The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-27
BREAD BESTOWED AT 3 A. NJ.
UPON PHANTOM TRAIPs VINO HAUNT
THE UP-IOHN BAKERS.

TINT at some of the large bakeries good bread
damaged in the baking Is given to tramps
every morning between 2 and o'clock has
largely Increased the demand for these whole
some but unstable loaves. The foremen OF
several Of the large shops say that since the
nows OF a free midnight lunch has been printed
IN the newspapers the number OF tramps who
haunt their side doors has more than doubled.
The applicants are wholly tramps from the
mark bcnches: no distressed workingmen. no
hungry women with children, but simply
trnmps who sock food whore they can find 1t
surest and easiest. Tho numbe has increased.
because the intelligence that bread Is given
away has spread.
There is no freemasonry among these fol-
lows in the city," one OF the foremen said to q
rerorter yesterday. 1T Is every man for him
self We hear OF their travelling In squads in
the country marking gate posts where the
next conner Is reasonably sure OF getting q
meal aud helping each other along That
may be true | don't know anything about
tramps in the country. but know that in the
city there is no such friendship among them.
perhars in going along a country road that he
does not expect to travel again. n tramp may
he willing to give such Information. but in tho
city he keeps all his soft snaps to himself
Sometimes he has one chum. but his friendship
in sharing food does not go beyond that.
Till few days ago we had substantially
the same customers every night. l knew
nearly all their faces. and learned to expect
them. There was not an honest, deserving
begEar in the lot. and there Is not yet They
are all professional tramps. who may be found
on the park benches by day. or course they
are hungry. for tramps IRE always hungry.
Speaking Of honest beggars deserving people
who are really hard UP and hungry. don't
think l have seen one in q year. Your New
leEGar
not work for So a day.
As soon us the newspapers told about our
giving away bread over night our customers
Increased. For tramps read the NEWSPAPERS as
s as and at viii sae ha hair o
them, have papers IN their hands. They may
byqd t dGDt knew nG0St that bro.
every night. We have been doing it for years;
Our bread and rolls are OF peculiar kind. and
we make several different sorts under as many
brands The brand Is a guarantees Of its
quality and we cannot afford to send out any
certain cert percentago is sure to be spoiled in the
We Make IS good. wi Whoesome food but we can
not send out tho loaves that crack open in the
aSs 1f oveas az second tme may make
9 batch of rolls too brown and they are thrown
What We give away to the tramps we call
spect to the tramps. 1t Il Just little slang
sold those spoiled loaves at discount. for there
are plenty OF dealers ready to buy them. But
it made extra work for US in our busiest
hours, and we found it hardly paid. It was in
those days that the tramps began to come
drivers who came to take, the unstable bread
away. When we stopped selling and began
tramps increased. but there were never more
than enough to eat the bread we gave them.
They considered it a great lind, and Kept 1t to
1T is hard to say how many night custom
ers we ever have. for they straggle along over
an hoNr a + | should
forty or fifty ever since the news has been
ca 10
be very wastetul to SPOIL enough bread every
spS ss t brsa oa or Rs It is
taurant also. where several thousand persons
eat every day. To tho restaurant customers
cup OF chocolate. So many. with
those SeG rolls always n thSe charss
for the article served. and they belong to the
ally he leaves two e or three rolls but
they served again R9s LETT on tho
cit. They get some OF the, best rolls served in
the he fsa ao bread
not say for am toH busy z, that hopF to pay
We can draw is that they eat it. as We expect
them to. II some Of them get more than they
saloons and Exchange them for beer It IS not OF
our fault. In such cases our refuse bread
unc6 nes da
done. but have heard Of it. ana have no doubt
it true We have had city %lsson o sa here
giving them to the tramps. so that they can't
exchange them for drink, But i one q the
have no time then to be splitting, loaves. II
hard lot our night customers are"
At ? o'clock in the morning handful Of
entrnnes St to this Bakery There was no mis- MIS-
taking them for honest. deserving beggars. II
Snf ny sSs
fell overheard. There were not At that hour
h hsn nf aa ao len ad nc
cluster around the bakery door: they simply
sa2 e Into tffbP n in the
pm sven a small group on the ssdSya,ik;
calls for bread were ali individual ~ ',''
AT about 2;l5 there was shufIling step IN
the hakeshop. and IA bushy head appeared out
"%el I' said one of the bare-armed and
whlte-aproned bakers. what do You wantt"'
"Hs5yyey 20 got any bread; or suthin ye don't
don't know: maybe, the baker replied
and Went on with his work..
had been there before Re waited until. a few
minutes later. two more bakers entered the
SSyaas great wh fsy e 81 BY hl
time the tramp had by slow degrees. worked
ne greater part OF his nnkempt body through
the inner doorway, The tray uncovered. more
bakors approached and began to examine and
ono was found it was tossed to the tramp in
inc doorway. Long practice had made him
an expert catcher. and he turned away and
shunied ont with his loaf. looking pleased. but
Offering no thanks.
After that spoiled loaves came ottener. aud
earh was tossed through the doorway. No
need Tor tho baker to look up to see whether I
trainp was in waiting. Tho exit Of the first
lost was their. cue, and whenever spoiled
tossed. rOTrpSuOnIlnU
ready to receive it. But these later tramps
were only phantoms They held back In tho
shadows Of tho hallway. noiscless but for the
occasional shuttle Of feet, never speaking.
o outside not more than a half dozen trGmps
s More Yer" partly visible. ndistinct in the
shaGoTs across the street, some lowering in |
doorways. As they clutchsi their loaves. tho |
Ssst wind waited them silently away The |
SASunc customers in the restaurant IN stairs |
could not have been moro deCotous or orderly. |
ON, they're always So" the head baker
laughed when this was commented upon. |
la toe good snap for Them 10 spoil. you
n0NiOus down hore we couldn't hive them |