Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-07-20
THE CITIZEN
How Baltimore Banished Tramps.

The tramp evil has grown to an ap-
palling magnitude. The tramp is an an
noyance, tax and nuisance yet there
is no concerted effort to get rid of him,
though sure cure is ready to hand. 1t
is we'll known that the tramp hates work
and shuns it. This is the lint which the
good people OF Baltimore took advantage
Of last Winter. In the current number
of The Forum, Mr.. E. r. L. Goule tells
How Baltimore Banished Tramps.' and
incidentally helped the unemployed who
really deserved work, but were unable TO
get it in the ordinary channels. 1t should
be read and laid to heart in every city, as
it shows how the tramp evil may be abat-
deserving creature.
Baltimore is hospitable city and a
favorite Winter resort for tramps. In
1892, %, 132 people received lodgings in
its police stations and in 1898 this nnm-
Der increased to 1896. This last Win
ter the indications we've that the police
station lodging would be better patron
lied than ever, but some benevolent peo-
pie opened up rival establishments
known as the Friendly Inn and the
Wayfarer's Lodge, and the police author
tiles agreed to receive no more dodgers,
but send all applicants to these new
hotels, whose need was suggested by the
| hard times and the number out of EN-
| ployment. The now hotels were under
the charge of Central Relief Committee
and all were welcome without money and
without price, except compliance with a
| few reasonable and wholesome conditions.
1t was these conditions that banisded
the professional tramp from Baltimore.
He could find no shelter except under
| the hospitable roofs of the Wayfarers
| Lodge and the Friendly Inn. No bill
was rendered at these hostelries, but
certain regulations were insisted upon
Mr. Dusty Roads on entering the hos
pitable abode of the Central Relief Com
mittee saw vision of warmth, cleanli-
ness, food and comfort very different
| from the UNFINISHED room, bare floor
and whitewashed wall of the station
house. But the JOY which the sight and
prospect afforded died within him when
| he found that as a condition precedent
to the enjoyment of this abundance and
comfort he must take a hot bath nightly
under the supervision OF an atttndant
with a liberal use of carbolic soap and
| his wearing must be regularly disinfected.
| Perhaps Dusty Reads could have made up
his mind to stand the soap aud water but
| that was only an imitation. In return for
| his food and lodging there was woodssw-
| ing and splitting to be done by the board
ers, and as this did not supply work work
enough there vas "a stone yard annex.
Seven thousand tons of Stone were broken
| by the guests of the Baltimore Relief Com
mittee, ana The tramp as species emigra
| ted from the city of Baltimore.
1t is the instinct and ambition of tramps
to escape the fate decreed for Adams seed.
"In the sweet of thy face shalt thou eat
| bread" wood yard and stone yard,
carbolic soap and hot water are repugnant
TO his Whole nature. Tue gOou people ol
Baltimore did not discover this fact, but
they are entitled to the credit of having
utilized it most effectively. This provid-
ed work for the deserving unemployed,
and by having the station houses closed to
the tramps and no other place left open to
them except through the msnium OF a
stone yard and carbolc soap, they Danish
the tramp fraternity from their city.