Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-02-06
THE KING OF TRAMPS.

him perpetual claim on the throne Of
American vagrancy, says the Baltimore
Herald. In May. the young man, whose
proud boast is that no ''never done a
lick O. work less had to" in his life,
was made the subject Of wager at Bos-
ton. His hacker bet large sum that
the "Sailor Kid" would travel from the
Hub to San Francisco and return in the
space Of twenty-one days without spend.
ing q cent for railway fare or food. The
feat was accomplished, and the sport
who risked his money on the tramp pre-
sented him, the other evening, with
$500 OF his winnings. ~
Becker now offers to venture this sum
the most money he ever had in his
Hfe-on the proposition that he can
beat his way around the world under
the same conditions as those Of his
transcontinental trip, in 102 days.
Meanwhile he basks in the homage Of
his ragged subjects, who declare that
der king can't be downed by any man
wot works der road"
It may be interesting to note how this
lad, not yet twenty years old, has solved
the problem Of living without labor and
gained the names by which he is known.
He was born in Demarara, British
Guiana, and was christened Wilson
Becker. At the age of nine he ran
away. Working on the sympathy Of
sailors by romantic but untruthful tales
of woe, he made voyages to Calcutta,
Hong Kong, Honolulu and England.
After an absence of eighteen months
he reached home. But the fever of
travelling was in his veins, and he next
essayed land journeys throughout the
United States with success that has
no interruption up to the present time.
In 1887 young Becker, who, because
Of his nautical experience, was known
to the fraternity as "Sailor Kid" at
tended big convention of tramps at
the Nanticoke (Pa.) coal breaker. 1t
was decided by this convention to
choose king. The convention de-
veloped two candidates of about equal
strength-Patsy Bolivar and "Sailor
Kid" Each was popular and had q
large following. After several unsatis-
factory ballots, numerous fights and the
consumption of oceans of beer, the
contending factions made COM
promise. 1t was agreed that the crown
should grace the brow of the candidate
who made the quickest trip from New
York City to San Francisco and back,
via New Orleans. Becker won with
hands down.
Organization seems to be the keynote
Of modern existence, and tho tramps
are, perhaps, as we'll organized as any
body of peaceable, industrious, sober
artisans. The knights of the Road"
as they call themselves, hold yearly
conventions and keep up regular COM
munication with each other by means Of
sign language unintelligible save to
the initiated. These signs indicate
whore to 60, what places to avoid and
the route taken by the maker. They
appear cut or chalked on fences, are dis
played in paint or pencil along the cir.
conference Of water tanks or round
houses, and disfgure tho walls of coun-
try depots. Door posts or gates are also
utilized for conveying information about
dogs, "hand outs" square meals and
the possibility Of being compelled to
work for a nights lodging.
One custom is common to the million
aire and tho tramp. Each is denizen
of the city during the winter and seeks
the country in tue summer. But while
the farmer welcomes the one, the other
is an object of aversion and distrust,
save, perhaps, in haying or harvest time,
when, for large compensation, the
knight Of the road may be induced to do
little work.
It is estimated by King Wilson I. that
he has $4,000 subjects throughout the
United States. He doesn't comprise in
this number the honest poor, who are
looking for employment, or the capital
istic gypsies who own horses and wagons
and journey from place to place, tinker
ing broken pots and pans, making sharp
trades and devastating hen roosts and
melon patches. His lieges are those
only who "don't have to work" and who
would fee woodpile or job quicker
than they would pest house. The ever
present nuisance of this great army Of
leeches has become 80 intolerable thai
many States carry on their statute books
| laws that might seem harsh and unreas