The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-16
A WORD FOR TRAMPS.
They Are Not All Bummers, as Has
Been Supposed.
From Harper's Weekly.


From Hdrper's Weekly.
The tramp takes many chances Of accident
IN his mode of travelling. He is subject not
only to the ordinary risks which all psssen-
gers assume, but from the class OF trains on
which he generally rides, the places he takes
on the cars and his poor opportunities of
entering and leaving them in safety, to
others which the regular passenger escapes
great number are annually killed while
riding between the express and mail cars,
or on the brake beams
In event of collision they have infinitely
less chance than the passengers In the
coaches of escaping unframed. In mounts
ing moving cars many of them are killed.
recently saw one with his upper arm bone
broken, the accident having occurred while
in the act of climbing into a moving box
car. Another. in showing some boys how
proficient he was In seating himself on the
brake beam after the train had started, put
his foot under the wheel, and as a result
lost his leg above the knee. Every railway
surgeon sees similar accidents with greater
or less frequency.
One should not fall into the popular error
of thinking that all tramps are professional
'bummers." | think that perhaps a ma
Jorlty of those whom l see are men who
are going to some other point in search OF
work. Many Of these are employed by
farmers and ranohmen living in the vicinity
Of the railroads at such times of the year.
as they need assistance, and several en-
ployers have told me that they were gem
orally very good help.
have repeatedly known of tramps
seeking work who had worthless time
checks in their pockets from previous dis
honest employers. 1t would be doing a
very grave injustice to these men to class
them with ordinary Migrants But large
Ia II, q
by any possibility be avoided.
The aggregate number of tramps in the
country must be enormous. | have repeats
eddy seen them in gangs Of from six to if
teen and those of two or three are met with
continually. At remote points on railroads.
freight trains have been repeatedly capt
ured by organized gangs of these men, and
the trainmen forced to accommodate the
members as the leader directed. 1t is a sad
commentary on our economical system that
the number seems to be constantly increas-
ing.
There arc certain things that we may
learn from the tramp, and one in particu-
lar that would be valuable to us all The
Americans are, presume, the most impa-
tient of any race Of people. But the Amer~
lean tramp is a second Job. If he does not
succeed in stealing a ride on the train
on which he has fondly calculated
for two days he does the most philosophi-
cal thing there is for him to do-that is,
he waits day or two more. II he does NOS
get anything to eat to-day he hopes for bet,-
ter luck tomorrow.
IL the impatient conductor Of his par
ticular train orders him off he occasionally
gets little provoked. but much more COM
monty he says something 10 the effect than
''he guesses he can If he has tor and acts
accordinly. In all these things and thou
sand Others he shows a development of pa
thence and fortitude we all might do we'll to-
emulate