The herald., 1894-01-14

About half de time you'll find de reg
lars in de chaingang. Mike MeQasd il
one of dis class. You know Mike? Well,
he'e 8 reglar customer at de bar OF JUS
tice. Moet all de policemen are onto
him, cause he's bin here bout five
years."
The gang finally broke up, Shorty and
the writer going up First street.
Wait It'll pull il dime,' said he,
as he pulled his right arm out OF the
sleeve and drew it close to his breast.
"Dey'll think there goes another poor
soldier who fought for his country" and
he crossed to the saloon on the corner
of First and Wilmington streets.
A well-dressed individual passed.
"Mister, can ye help an old soldier to
get bed ?'' pleaded Shorty.
Three persons were 'struck" in sim.
lar manner before he got cent. A
Main street merchant, whom the writer
knew, dropped querter into his hand.
Shorty motioned for his companion to
follow, and they ran souarely into an
open saloon door and ordered "beer for
two"
''It's hard to go ter bed on an en- pity
stomach" he said, when it rolls up
like dat. Bet de other boys don't drink
tonight"
BEGGING FOR A LIVING.
In the conversation that followed the
drinking OF the beer, Shorty" gave a
little information as to how begging is
carried on successfully There is an un-
written law among tramps that the field
occupied bv one shall rot be encroached
upon by another. They sometimes work
in pairs. They say the average man
who refused the outstretched hand OF a
tramp regrets it before be has gone so
feet. Here is where the "pardner" OF
the ''old soldier with family of little
children to support" gets in his work.
The second tramp approaches the vic
tim and gets money where the FIRST was
refused. The spoiis are divided. This,
manner of begging ie known as ''dou-
bling among the tramps. The ii rst
tramp ia kuown as the "cracker," hia
companion as the take" There are
various other methods of the begging
tramp. as the household lady can testify,
1t began to grow dark, and Shorty
suggested return to Kelly's Tor lodg.
ing. After mingling. together for half
an hour all hands adjonrned to the meet
ing room, where the Holiness brothers
were to preach the gospel for an hour.
The idea OF such a crowd OF hoeos
going to church tor the cake Of religion
appeared preposterous, and remained an
unsolved problem until about o'clock,
when the meeting WAS dilmissed with
benediction.
A handsome young man stood at the
door and passed out over 200 tickets
admitting the bearers to the lodging
room for the night. All the ticket
holders filed into the big vacant room
and began unfolding blankets.
The writer still clung to Shorty, and
went 80 far ae to share his bed, if it can
be called such. The blankets we're
spread along the wall, and ell hands lay
Gown. Few ventured to remove their
clothing.
Constant conversation was INDUCED
in until about ii O'Clock. A tramp
known along the line as Bill-Bill Tay-
lor-a printer who was driven to the life
of tramp by San Francisco weather,
was the center of attraction. He talked
much but said little. He told about
being the best walker in the United
States. having footed it from San Fran
cisco in remarkably short time. He
was driven to this course by severe
case OF the asthma, he said. Various
subjects, mostly OF an unimportant or
vulgar character were brought out by
the outstretched forms that lays in rows
along the walls. Occasionally an indi
vidual would burst forth in song, only
to be silencsd ty we'll directed cork or
a wad of paper from the hands of the
other reedy characters
The trsmpa arose and were prepared