The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-06-11
TRAMP'S PARADISE.
THE HAVEN OF REST PRO-
VIDED BY A NEW JER.
SEY FARMER---TNTHE
GERMANS BARN.


GERMANS BARN.
An Eccentric and Charitable
Man Who Gives shelter and
Comfortto the Wander
ers of the Land. .-@
Philadelphia Times.
In Camden county, not tar from
DelAir, at Morrisville. lives . plain
old German farmer, blessed with q
big farm and abundance OF this worlds
goods. His hospitality 10 the house,
less and homeless wanderers the world
call tramps is known from Maine to
New Orleans and from ocean to ocean.
On the Bsckenbach place is a big
barn. In this barn, in winter and
in summer and on any day of the
year, whather it be Christmas, New
Year or the Fourth of July, can be
found women with children in their
arms, q shiftless fisherman with q
ragged suit on him and a shillelah in
his hands, or some sturdy aud homes
less German outcast, perhaps, with a
trunk on his shoulder trudging over
from the railway station to the Beck
enbach barn, which, by some 6ne
freemasonry among the tramps of
America, is known as saints Rest
for the homeless wanderer q thousand
miles away seeking rest or idleness.
or, il may be, a days work with "PIl-
grim schoon and scallop she'll"
III the stranger sits on the porch of
any one of the farm houses on the
main road leading 10 Morrisyille be
viii be greeted at any hour Of the
day with the inquiry:
LOOKING FOR BEcKEssAcH.
-Is this the way to Beckenbach's
|hsrnin @
And you can tell with ysur eyes
shut that the inquirer, be he a man
or q woman, Is seeking q tempoary
refuge under the caves Of Becken.
bech's barn. =
!. Now 1t will be Q frowsy looking
wo nan, with drsggled skirt, half Z
bonnet and an old shall, in one cor.
uer Of which u wrapped q baby moi
old enough 10 walk or talk. Ifit ].
warm day she may sit down on ths
grass, after getting her bearings and
distances TO the barn, with her bacl
up against 0 tree. and she may paus'
long enough 10 take q nap, with he
head hanging over one shoulder
while her prsttling babe, unconsciou
Of its shabby personal surroundings
crswls through the high grass o.
plucks, with INV fingers, the aafy
down.dillies which dot the greer
sward like day stars.
Next il may be 0 great hulkini
German, with q military air, as II b
had fought with Won Moltke, or il
better days taken o schooner" will
Bismarck. This man wears high top
ped boots, with q great box like
sailors chest, which is strapped Of
his shoulders, and the Teutonic tray,
eler with q Big pipe in his moutl
pauses long enough to say: "Ver
yos dot Beckenbach's barn." Their
will be q score or more along to-day
looking like Falstaf-s ragged regi
ment all kings and queens Ia shreds
tatters and patches. And It Is sub
stantive fact that . tramp In Texa
made an engagement in mid-winte
with q fellow nomad at Fl Paso, say
ling: aYahi Jacob, ! meets yo'
again when dose pease all must b
pick't down by dot Brickenbsch bar
in jersey" And when the voice o
the turtle dove was heard in the lane
the two tramps drank bottled bee
together in Beckenbach's barn sfte
an honest days toll in the genersu
Germans pea patch at Mcrrisville.
| PICKING PEAS AND TOMATOES.
Most Of these pietureique tramE
allege that they are seeking worl
Some Of them are. and none 70 ava
empty handed from the hoaest Gel
mans plantation who are willing
do q fair days work for good wage
They begin by picking peas. Beel
en- bach's barn is q sort OF agricults
raj exchange when the Oelair farm
lers come 10 get field hands male an
female, for the busy season. AT
, the pes season is over they strugg
} through the strawberry furry on
|. 10 tackle the tomato vines which yie
the nomad workers. Q financial harve
Of no mean measure. Then come u
red raspberry, the cultivated blacl
berry, cherries and currants down
peach season, citrons, canteloupes q
watermelons and when Jack Fro
comes the colony Of tramps thin o
and seek q softer climate and mild
skies.