Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-13

eff were reporter and wanted a GOOD
story" said ex-speaker Reed to q sr.R re-
porter the other dzy. II would interview a few
Intelligent tramp- there are lots Of them) or
the immigration question. Take nv word 70,
a, YOU will get great deal more solid infor.
nation out OF them than you will from Con
Eressmen."
The reporter acted on the suggestion.
Along the Baltimore and Potomac railroad b.
found, few miles out in a sheltered nook clos.
BY the track, a camp FIRE. It was very cold anc
the FIRE served ~ an excuse to approach. Tn,
camp contained rather extensive outfit
There we're any number of tomato cans. two OF
three demorsizsd wash boilers. some ten-gaiIor
kerosene cans with the tops taken of an iron
fettie. irving pan without handle. some rail
near; the elder. n powerful looking man OF
about thirty-hve, was reading; the other. q
youth Of twenty. was DRYING a shirt at the fire.
The writer was accosted by the elder Of the two
With the lscOnic word. ''Traveling2''
Answering in the affirmative IL was an easy
matter e. enter into conversation with them
They mad been holding down" the camp for
three DAYS and expected to stay there some
little time. They did their cooking and wash
ing in the camp AMI had good warm barn
within half a mile where they slept The elder
tramp va philosopher and had seen a great
deal % the world that lies between Baltimore
and Chicago, and 70 him the writer addressed
most 81 hir questions. They were not asked
and answered cafegoricallv ~ written. but are
the gi-t Of conversation OF several hours
Having remarked that he was newspaper
man on The road in search of work the tramp
reioined Il am ALWAYS glad 20 see newspaper
man II ONLY 90 correct the false impressions
that thev are eternally spreading broadcast
about tramp--'
And what are those
sWhv To- begin with. every once in q while
You so a long article about the signs and pass
words that tramp- have. Sometimes the article
contains pictures 81 the signs, such as bad dog
here officer lives here. look out this house
4 NJ good and 50 forth. l. il not ridiculous
that tramp. Who Is of necessity the most selfish
Of human beings. should. after having been
bitten by dog OF chased by an officer, go back
aud put sign on the gate pOstl'
ptrFrHESrIArISa wAsHINsToS TRAMPs.
This sounded plausible and the writer en-
deavoring 70 lead the conversation up to the
immigration question. asked how many kinds
% tramp- there we're
There are i've sAid be. The top SAWYER
% tramp j. only found, so far as ! know, in
Wa.hirgtou. he l. ALWAYS well dressed and
make- hi hgiug by striking Congressman. pub
he officials aud the army of office seekers for
big MONEY Next 10 HIM and one step lower
l. the uan vho l. ALWAYS waiting for re-
mittancs AMI wants a i've sheet TO tide him
NN
4. alwavz nsatly dressed and clean shaven. He
A. =. stranger IN the city: never did this before
hut i. distressed for the price OF n meal or
nights lodging quarter satisfies him and he
generally makes pretty good thing OF IT,
Then there l. the man who begs FOR food. He
i-u looking for work and doesn't want il. lie
wants food ard food only. To any suggestion
that he would be better of work.
ing someWhe for his food he saws
ami rightly too. that he gets his wants sup
pliei much better by the simple process of
begging Last Of all comes she tramp who
carries out a-hes for his breakfast; he is always
looking for hard work and he often gets it.
NY -ympathie- are with him. for once looked
for work myself
"Hsve YOU .nv idea how many tramps there
'.No. 1 only travel between Baltimore and
Chicago. could make a tolerable guess to
how MANY there are in that section?'
about hoW many
"Twentv-five thousand.
$50 many a. that
.'Ies.
"Aud what class of men these?'
HAS beens. mostly
What Is that
Broken down men-people who were an
ornament On society at one time-seen better
day- and all that sort of thing"
Ever see any Newspaper men among them
Young man. | have travelled this road for
nine wears and have come IN contact with men
from every trade and profession known to
civilized man.
..Mini-tcr-f
Lots OF en-"
"And suppose it Is the old. old story, Rum
die itg"
There Is another ridiculous yarn that Is often
seen IN the neSspapers. No. sir. rum didn't do
h. IL didn't do II In NV case for I never drank
n drop IN NV life. IL didn't do IL IN the case Of
that boy there. for be doesn't know what the
smell Of liquor i--it didn "a do IL IN the case Of
hundred. Of men now on the road with whose
histories | am perfectly well acquainted
What male them trampss
IMMIGRATION REsPoSsIELE FOR TRAXPs
"Foreign immigration and nothing else
.Hov did that operate in your cIa-e?"
This l. how. I am a native of baltimore
and - we're NV father and grandfather Up to
1ss2 made NV living. and good living. in
that citv. Then / struck out for Pennsylvania
and went o. huckstering. I did very we'll at
that, sometimes making a. high Sc and IS
iAv. I Travelled through the western part Of
that state and know Ptt-burg. Homestead and
McConneilsvirie a. vel a. 1 know NV native
city There were streets in Pitt-burg and
Homestead where ! could sell a wagon load of
truck m two hour. | couldn't do II aftsrward
IN n we~k WIZ! Because ~ the Hungarian
immigrants. vho DESTROYED everything around
them I -ee good deal in the papers about
this question 20 foreign immigration. Now.
would lie 20 know how on earth an editor sit
= = = II.
o. which b. can possibly know nothing except
from a th~sretical point Of view.
But reporters have been sent to Homestead
and o. the coke regions
YES. thew have, for a fact. and I've seen
them they stop az hrst-clas- hotels and all
thew learn about the matter l. from storekeepers
and bosses m the employ OF in the paw Of H. c.
fricS lie = the prime mover IN that curse of
feuu- lssnia, the Hungarian immigrant In
the ieW years since l.-z Frick has practically
driven out all the English. Irish. Welsh and
American population. and IN their once happy
homes now dwrlls the Hun. The degradation
o these people i appalling 20 American ewes.
Thee Huugsrlans are In such great numbers
that there j. not work enough Cor them even AZ
the starvation rates they get. and still the tide
81 immigration comes steadily on. There are
uauv there now that they are in a state of
practical slavery and in a far worse condition
than ever they were IN their own country Where
they at least gained a livelihood
~ VEsTERS PESSsYLyASI.
81 am not speaking now. mind YOU, Of Home
steal and Ftt-burg but Of the country around
and near them-a country never visited bv re-
portcr- or congressional investigation commit
tecs-but every acre Of which l. owned bv An
drew CarueZl. and Henry &. Prick.
There l. q Law On The statute book Of Penn
syivania winch saws that men shall be paid
weekly. That law l. q dead letter for the thou-
sand- - people Who work for Andrew Carnegie
and Frick There y another Law which in
theory does away Witb ae pluck me or COM