The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-27
A CENSUS OF rRAMPs.
A Connecticut Minister Furnishes
Some Interesting "Hoboe" Stats
tics
From the Hartford oOuraat

From the Hartford Courant
The Rev. J. J. McCook OF this town,
breaches good citizenship by practicing
it. He is always pegging away az some
thing for the public good Now, with the
help Of the mayors and police officers Of
fourteen American cities, he has been
taking tramp census" and he commu-
nicates the results-or some of them-tO
the August Forum.
The number Of American tramps COW
cred by this census is l,349. Ihirty-twO
questions were asked in every case, and
Mr.. McCoOk grieves that he inadvertently
omitted thirty-third, though he tells US
in the same breath of one involuntary
catechumen who found the thirty two
too many. That's a devil Of a lot of
questions" exclaimed this indignant vic
tim, Ito ask fellow for a nights lodg-
ingl' In the most ambitious previous
tramp census Of which Mr.. McCook has
heard-London, lS89-the Der Of weary
wanderers questioned was only 2s6.
OF these / ,349 American tramps, less
than One-half describe themselves as un-
skilled labOrers, and only sixteen say
they have no regular calling. OF the
epresentatives-on the retired list-of
skilled labor, 46 per cent say they
used to be sailors, firemen, brakemen,
shOemakers, curriers', transfers, hOstlers,
blacksmiths, or horseshOers. Mr.. Nc
Cooks dragnet caught three electricians,
two brokers, two reporters, music
teacher, designer, an artist ga real
German coUntO, Salvation army cap
tain, a gentleman but no clergyman
and no professor. THE sedentary clerk, +"
he tells US, twas just IS numerous as the
nomadic peddler."
Nearly all of the / ,349 tramps are in the
prime OF life, averaging much younger
than their (recorded) fellow pilgrims in
England and Germany. Following my
results, says Mr. MCCook, ave may ex-
pect 20 find one tramp in twenty under 20
years of age, three out of FIVE under 35,
seventy-hve out Of every 100 under 80,
and one in twelve so or over; only in Ill
win be over 40"
OF the whole number question 88.5
per cent promptly said their health was
good :" 8 per cent, pretty good or
mot very good" SIS per cent, "bad. +"
This at a time when the grip was raging
among well-fed, well-housed people and
the general death rate disquietingly high
Neither the tramp's age nor his health,
then" concludes Mr.. McCook, lis a bar
to successful labor"
Only fifty of the $40 owned up to hav-
ing been on the ROAD more than d year
The explanations of their presence there
given by S2.S per cent. of the whole mum
Der were: ''Out Of money" "Out Of
work." Looking for work" Twelve
wanted to see the country" eight
wanted to take life easy" six said they
wouldn't work; twenty-five laid their
tramping to drink. One exceptionally
candid wanderer diagnosed his case in
three words, "Whisky and lazy"
0As to nativity: SOL per cent. of the
1,349 were born in this country, 20.3 per
cent. in Ireland sc per cent. in England ;
"a per cent. in the Scandinavian coun-
tries; 2.6 per cent. in bonny Scotland.
There are thirteen negroes in the lot, and
one Indian. Only one southern state is
| represented, and that by a white man.
The tramp" remarks Mr.. McCooh,
''seems to be product OF our northern
civilization, and to move along the more
temperate belt, avoiding extremes of heat
! and cold, as being disagreed Bile and less
favorable to health"
Don't think of the tramps as illiterate
| / ,lS7 of the !, 349 can read and write, Is
| of the 1863 who can't write can read, and
one Of the favorite purchases is the daily
| newspaper. Only rs per cent. are mar
| ried; A per cent. are widowers. Thirty
| of the ,349 say they are total abstainers,
| 459 that they are temperate, 1926 that they
| are Incorporate Only SIS per cent. own
| up to having been convicted of crimes
| other than drunkenness. Only 113 say
| they have no religion. Only 1l6 say they
| have seen the inside of the almshouse
! BY their own admission 149 per cent. Of
| the whole number are, or have been, spec
| tally dangerous to the public health.