Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-04
JOYS OF THE TRAMP,
O0ss He Net Get Too Much Fun az
Other People's Expcnse$

vOVS Ot WE VHAWVs
Ooss He Net Gee Too Much Fun ~
Other Peopie's ExpcnscS
Down at the bottom there IL q strong
trace Of the tramp IN everybody. TO
strike work once In awhile and vet of
Into the woods, with nothing to do but
laze, loaf, fish, and wear ragged clothes.
Ii ineffably sweet. Seen through the
vista Of this alluring experience, what
drudgery and abject slavery does the
ordinary MOL Of life look like. Bat this
nero vacation taste Of the thing Is only
lIcttante trifing, as compared with seri.
,tis professional work. Why not come
suit and be man like the genuine
ramp; strike brave blow for absolute
freedom, and henceforth renOunce for.
ever the world and all Its treudmill rou.
tine? Already have nearly $4,000 able.
bodied men In the land taken this heroic
stand; and, It Is grateful to add. thus
for been met by their countrymen with
an annual provision for their support
Of over 10000, OOO-ncarly Onc-half the
cost Of our national army.
The tramp has stupendous historical
justifiable pride. Indeed, the transition
from the nomndlc to the agricultural
and Industrial life. IL said by historians
to have involved the severest struggle
Of readjustmeut humanity has ever
been through. All the bondage Of Egypt
could not effect It In the case Of the He.
brew Bedouins, who broke out again
into the free life Of the desert. Mag.
nificent, equally, h It TO witness the
renewal Of these great historical thrOes
Of the ages In the breast Of the tramp
Of today when ANONYMOUSLY called on
to saw o little wood in pay for his
breakfast. Ndlfhe h q nomad, with the
blood Of his ancestors In bis veins. and
scorns your Industrial civilization.
The love Of travel IL dcep.rooted In
the human breast. Housekeeping
youths have ever homely WITS" says
Shakespeare; to which Milton adds, for
the encouragement Of Adam and Eve,
'the world WINS all before them where
to choose" Delicately responsive to
this high strain Of poetry, the constant
summons Of the tramp to his soul Ii,
tomorrow for green fields and pas
lures new" Work would tcthcr him
to one dull spot, 30 work he indignant.
~ refuses rs the foe Of oil range Of eye
and Imagination.
Further, n dear lover Of conversation
Is the professional tramp; IN accom-.
plishment which, under the pressure OF
care, IL saiH fast to be becoming n lost
art in America. Its cultivation de.
mands leisure Of mind, n rich variety
Of topics, brisk interchange Of jests ana
stories, an intimate knowledge Of man.
ners md customs. One soon talks him.
self out to n few 'neighbors. In the
nightly bivouac Of tramps. however,
what variety Of social intent presents
itself. Each has some Interesting nd.
venture to uarratc, with fresh audi.
encc to try II upon till It has been
wrought to Its finest point and polish
to its highest lustcr. (which do you
consider your best sermon?' asked
Louis XIV. to Massillon. "Sipe," was
the answer, 1.-THE one I have preached
'oftenest." In other words, o sermon.
like coat, must be tried on mum.
Der Of times before Il can be made to
ht. This the trump understands Of
conversation quite NJ we'll ~ did Mas.
sillon Of sermons. md to this he owes
at once his delight In its exercise "a
we'll as his perfection In the art. Al.
together. the life proves ~ fascinating
as Robert Burns has 10 gloriously pic
tured It In his poem. "The Jolly Beg.
gars."
It II always well first to get into sym.
pathetic touch with any class Of human
beings before undertaking to improve
them out Of existence. This Mt lenst
acquaints the legislator with the DIFF
ficulties he has to deal with In trying to
extirpatc any especial breed Of his
fellow creatures. None the less. after
all the genial sympathies that may BIZ
extended by hard working and useful
people to the Joys Of the tramp. he still
has his serious drawbacks from an
economic, legal, medical, and q
moral point Of view. The consumption
OF commodities he promotes II mainly
that Of tobacco and whisky. The dis
tributiOn he effects n largely that Of
vermin, Itch, and venercai diseases. III
lies, he steals, and ON favorable &C
casions he murders. The burden HI
imposes on industrious people II severe
and the vague terror he spreads
throughout vast regions n q chroni,
nightmare. All these things considered
In not the cost Of allowing $1,000 peopi,
thus to abandon themselves to the idyi
lie Joys Of . purely poetic existenc,
more than Ia justified by the net result
to human welfare1 Il It fair that q
single favored class should be permit
ted to monopolixe all the delights o.
life--trnvel. conversation, whisky. to
baccO, ioafing. exemption from soap ant
water, total esp0nsibility-and that
too, at cost Of 100000 q year ant
no end Of corroding envy from thos,
who have to stay stupidity at home ani
work hard for wife and child and iire
side?-Boston Herald.
Running Away.
Old Doctor Strong, Of Hartford
Conn. was not often Outwitted by hi
people. ON one occasion he had invited
q young minister to preach for him
who proved rather dull speaker, ant
whose sermon proved unusually long
The people became wearied, and, al
Doctor strong lived near the bridge
about the time for the commencement