The record-union., 1894-01-20
CURIosITIEs OF TRAMPIsM.

J. j. McCoak, in the Charities Review,
gives Us some insight into the classifiea-
ton of tramps as made by themselves.
A representative of the class, Jumper"
or train jumper" set the distinctions
clearly before Mr.. McCoak:
He put his family first, and spoke with I'M
disguised contempt of the ''pike buTn' who
"hasn't the nerve to jump a train"-even
rising and initiating the spike buns" long,
awkward gait He was still more disdaintul
in his description of the "city'' or ''shoYel
bum" and the mission" or religious Dum."
And he almost lacked vocabulary to express
his feelings toward the gay cat" an inferior
order of beings who begs of and otherwise
preys upon the Dumas it were, jackal fol-
lowing up the king of beasts. He called the
mobility Of the order 'ho-bos." It was thus
he spelled 1t. It is now unquestionably the
generally accepted title for the railroad
tramp" in America This man prided him.
order, and gave many incidents concerning
his own career, which are curious.
Probably the rascal told McCoak some
lies. but he told him also much truth, for
his statement corresponds with the ex-
pressions of many others of his class.
McCoak did not take the testimony Of
one of the fraternity alone, however; he
interviewed great many and under
varying conditions. His conclusion is
that the word tramp is not in favor with
the vsgrants; they prefer the title "bum;"
it is the generic term used by them.
One of the gentry McCoak discovered
whose history is suggestive. He had
passed part of one winter in an aims
house-to 'get new suit of clothes''-
had been nine days in Charity Hospital,
Blackwel's Island, for a finger bruise got
in jumping train; whole winter in a
poorhouse hospital in the interior of New
York for a toe lost while jumping train;
five months in a Boston hospital for an
abscess on his neck, caused, as the doc
tors thought, by the jar of riding on
trucks-he had only been six months on
the road at that time, be explained apollo
geticallyl And he had also been to dis
pensaries now and then for medicine, re-
quired by some trifling cold, though he
generally carried ''stuff" with him for
this. Apart from the above he had never
had days sickness in his life," he said,
and spoke with much enthusiasm of the
vigor and physical strength of the fairly
times on one single election day in New
York City, receiving therefor a total OF
sixteen dollars.
The fact is that ELECTION times" are
harvest seasons for hobos. They are
found to be very useful for filling" at
caucuses, good material for service at pri-
maries, and count for as much as decent
people at elections. A marked fact was
discovered by a careful census of the
tramp class that 81 per cent. of them
have trades or professions, while Al per
cent. are unskilled laborers. Among
1,349 individuals examined ninety-eight
trades were represented, and nearly halt
OF those belonging to these trades repre-
sented vocations requiring almost con-
stant locomotion or movement, such as
sailors, teamsters, fremen and brake
men; or else related to that class OF occu-
pations such as shoemakers, curriers'.
hostlers, blscksmiths and horseshoers.
Whether this fact furnishes keynote &c
the propelling causes OF trampism is 8
matter for interesting inquiry and rea-
soning. Another fact worthy of consid-
Grafton is that the tramp is generally IN
youth and middle age, and usually ro'
bust. Three out of every five are under
S5 years of age, and seventy-hve out o.
every one hundred are unoer 40 years.
while one in twenty is under 20 years Of
age.