The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-05
PLENTY OF WORK.

The genus tramp is widely diffused over
the surface OF the United States and is a
great traveller. He gravitstes to the cities
during the winter and manages to fare
tOlerably and rarely precarousiv on the
indiscriminate charity which abounds and
on scratch employments not considered
unworthy of approval. When the days
become warm in the spring and inclement
weather is not to be feared the tramp, who
loves roaming and change of scene as a
gypsy loves the woods and waySide, for
sakes the city for the country aud folio VS.
a route of huudreis and perhaps thou
sands of miles, picking up bis meals from
door to door, occasional lily doing odds and
ends of chores for packet money. sleeping
in barns or in the open, according to
weather and fortune, and is, on the whole,
mortal enjoying the comforts of life and
the charms of nature and reveling in
nomadic responsibility. Companions of
the road camp with him, and their So
journs in any neighborhood are apt to be
marked by thinning of the hen-roosts
and revels that suggest a gaberlunZie
howl" az described by Burns in the
Jolly Beggars" Among tramps a small
proportion are needy ana honestly in
search of work. but a very large proper
ton are professional wrecks, adrift and
Indifferent, with no inclination to work
and steady purpose to avoid it.
AS far as climate can assist, the tramp
must regard California as paradise. The
seventies of Eastern weather are un-
known. The summer, in unbroken con-
tinuity. gives him the option of sleeping
with the stars for a canopy and awaken
ing refreshed and appetized for break ia st
at the first ranch he reaches. He Is rarely
turned away with refusal. Light are
his cares and slender the occasion to take
thought of the morrow. At this season, as
two reporters on THE CALL staff have
proved, he has an embarrassing number of
offers OF employment, such as teddng and
ricking hay, hoeing down weeds, milking
cows, thinning fruit trees or picking fruit
Unless case hardened by the toll and du-
plcity of idleness he has TO blush at the
subterfuges TO which he must resort in
order to escape from the arduous inflicton
of weIl-paid employment. The honest
man who really desires work is in great
request. and sure of kind treatment as q
rule. But unfortunately there are many
Bedonins on the road which leads nowhere
dbN NV 10 aware THAT
much of his help is here to-day and away
tomorrow. One OF the personators of the
genus tramp sums up his experience
within thirty hours as follows: "Situa-
lions actually offered me, IL; situations ]
could have secured with reasonable GER
taiuty, 6; opportunity to work for meal
or bed, two out of every three places. u
Work may not offer so abundantly in the
autumn or winter. but 10 man of capacity
and steady character need hawk the coun-
try long for a situation.
Que of the Notifications incident upon
search for work is the chance of being
taken for tramp. The farmer who has
been caught dozen or two times by men
who would leave him just when their
services were most valuable does not
always give the honest searcher a chance.
To avoid this modification the man who
wants work should take with him some
kind Of credentials to show that he is a
genuine worker. A man thus provided
will be as Welcome in farmhouses in all
parts of the State as cash customer when
he enters a store.