The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-22
LIVED AMONG TRAMPS
Interesting Experience ola Scent
ury" Writer in Germany.
The Professional Weary Watkins" Pre-
fers Begging to Work Because He
Finds 1t More Profitable.
Chicago Post.

Richard Watson Glider, If we remember
who recently deplored certain newspaper
methods which they were pleased to term
Sensational" Yet that he does not con-
slider little Journalism a dangerous thing
even for magazine Mr.. Glider has repeat
edly demonstrated in the pages Of the Cen
fury But there is something essentially
"journalese"-as the cultured Literary fell
lers' who write for the magazine would
say-in employing a man to disguise him
self as tramp and live among tramps in
order to record his experiences. Yet this
is precisely what the Century has done,
and this unique record of trampdom from
the pen of Josiah Flynt is made the leader
in the current number. The gist of the
story from an economic standpoint is that
most of these interesting nomads of the
highways are either born tramps or
achieve trampdom later on. Very few have
the life thrust on them.
In the beginning of his most famous book,
Progress and Poverty Henry George
notes the fact that in small communities
pauperism is comparatively unknown,
while ION streets lighted by gas and pa
trolled by uniformed policemen beggars
wait for the passer-by." 1t requires sew
eral hundred pages of Mr.. Georges fas-
cinating book to explain this apparently
anomalous condition. Mr.. Flynt's explana-
ton may be embodied in one sentence: lit
pays better to beg in large cities than it
does in small towns" OF cour9e, this can
by no means be accepted solving the
entire problem. That there are processes
and conditions at work in large cities
which result in the manufacture Of beggars
and which are not to be found in small
communities cannot be denied. But Mr..
Flynt is merely relating what he expert
enced. He does not discuss the social prob
lens which his narrative suggests.
In Germany, where Mr.. Flynt initiated
himself into the joys and sorrows of va
grant life, tramps are known as "chaus.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" or 'upholstererS of
wayside bitches" First we learn that the
slang vocabulary of the German tramp is
much more complete than the American,
affOrding ample means whereby entire
secrecy may be obtained in public places.
These professional beggars make study
of the various towns and the people in
acquired with each other. One of the fra
ternity whom Mr.. Flynt met instructed
him and his companion in regard to Magde-
burg.
RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS.
'"This town is rather heiss (unfriendly)
but if you look out and beg very carefully
you can get along A good trick is to tip
the porter of good houses and thus get the
pull on every fiat in the building. You've
got to look out for the putt (policeman)
though, for if you're caught you're sure of
twenty-four hours in the hasten prison.)
Another scheme that works with us fellows
who know the town is to send around beg
ging letters. You can easily make quite a
stoss (hauD if you work the plan WELL"
Mr. Flynts description of. his first night
in a tramps nest is not well calculated to
stir other contributors to the Century s
pages to follow his example AS compared
with his American confrere he found the
German tramp fairly we'll dressed. The
rendezvous was also very fair, everyone
being able to read and write as we'll as
cipher. The majority of German tramps
some boys on the road, but by no means the
number found in American trampdom.
There Is not in the German, Mr. Flynt
grained in the character of the American
vagrant. The latter is generous
fellow. however, than the German, as he
learned by practical experience. He tried
their good-fellowship by asking several for
sechser with which to buy cup of coffee.
He offered very sore foot as an excuse for
not having himself begged.
But they were not touched in the slight
est. One fellow said: eff you can't beg your
own money. why, you'd better get off the
road, for no other chausseegrabentapezi
will hustle for you" IAN American beg
gar would, as a rule" says Mr.. Flynt,
have handed me penny, If he had it.
schnapps and coffee, utterly incapable, at
least then, of a bit of brotherly charity.
They had plenty of money, too. During
the day nearly every one had begged from
80 pfennigs to l mark 90 while Carl re-
turned about o'clock with marks in
hand"
number of other knights of the wayside,
and many interesting conversations took
place among them as to the life they were
leading, its hardships and it's amenities.
One tramp philosophical in a Numbering
way over his life on the road, and what
first brought him there He reasoned that
Guided that the schnappsfiasche also had
had hand in the business. Another COM
panion said: why should l work when i
can beg more than / can possibly earn?
Now, If / should follow my trade / could
earn about eighteen marks a week. But as
No, brother, it is ct all the blame OF the
schnappsfiasche that we're on the road. /,
for one, am here because can do better
than anywhere else. Isn't that so?" And
he nudged me for an answer.
WELL said the pretended tramp who re-
lates the story, 1--WE lads on the road seem
to have more money than most laborers
but we seldom have a decent place to lay
our heads For instance, what sort OF
place is this were in now?'
YES that's true" he returned "but
then, we're never sick, always happy, and
perhaps we're just well off as anybody
else. You forget that we never work, and
that's great thing in our favor. Those
lads who have their homes have to work
for them, and don't you forget II. It's my
opinion that the home isn't worth the
labor"
OTHER FEATURES OF TRAMP LIFE.
This opinion to the value of home life
earned by honest toll Mr.. Flynt found quite
general in German vagrancy and one of SIS
main causes. Liquor. however. is Just as
much Of curse in Germany anywhere
else, and brings more men into trampdom
than is calculated. The schnappsfiasche is
In nearly every tramp's pocket, and he
usually empties it twice a day, although
the schnapps is almost pure alcohol and
burns the throat terribly. Just outside ot
Brunswick Mr. F,ynt found a female
tramp nearly sixty years OF age. who could