Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-12-14
LOTS OR CUSTOMERS.
NEARLY SsVENIY-FIVE VAGS AT THE CITY
HALL LAST NIGHT.
Four or Five Small Boys Among Ihsm-SOms
Of the Scenes and Incidents in the Lower
Corridor On a big Night"

The sudden change in the temperature,
Yesterday and last night, resulted In very
greatly augmenting the number oil
"lodgersn IN the basement corridor Of the
CITY Hall, and a tour of the lower portion
Of the house at a late hour last night
showed between sixty and seventy home
less wanderers stretched out on the hard
floor in all sorts of positions and IN al
stages of negligee attire, while the warm
and close atmosphere was redolent with
that peculiarly unpleasant odor character
istic of tails. work houses, and the lowest
grades of lodging houses in the pig
cities. All ages OF man were
there represented, from the boy OF Iour-
teen To the old reprebate OF seventy
five. and in the aggregate they were
tough-lookiug lot, although there was
small minority Of evidently honest ana re-
spectacle men in tough luck. Most OF the
crowd was made up of professional traInps,
this being indicated in many ways OuS
chiefly Oy their language. manner anu
make up The crowd was ABOUT Ine
largest Of the season, so lar, and SHOWS
that with the coming Of really severe
weather the accommodations viii be
very severely taxed TO take care OF all VINO
apply. .. +ho+
no Individual is TO be given lodging more
than two nights in succession. ana as the
daily number of applicants runs all the
yvav from twenty to seVenty-hve, IL Will DC
ssen that the Quantity Of human drlit-WoOu
caught in this local eddy must
be very large in the course Of week OF
month. at this season OF the year. u Iact,
the stream Of wanderers IS UnceaSing, ana
as many who reach the city doflot appear
about the building, it is probable that
daily average Of one hundred arrive ana
deDart from Wheeling. Iney come from
AM parts of the compass, Arriving By boat
trains, wagon and on foot, and are a mot
ley lot.
When a Register reporter paid them a
visit last night about forty were stretched
out on the floor, in I'll sorts OF attitudes.
Some were asleep, a few were tossing rest
lessly about, others were converslng IN 10"
whispers. laying plans for the future, or
telling , of past experiences. Nearly
all had their shoes OF, and
this fact contributed not little
TO the ancient and ish-like smell when
pefmeatsd the corridor. OF those awake,
two or three were mending their clothes,
and a few were smoking short pipes OF
! evident great age. -.
Among the party were four or five boys,
the Youngest not over fourteen, sun wear
ing short trousers. One OF the OIuer
hands went up TO the youth,and said'
"Are you on the road, Gully"
Cert" was the short, sharp reloInder;
Another was rebuking a boy VINO wanJeu
! To ..chauge partners" and SAID:
,sNow. see here: the way ter do is ter
stick bv pal all de season, and not De
. .bangi1' round. Yer don't learn nothln'
That way. Stay wild yer Teller, an he'll
learn yer all de ropes an tricks OF de trade.
Sect" -
! Every once in a while, early in the even
ing new arrivals would shuttle INFO head
Quarters and apply for permission to 'go
below" but after nine O'Clock few or none
appeared. The "SleepersN are early olrds,
and most of them are on hand by dark or
half an hour later, at the outside. Iney
don't roam around town much at night,
DODular belief to the contrary notwltn-
standing. Some OF them, who had been on
hand for two nights previously, were re-
fused admission, but on their giving the
officer on duty a "brace," which 10
tramp vernacular means making pathetic
appeal. he is often accommodated a third
time. If not, he takes the refusal In good
mart. and seeks some other shelter. Inc
wanderers, as a rule, are very well be-
hayed. and make little trouble.
/ 1t was formerly the custom to give them
| sleeping quarters on the floor OF the cell
room, but the vags populated the place SO
| denselv with their olive stock' that they
/ had to be kept outside in the long corridor
and Nd about the furnace.