The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-18
THE DESERT TRAMP.
Incidents Of Nonad Life In the
Land OF Thirst.
Plenty of Feed in Spite OF the AriditT-
Instructed In Applying for Work
Got = Bsefsteak Ia HarAh
Fashion.

Instructed In Applying TOT Work-
Got Bsefsteak In HarAh
Fashion.
Although tramps a-plenty can be
found in all parts of the United States,
the people Of the desert mining camps
that, like Daggett, California, are To-
Gated On railroads, believe that three
times as many can be found there in
proportion to the population as in any
other part of the country. Wretched as
this country is as a site for human hab-
itation, devoid of all human necessities
devoid, even, of water save at the
Stations-and cursed with climate all
but intolerable, a day never passes
without tramp coming ito the doors
of some of the houses and begging
for food. Nor do they confne them
selves to begging. They browbeat and
terrorize women found alone in their
homes and the Chinese cooks employed
in restaurants and kitchens, very
much as tramps do elsewhere, and this,
too, in spite of the reputation which
desert men have for taking the law In
their own hands in dealing with such
cases.
Then, too, the reputation of the aver
age desert man IS a man-killer Is unde-
/ served. There are desperadoes on the
/ desert, and they do the killing, as a
rule The men who have wives and
/ kitchens are not desperadoes. They
are respectable citizens, willing to en-
! dure great privations in the hope of
/ future competence. They are like re-
/ spectacle citizens elsewhere in their
/ slowness to take bloody revenge for
personal injury. The tramp knows
/ this very well, and acts OF his know
ledge. In a journey that included the
widest towns on the Mojave desert
the writer did not hear of single
tramp who had been killed for his
temerity nor did he find more than one
! house that was at all free from their
visits, and that house did not enjoy en-
tire immunity. 1t was left compare
lively free, however, because of the
vigorous treatment which the nomad
received at The hands OF it's master.
Mr.. J. w. S. Perry, OF Daggett, is
the superintendent of a borate of
nine miles from there. HIS Office is in
his house there, where he lives with his
wife, who, during most of the year,
keeps no servant. When they first
came there the tramps swarmed about
the house. Mrs. Perry is California
girl, aud could not bear to refuse man
who asked for food in respectful lam
guage. But one day came tramp to
the kitchen door who was pot respect
full He walked right in without
word. AS luck had it Mr.. Perry hap
pened TO walk in at the dining-room
at the same instant
Superintendents of desert mines are
accustomed to dealing with all kinds
of men and are particularly prompt in
action.
what do you wantP" said Perry to
the tramp.
81 came to see you about getting
job" replied the tramp, who was try
ing to make the best of bad case.
And you thought the way to get
work was to come around to the litch-
en- door and enter without knocking,
did yoli?" The tramp made no reply,
and Mr.. Perry continued:
Il will conduct you to the office door
and show you how to get in there in a
proper way"
At that Perry turned the tramp
around, kicked him out the kitchen
door, kicked him around the house to
the Office door and stood him up tbere
and said:
Now knock on the door"
The man knocked and Perry opened
it and entered.
Come in" he said, and the tramp
followed.
DO you want work or have you got
rather more than you wanted?" Perry
continued.
The man glanced up and then fed
Perry is a six-footer, who can kick like
& desert mule
II was long time before Mrs Perry
was troubled by tramps again; but, Of
course, there was no escaping them al
together. Even the purchase Of won
derfully intelligent and well-trained
dog did not keep them away alto
gether. Mr.. Perry had to drive to the
mine, nine miles awav, several times
week, and the wife was often left
alone for several hours At = time One
afternoon something at the mine de
tanned Perry 50 that he could not reach
home until after dark. Mrs Perry un-
derstood the matter. and did not begin
70 prepare supper unit. after uiChtfau.
She was going to brolI steak that
night. and. having lighted the FIRE and
lamp, was putting the b-oiler on the
stove when a tramp stalked n at the
open kitchen door, having in some v.av
escaped the dog. The frightened look
that came % Mrs. Perrys face at once
showed him that he was master OF the
situation, and sitting down at the IA
Die. he bade her go on and get the
steak ready N haste and - fetch out.
t1e best Of everything she had IN zdQi-
ton The bearing OF the man was 50
terrifying that Mrs. Perry did not dare
10 refuse, and. greatly aEitased. sue
brought the STEAK and pat Is over the
glowing Goals The other work was
also continued, the nau meantime
cursIng her for being slow SO contiuu-
ally that ne did MOI hear the wheels Of
g buck board THAI was driven I'D 70 shS