Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-22
THE ARMY OF TRAMPS.
Larger Than That of Wellington nj
Waterloo and Twice AS Dirty.

Larger Than That of Wellington Mt
Waterloo and Twice AS Dirty.
| From the New Haven Daily Palladium.
The first of course Of six lectures in the
local university extension course was given
last night by Prof. John ]. McCook of
| Trinity College at the public library. His
| theme was 1.-The Pathological Aspect of
| the Tramp Problem"
Prof. McCook stated that he made as ex-
haustive a study Of the problem as seemed
possible. as it is pioneer subject, and in
formation on it difficult to obtain. He de-
clared that he had written to the mayors
of over forty cities in this country asking
for information on tramp statistics. and
had received replies from fourteen, giving
statistics upon about 1900 tramps. Prof.
McCook has also obtained statistics from
the Whitechapel district, London, and from
| Germany. and bases his statements about
tramps on all the answers from these
countries.
Prof. McCook said: "A recent writer as
serts that there are about 6O.OOO tramps In
the United States. This number is a trifie
large, although 1t is safe to state that
there are over 10000. This is larger than
the army of Wellington at Waterloo.
I'VE look on tramps as human wrecks
and driftwood, and yet the majority OF
them are In the prime OF lie and In better
than the average health. Only Sls per cent
of the trampS from whom my statistics
were cleaned claimed, in The dead of win
ter, while the grip was raging. that they
We're in bad health. They are robust. and
will fill you with envy. malice and all other
jealous feelings when you hear them snor-
ing at midnight.
From this we may easily say that
neither age nor health is bar to their
working. Most of them have been out OF
work for months, and the majority of them
took the road at once after leaving their
last job
clare that they took to the road because
they were out of job, and only one man
because machinery took his place. Over
"a per cent of the English tramps are given
taking the road because of vagrant
habits.
TO the question. When are you going
to work agssin? W per cent of them re-
piled: When We can get job
I'm the south the tramp is comparatively
unknown. only one state being represented
in the list
1.-The majority of our tramps are Of
American birth, 65 per cent of 1.342 being
of American parentage, and 2I2 1rish who
come next. Fourteen nationalities are rep
resented.
Over 1000 out of 1878 tramps could read
and write, and they all spend money on
the daily newspaper.
More than half of this list OF tramps had
never voted. and most Of the rest had
voted in half dozen states.
"A Worcester tramp has voted in Maine
and California. and they confessed that
they generally voted for revenue only.
''Out of 1,SS9 only 10 are married. 81 are
widowers and 81 have children.
Some one has called the family the
bond person gives for his good behavior.
and when this bond Is broken flight ensueS.
'"rhrty-eight per cent say that they
work for their food. ~ per cent that they
beg for 1t and So per cent that they steal II,
"Over 400 sleep at cheap lodging houses.
and nearly 800 in police headquarters.
About 100 sleep in boxes.
Thirty of the 800 were total abstainers
or else were too drunk to understand the
question, and declared that they never
drank