St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-22
The EXODUS OF THE TRAMP.
One of the Queer Features of the
Returning Spring.
POOR Wanderers WHO HAVE NO HOME.
TIE Female Tramp Product of the
last Five Years-Mow She and Her
Hale Tramp Pursue Their suE,-
ner SYanderings - The Army
Yearly Increasing. &

Yearly Increasing.
The vagrant is product of civilization,
md the higher the civilization the more there
s of him. Every country has its own partic-
1lar type. and there is no mistaking the one
Cor the other. Those who have not studied
his matter carefully are apt to confuse the
tramp" with the "tcugh," but they are en-
tirely distinct species of the genus homo.
The tough is lawless, but usually has home;
the tramp is not necessarily lawiess, but
never has a home.
AS the New York tough is the progenitor
and most perfect type Of the class in this
country, so the New York vagrant, or tramp,
in himself illustrates all the varieties to be
found in the other great cities OF the Union.
The hard times of the past year have added
enormously to the army of homeless men
and women, but it would be mistake and
an Injustice to rank the temporarily unem-
ployed with those who are idle from choice,
DR. to class the honest mechanic and laborer,
who has grown heart-weary looking for work,
With the tramp who has horror Of labor,
Ind who would not do work if he could get
It. When the streams and ponds began to
freeze last fall, when the trees were leaheSs
and the farmers work for the year was DONE
with the regularity of the seasons the tramps
began to pour into the cities and, New York
being the largest and most accessible, re-
ceived the greatest part. During the day.
time, excepting when the weather was too
Inclement to permit their being out doors,
these tramps swarmed in all the city's open
spaces, and occupied the benches in all the
public parks from the Battery to Harlem.
Alright, those who had succeeded in begging
money on the plea that they were ho1est
men out of employment, found lodgings in
the cheap bed-houses along the Bowery,
where fifteen cents would secure blanket
and a cup of coffee. A great majority, how
ever found lodgings in the city's many sta
hon-houses, while the veterans of the calling,
soon after arriving in the city, by ways well
known to themselves, succeeded in being
sent to the Island as paupers until the win
ter was over and the return OF the robin and
the blue-jay made them think of the country
again.
Spring has returned and the great army of
tramps is preparing for its fight into the
country. Although they number tens of
thousands no great preparations are neces-
AIRY. There are no trunks to be packed, no
ills to be settled, no houses to be closed I'D
nd assigned to the care of watchmen no
lonYeyances to be procured for the trans
erence of themselves or baggage, no country
ZONES to be attended to or secured in adj
lance, for when the tramp puts on his torn
ihoes, his ragged coat and his shapeless hat,
he is in complete marching order, equally
Indifferent to the place that he is about to
h
temporary home. The time is on US when
hetramps, old and young, alert and decrepit,
are hurrying from the city. If there be any
truth in phrenology, these tramps were born
without the love of home or location.
The children of wanderers themselves, or
more frequently outcasts who know neither
home nor parents, it is not to be expected
that they would form any strong attachments
to any particular place.
q Six years ago, while tramps by hundreds
were to be found on all of the country roads
during the summer season, it was a rare
thing to find woman among them; now,
however, this is changed, and while the men
are still largely in the majority, it is lament
able to see that their ranks have been re-
cruited by the accession of large numbers of
women, and these, not the old, haggard and
decrepit, by any means. If the tramps
united and travelled in one large army, they
would indeed be formidable, but while there
exists among them spirit Of camaraderie,
they have no idea of organization, and as q
consequence, are rarely to be found more
than four together, usually two and now,
one Of the two is apt to be woman. 1t is
strange commentary on our civilization, and
on the marriage tie, which is the basis of
good citizenship and good government, that
the tramp regards marriage in much the
same way as do the birds of the air, as
thing to be entered into in the spring, for
mutual convenience, and ended in the fall
Tor the same reason. After some investiga-
dion, this has been discovered to be the
method of forming these temporary marriage
contracts. At this season, when mated birds
are flying northward, and the male tramp
lightly turns his thoughts to country roads
and green trees, he looks about for woman
of his own class, not hard to find in these
times. am sorry to say. There is no pre-