Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-10-21
INTERVIEWING TRAMPS.


n
Glass of individuals.
The Rev. J. j. McCook, of New York.
breaches good citizenship by practicine
1t. II" is always peg%ing away ut
something for the public good. Now
With the help Of the mayors ana police
officers of fourteen American cities. he
has been taking Il tramp census" and
he communicates the rcsults-or some
of thCm-to the Forum.
The number of American tramps
covered by this census is 1919. Thirty
two questions We're asked in every
ease, and Mr.. McCOok grievcs that he
inadvertently omitted a thirty-third,
though he tells us in the same breath
of one involuntarily catechumcn who
found the thirty-two too many. That's
Il devil of Il lot of questions cXclaim-
ed this indignant victim, ITO ask Il fell
low for a nights lodging In the
most ambitious previous tramp census
OF which Mr.. McCooll has heard-Lon-
don. 1SS9-thc number of weary wan-
dcrcrs questioned was only 2S6
OF these 1910 American trampS, less
than onc-half describe themselves as
unSkillcd laborcrs, and only sixteen
say they have no regular calling. or
the reprcScntativeS-0n the retired list
of skilled labor, 46 pei cent. say they
used to be sailors, tiremen, brakCmcn.
ShoCmakcrS. curriers', teamSterS, hos
tiers. blackSmiths or hOrscshocrS. Mr..
McCo0k'S drag net caught three elcC-
triciauS, two brokers. two reporters. Il
music teacher Il designer. an artist "a
real German count'O. Il Salvation Army
captain, Il gentleman but no clergy
man and no professor. The scdcntary
flt hn tnI
ouS as the nomadic peddler."
Nearly all of the 1919 tramps are in
the prime of life, averaging much
younger than their Gecorded) fellow
pilgrims i'll England and Germany.
"FolloWing my results says Mr.. Me
Cook. 1--WE may expect to find one
tramp in twenty under twenty years,
three out of five under thirty-tivc. S"v-
enty-five out of every 100 under forty,
and one in twelve fifty or over. Only
one in III will be over seventy"
OF the whole number questioned $50
per cent. promptly said their health
was good" per cent pretty good"
or mot very good" S.5 per cent. bad"
This at a time when the grip WAS rag
ing among well-fed, wcll-housed peo-
pie. and the general death rate was
disquietingly high. Neither the tramp'S
age nor his health, then" concludes
Mr. McCook, is Il bar to successful
labor.
Only fifty out of the 1919 owned up
to having been on the road more than
a year The explanations of their
presence there given by S2.S per cent.
of the whole number We're: "Out of
money! "Out of work" Looking for
work. Twelve wanted to see the
.,t,r cd tn tal- rn
easy" six said they would not work;
twenty-five laid their tramping to drink.
One exceptionally candid wandrrcr
diagnosed his case in three words,
"N'hi$Iry and lazy
As to nativity, 56.1 per cent. of the
1,}t9 We're born in this country. 20.3
per cent. in Ireland, Sc per cent. in
England. 81 per cent. In the Scandi-
navian countries, 90 per cent in bonny
Scotland. There are thirteen negroes
in the lot and one Indian. Only one
Southern State is represented, and that
by white man. The tramp" re-
marks Mr.. McCook, seems to be Il
product of our Northern civilization
and to move along the more temper
ate belt. avoiding extremes of heat and
cold as being disagreeable and less
favorable to health"
Don't think of the tramps as Hitter
ate: 1,1S7 of the 1919 can read and
write. Is of the 162 who can't write
can read, and one of the favorite pur-
chascs is the daily newspaper. Only
7.3 per cent are married; A per cent.
are widowers. Thirty Of the 1,349 say
they are total abstaincrs, 459 that they
are temperate, S25 that they are in
temperate. Only 5.S per cent. own up
to having been convicted of crimes
other than drunkenness. Only 113 say
they have no religion. Only 11G say
they have seen the inside Of the aims
house. BY their own admission 14.0
per cent. of the whole number are, or
have been, specially dangerous to the
public health.