Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-10-31
WHO ARE THE MIGRANTS?

"A vagrant is Man Who Don't Work"
"A Definition That Hits Hard in Vari-
Gus observation-disclosures and Land VAL
ues.
San Antonio, Tex, News.
James Bailey, an old negro, was ar
raigned this morning before the record
err, charged with vagrancy. His honor
called Uncle Bailey before the Judgment
desk, and said:
Bailey, you are charged with vag-
rancy. What have you TO say-guilty or
not guilty?'
II don't know whut dat vagency is.
| has fits every mornin' eff OATS whut
you are talking bout" replied Uncle Jim.
"A vagrant is man who don't work, ="
replied the recorder. do you plead
guilty or not guilty.
II pleads guilty. Dat is, / pleads
guilty to the work l does. amt va
gent eff does has fits"
"Why were you sleeping in the back
yard of Mr.. - last night, when the
police arrested you?"
Case it was er viting loolxin' piece of
groun' to sleep on, en- it didden look like
dar war eny chewranchelers dar | slep
very comfortable tel dat der perlce
come en- disturb my sleep Der groun'
were as sof as err fodder bed
The recorder dismissed the case with
a kindly admonition to Uncle Jim to
never again use the sky for canopy and
the earth for pillow
The above is taken from the Times of
Wednesday last. 1t is quite sermon
in stones, so to speak, 1t is paradox
ical object lesson. e., if you just look
at the incident critically. You will
notice the poor ''niggah' begged the
honorable court to acquaint him with
the definition of a vagrant He was
promptly informed that vagrant twas
man who didn't work" May be SO.
but even his honor would be afraid to
swear by that definition, first, last and
all the time, rs it were. OF course he
would, for what would some Of the lead
ing citizens think who would have to
plead guilty if his honor's definition was
right. The crime that the old man had
committed was the awful one of using
the sky for canopy and the earth for
pillow" Even that would have been no
crime had not the foolish old man for
gotten that the earth does not belong to
every body by long shot. IT belongs
to mighty small few. Theoretically,
and ofttimes practically, those few levy
tribute on the unfortunate for the use Of
their earth.
Have you ever seen the picture of a
sultry summer nights scene at the docks
in New York City? II you have you
can recall it wildly; if you have not l
will say that more heart touching
thing could never be depicted by an ar
fist. The hundreds of poverty stricken
men, women and babies, compelled to
leave their sheol-like tenements for
lack OF air, lie pell nell at the docks
like cattle. II you were in New York
and were to ask an ordinary citizen who
these people are, he would most likely
tell you they are Migrants. They are
Migrants because the Almighty forgot
them when he gave out all the choice
corner lots.
In the issue of the same date above
the Times says that ''intervie VS. with
we'll informed citizens on real estate
are always interesting" One of the in
terviewed on that day predicted an ad-
vance of 100 per cent. in city land be-
fore long. Interesting news, that, es-
pecially for men like Uncle jim" In
teresting in another way, too. 1t shows
we have well started on road. at u
certain turning OF which we shall come
across the ''vagrant factory" in full
blast.
For full grown and healthy paradox
commend us to the erage daily news
paper. In one place they will be full
II. III I.
various horny-handed, commissioning
their position in life, etc, inventing all
sorts of schemes to attract moneyed men
to build factories and build up the city;
in another part of the paper they will,
metaphorically, sing peaps OF glad
ness because land has zone up 400 per
cent.