The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-17
what the Tramp Eats and Wear.

From Harper's Weekly.
AS rule the "poke-out" beggar has but
one meal a day, and 1t is usually break
fast. This is the main meal with all vag-
abOnds, and even the lazy tramp makes
frantic efforts to find it, Its quantity as
well as its quality depends largely on the
kind of house he visits. His usual break
fast, If he is fairly lucky, consists of cof-
fee, little meat, some potatoes. and
punk and plaster" as he calls bread and
butter. Coffee more than anything else
is what every man of his kind wants
early in the morning.
The clothes of the "polSe-out' beggar
are not much, If any, better than his
food. In summer he seldom has more
than a shirt, a pair of trousers, a coat,
some old shoes and battered hat. Even
in winter he wears little more, especially
If he goes south.
While / lived with him / wore those
same "togs." / shall never forget my
first tramp suit of clothes. The coat was
patched in dozen places and was nearly
three sizes too large for me- the vest was
torn at the back and 1t had to be turned
up London fashion at the bottom to keep
me from tripping; the hat was an old
derby, with the crown dented In numerous
places; and the only decent thing / had
was a flannel shirt. l purchased this rig
of an old Jew, and thought that 1t would
be just the thing for the road. and so it
was, but only for the "poke-out" tramps
road. The hoboes laughed at me and
called me "hoodoo," and 1 never got in
with them in any such garb. Neverthe-
less, l wore 1t for nearly two months,
and so long as I associated with lazy
beggars only It was all right.
1t is by no means uncommon to see
"poke-out" vagabond wearing some sort
of garment which belongs to a woman's
L. fNdf hn
will wear anything that will shield his
hakedness, and have even known him 10
be so lazy that he did not even do that.
One old fellow / remember particularly.
He had lost his shirt somehow, and for
almost a week went about with only
coat between his body and the world at
large. Some of his pals, although they
were of his own class, told him that he
ought to find another one, and the more
he delayed it the more they labored with
him One night they were all gathered
together at a "hang-out,' not Tar from
Lima, o., and the old fellow was told
that unless he found a shirt that night
they would take away his coat also. He
begged and begged, but they were de-
termined, and as he did not show any
Intention of doing as he was hidden they
relieved him of his jacket. And all that
night and the following day he was ac-
tually so lazy and stubborn that he would
not yield, and would probably be there
still, in some form or other, had his pals
not relented and returned him the coat.
AS said. he went for nearly week with
out finding a shirt, and not once did he
show the least shame or embarrassment
lust at present / understand that he is
in limbo, wearing the famous zebra"
the penitentiary dress. 1t is not popular
among tramps. and they seldom wear 1t,
but l feel that that old rascal, in spite
of the disgrace and inconvenience that his
confinement brings upon him, is tickled
indeed that he is not bound to find his
own clothes.