The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-17

There used 10 be "A type OF tramp that is
rarely met with now, mean the swallow
bloke" commonly known a. "a dry land
sailor" Not that "dry-land sailors are
not 10 be found even now, bat it Is rare
indeed that one Of the real Old-iashlOned sort
is met with.
TO run shallow" meant to 90 about the
country half naked. \ genuine "shallOw
blOkc- knew not the luxury Of 4 shirt he
scorned 20 incase his feet in boots. always
preferring 70 pad the hOof;' that Is, 20
barefooted. Frequently these shallow
boxes Travelled in schools that Is.
i'm companies Of four, i've, and SIX,
and wherever they went they made
fine streets hideOus with their unearth-
ly bowling Of nautical ditties, in
Which the refrain, " And the stormy winds
did blow -ow-Ow!" was always cln
spicuOus.
These men were anatomical cur Osities.
One would be minus an arm, another
would lack leg. a third would exhibit a
withered limb done up IN ught bandages.
Scarcely one of them would Dc found physi-
cally perfect. They would stretch IN line
across the street, tie two extreme men
pushing their hats in the flce OF every
passer-by and sundry curses. sometimes
ioud "A. well as deep. followed the "unchar-
table pedestrians, while all the blessings
of heaven were invoked on the head of the
kind gentleman" who dropped copper IN
the Obtrusiye chapeau.
These shallow boxes" were terror to
the ordinary tramps. They were noted rs
being the greatest blackguards travelling
Their blasphemOus talk was simply hide
ous. and shocked even old ami well-seas0ned
tramps. Happily they are now nearly An
extinct race. 1t is fact, though not gen
orally known, that scores ol tnese Nagd-
bonds mutilated themselves FOR the purpose
of working upon the feelings oil a charitable
nublic. one OF the most common methods
of acquiring" a withered limb was to bind
if tightly with strips Of linen and thus
sion me circulation of the blood. LOath.
some looking wounds were manufactured
by inserting in these baudages an old cop
per coin. which gradually ate into the flesh
A somewhat pleasant contrast 10 these
irnerants were the ''lurkerS,' more intel H.
yibly described as 'begglng-letter gentle
men, class of men not unknown at Tue
present day. They would carry a neat little
roll Of pictures. two or three gentlemen
combs in little satchel, or any other ligh
and fancy Article. Just TO take the gram,
off,: in other words. for the sake OF appear
ance.
Their object was not TO sell these articles
but to beg "Oyer them" They usually nat
plausible tale 10 tell of better days; tnei
could produce letters from this Gentleman
and from that clergyman. They Ill,
not 90 in for coppers, but silver and gold
IL is no unusual thing for one OF these L
receive from sympathetic old gentleman
or credulous old lady 'haH a thick 'un'
or "A ..thick 'un," (half-soyerelgn or so'ef
eign) Clothes they used To get in plenty
and they were always well dressed, io
which reason they were often dubDe'
flash blOkes" in the common iodsih
house some of these men had reaIly seer
better days. have known brokenhoW
university men, occasionally an oiilcer
the army or na,y-and THESE men nlau
no end of money by Visiting oiu retire
officers Of the ser,ices.-lhe ueh'iehah
! Magazine,