type of tramp that IS
rarely met withnow. lmeaD the shallow
bloke.n commonly known as a " dry-land
sailor.n Not that "dry-land sailors are
not to be found even now, but 1t IL rare IN
deed that one Of the real old-iashlOned sort
is met with.
To run shallow" meant to goabout tho
country half naked. A genuine shallow
bloke knew not the luxury of shirt; he
scorned TO incase his feet in boots, always
preferring to pad the hoof." !. g., go
barefooted. Frequently these shallow
blokesn travelled in schools" that Is, IN
companies of four, five. and six, and
wherever they went they made the streets
hideous with their unearthly bowling Of
nautical ditties, in which the refrain,
And the stormy winds did blow-ow-
ow !" was always conspicuous.
These men we're anatomical curl0sitles.
One would be minus an arm, another
would lack leg, third would exhibit a
withered limb done up IN tight bandages:
Scarcely one of them would be found
physically perfect. They would stretch IN
line across the street. the two extreme
men pushing their hats in the face or every
passer-by, and sundry curses, somtlmes
loud as we'll as deep. followed the IN
charitable pedestrians, while all the
blessings of Heaven were invoked on the
head of the kind gentleman who
dropped copper in the obtrusive chdDedp.
These shallow blokes" were terror TO
the ordinary tramps. They were noted as
being the greatest blackguards travelling.
Their blasphemous talk was simply hide
Gus, and shocked even old and well-sea-
soned tramps. Happily they are now nearly
an extinct race. IL Is fact, though not
generally known, that scores OF these yasa-
bonds mutilated themselves for the pur-
pose of working upon the feelings OF
charitable public. One of the most CON-
mon methods of acquiring" "a wlthered
limb was to bind il tightly with strips OF
linen and thus stop the circulation OF
the blood. Loathsome-ookng wounds
were manufactured by inserting IN these
bandages an old copper coin, which grad
ually ate into the flesh.
somewhat pleasant contrast 10 these
ltinerants were the lurkers,n more intel
ligibly described as begging letter gentle
men," q class OF men not unknown at the
present day. They would carry neat lit
tie roll of pictures, two or three gentle
mems combs in little satchel, or any
other light and fancy article, Just TO take
tee granny off" in other words, for the
sake OF appearance.
Their object was not to sell these arti-
cles, but to beg lover them" They usu-
ally had plausible tale to tell Of better
days, they could produce letters from this
gentleman and from that clergyman. They
did not 90 in for coppers, but silver and
gold. 1t is no unusual thing for one OF
these TO receive from o sympathetic old
gentleman or credulous old lady a
half a thick 'un" or thick
'unn (half sovereign or sovereign I:
Clothes they used 20 get IN plenty, and
they were always well dressed, Tor
which reason they were often dubbed
fash blokes" In the common lodging
house. Some of these men had really seen
better days. have known broken-downn
university occasionally an officer OF
the army or nayy-and these men made no
end Of money by visiting old retired Off
GERS OF the services.