The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-11-01


tion. All summer long he has been luxuria
ting in the barns and haystacks of the country
and the benches of the parks in the North and
West But now the cold nights have begun to
drive these nomads to moro genial climes. 1t
is no exaggeration to state that tramps mi
CRATE as habitually as birds. Perhaps 1t would
suit them better to hibernate like bears, but
nature was unkind to them and consequently
the warmth and well-known hospitality of the
South affords for this worthless class of bu-
manity q welcome retreat. This annual
southwark movement of the tramp is not sp-
parent to people in large cities, but to railroad
men and police officials tho migration is
looEed-for occurrence. The men of this class
seem to prefer the North, for they remain in
that section of the country just as long as
possible. Sharp, clustering weather and frosty
nights soon persuade them that a warmer
section Of the country would be moro pleas
ant, and then the rush begins.
This city is evidently the keynote to the
southern situation, for thousands of trsmps
pass through here on their way to Georgia,
Alabama, Florida, and all points south every
fall. They pass through the city and that as
rapidly as they can, for they are aware that
delay of more than two or three days generally
means an extended VISIT at the National
SHplUdl NJ lUC e1p6Dbt VI bu6 6ONeTuIu6Ub.
This they dread, for, shiftless as they are,
tramps prefer freedom, and scant living to
the confinement of the jail. About this time
each year, the station-keepers are applied to
for lodgings every hight by men on their way
south. This movement lasts all winter In
the spring the return ia made, but it is not so
apparent, for by that time the weather has
moderated to such an extent that the many
parks, lumber yards, and railroad cars pro-
vide all the requirements tramp desires for
sleeping purposes.
Washington, notwithstanding the fact that
so many tramps 60 through the city, is never
disturbed by them. The regulations in re-
gard TO vagrancy are so strict that none of
this class could remain in the city any length
of time before they would be subject to its
penalties. AS long as they have any money
they might escape, but the moment man is
found soliciting aims he can be arrested and
sent to Jail. Now and then gang will at
tempt to live here for three or four weeks,
but they generally wind up in the police sta
ton. Officer Wannel broke up gang of
this sort last winter. There were five in the
party. AS headquarters they established
themselves at a lodging-house where an apol
ogy for bed could be obtained for the sum
of ten cents. Each day one of the gang would
bandage up mis- arm in a most appealing and
skillful manner and then with well concoc-
ted tale of disaster and suffering manage to
obtain sufficient aims to supply bedding and
drinks for his pals the next day. The officer
finally became suspicious and after watching
the lodging-house became convinced that
these apparently broken armed sufferers were
clever impostors. The whole crowd was ar
rested and sent to the farm. This is but one
of the many methods these lazy gentry have
Of obtaining an existence. Lieutenant Amiss
said to HERALD reporter: "If these tramps
would only turn their abilities to somo legiti-
mate undertaking the most of them would
succeed, for they are clever. But they prefer
rather to take the desperate chances of stealing
a ride on the bumpers of freight car than to do
days work and obtain sufficient money to
purchase ticket. They sbhor work and it is
this shiftlessness that has made them the
dregs of human kind.n
The residents of the outskirts of this city
are not 80 much molested by tramps is
generally the rule. Elsewhere tramps devote
their attention to skirting large city and thus
visiting the suburbs. But Washington is gone
by as quickly as possible because of the strict
police regulations. The bulldoZing methods
OF these people will not work In city where
assistance is always within call, but is
practiced in the country villages and at farm
houses where women are frequently left un-
protected. 1t is for this reason that few per-
sons ever see a professional tramp in Wash
ington. The railroad men and the officers of
the Sixth, Fourth, and First Precincts have
most to do with them. At the Sixth Precinct
Lieutenant Kellys, those who come by the
Baltimore ~ Ohio Railroad arc apprehended
In the Fourth Precinct, Lieutenant Vornon's,
uOeb VI lue JTdchb Oh bu0 EonHsylV2ulh anu
southern railroads are laid, while Lieutenant
Amiss' men in the First Precinct have to deal
with the class that frequent the lodging
houses. When tramp enters a station-house
his name, last stopping place, age, nationality,
and occupation, are placed in the "lodgers' !"
book. Should he return the next night, The
appears at all decent, he may again be given a
bed, butts third return especially if it is seen
that the man has been drinking generally
places him behind the bars, and the next day
he goes either to the work-house or is dis
missed on the promise that he will imme-
diately leave town.
The method of travel of a tramp is almost
invariably by stealing rides on freight trains.
They will hang around the yards whore the
trains are made up for days watching for an
opportunity either to conceal themselves in a
box car or stow themselves away beneath the
cars in the gearing in such = manner as to
escape detection. To fall off is certain death,
but so aVerse are these people to work that
they would risk their lives rather than do a
stroke OF labor When discovered about the
cars by The railroad men they are generally
turned over to the police. In many cities
there are what are known as tramp retreats,
where lodging and meals can be obtained by
saving wood for charitable institutions.
Such an institution is not required here SO
few are the tramps that linger In the city.
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