The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-27

Inent. or to be fed otherwise than as stated
In the commitments. If the tramp refuses
to work the sheriff is required to place him
in solitary confinement on Il diet of bread
and water for period not exceeding ten
days.
This Iowa statute has proved wholly in
effective because there are few, IL any,
county jails in the state which are fitted
with solitary cells and jailyards where
convicted tramps could be confined or put
to work. One of the principal causes why
the tramp's life in Jail is not hard one is
because of this reason, which more than
one Jailer has given me: AS a general
thing in mdwintcr and early spring
tramps travel from town to town in pairs
or groups, and are so committed until the
lnll Is crowded beyond its proper capacity.
THIS means bad sanitation and the devel-
opment of ugly and vicious temperament,
which ut times makes the bravest jailer
apprehcnsive when he enters the jai. On
such occasions Il liberal supply of solid
food causes the herd of tramps to gorge
themselves, and when not dreaming the
happy hours away they are quite good
natured pending the advent of the next
meal.
There is provision in the law that con-
victed tramps can be turned over to the
city authorities to labor on streets. It. is
tStOuiSulilp HOW illtlc common SENSE Is
used by municipalities in dealing with the
tramp nuisance. 1t costs every town and
county of Iowa II Eoodly sum to feed and
house the struggling army of tramps from
the LIST day of December until the first
warm days of April, and for this service
the tramps render no equivalent what
ever.
AS usual thing the ordinary town Gala
hoosc, which serves for IL police station, is
small shanty, narrow and cramped, with
out sanitation, and pestilcntial in all of its
appointments. 1t should be large and
commodious structure, surrounded by an
ample yard, with open sheds, where the
tramp fraternity, among whom are often
found worthy, but unfortunate men, could
have the opportunity of earning their food
and lodging by labor. Not one tramp in
twenty Is possessed Of an ovcrcoat or pair
OF gloves. In the winter time tho city
should furnish these necessary supplies
for the temporary use of these men during
their employment. The sidewalks and
streets could he cleaned of snow, and in
the station yards stone could he prepared
for macadamizing streets, and in other
ways this labor could he utilized by the
city ut profit without the necessity of
treating them us criminals and outlaws.
1t is true there are II great many incorri-
gible cases who are unwilling to work, but
even with this class arbitrary but humane
measures could be devised to bring them to
terms. The average cost for the trial of a
single tramp or group OF trarips in
court and officers fees is 50 75, exclusive of
cost for feeding and lodging. If courts
and officers choose to connive together to
arrest aid try them singly the court costs
alone are enormous, as often n large num-
Der of tramps are arrested in single day
I rncnll Gvn 1nr of
fifteen tramps were arraigned, and during
this period / jotted down memoranda of
the story of each tramp. AS they were
tried separately, in groups of three, was
curious to ascertain how their stories
would compare. TO my surprise nearly
every one related similar experience, and
l was convinced that their stories were
true in the main. The average age of
each was twenty-three years, though
among them were many boys under twenty
years. All used tobacco and fully one
half confessed to the drink habit Not
moie than onc-third had acquired trades.
Two-thirds were ordinary day laborcrs."
Each of them averaged two meals day,
AS general thing the very poorest people
cheerfully divided with them OF their
meager stores and frequently invited them
to sit Mt their tables and often treated
them rs guests. The well to do classes
persons who lived in comfortable ard mol
est houses-sedom turned them away with
out food, but Mt these places they were
rarely invited indoors.
.Unintiuted novices Oh the road, taking
their first tramp. made one mistake, ana
that was applying to II wealthy mans
house for food. This mistake was seldom
repeated, for there was not one rich man
in fifty who would give tramp Il bite
except that of n bulldOg-and rich women
and their servants invariably slammed the
door in their faces. Several of them testi-
fled that they had bceu driven from the
doors of rich mems houses with clubs, and
number of them, when questioned us to
the redsons assigned by their wealthy
brethren for their refusal to supply them
with food, said the invarable reason as
signed was that they could not afford it.
have had some experience at the bar
and on the bench in weighing and analyz-
ing evidence. and this testimony of these
wandering brothers of mine, which seems
to be the universal testimony of the whole
fraternity, told on different occasions,
without collision with each other, in IL
modest and respectful manner, with
out the slightest evidence of i'll will to
anybody, with no reproaches for any I'M
Kindness, and with grateful acknowledge
ment of every benefaction. impressed me
as the words of soberness and truth.
And have often wondered if after all it
isn't easier work to feed tramp OCCASION
ally than to weary yourself throwing him
over the fence or pursuing him with club
And wouldn't it be cheaper to feed an oc-
casional tramp than IL continual bulldog.
or 10 pay policemen, judges and jailers for
arresting, sentencing and feeding him?
And then | conjure up Bishop Myre
and Jean Vatican, and whatever others
may think cannot help but be glad that
the snirit of the rnnd l.ichor, Ii,.a.: