The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-23
TRAMPS CALLED ON HIM.
Governor LeweliinS Talks With II
Friends About His Tramp Order.

Ex-Governor LewellinR often sits in
his office and talks with his friends
about his experience when governor of
Kansas.
1t will be remembered that Governor
Ilewelling issued his famous tramp or
der 10 the chiefs of police in which
they were ordered not to arrest men
out of employment under the vagrant
act.
This order caused good deal of
comment. Every man in the state or
Kansas who has ever seen tramp
knows that he is always hunting work
and never finding ii.
1t seems TO me that trampS ala try
to take advantage Of Governor Level
linS's order and his daughter Jessie
says that her father used to send men
to a certain restaurant in Topeka who
appealed to him for help. She says
1.-The people about the state house used
to call il pas tramp restaurant"
1t seems that Governor LewellinS
long since found out that when he
gave a tramp a quarter TO get break
fast that he usually used the quarter
TO enable himself TO get outside two
drinks of whisky.
That vas the reason that he made
arrangements with the restaurant in
Topeka to furnish meals on his orders
to the unfortunate, and very frequent
ly 10 dead beats.
Governor LewelIing says that his
political enemies tried to convince him
that his order was not practicable by
sending trampS TO impose on him and
that the professional tramp was al
ways only too willing TO lend himself
TO a scheme Of that kind.
The governor says that the reason
that he selected one restaurant on which
To give orders was that he had the
man bound in q contract not 70 cash
his order and only furnish meals on
| them.
II seems that until the honest man
| out Of employment will take an order
! for meal and so directly and present
! il and eat the meal. that the profess
| sional Will cash a 25-cent order for To-
| cents in order TO get drink.
| Governor Lewewlling tells story that
| during his second canvass he stopped
| one night at the Carey hotel in this
! city. and a cOlored man appealed 10
| him for a quarter with which TO set a
meal.
The poor colored man told pitiful
| story Of his priVations and hunger.
| The governor said 10 him: Now, l
! have a rule to give no man money. but
l Will give you an order for a meal"
! Then the colored man in low tone
| of voice said: Il am no; in need. but
man has bet ME a dollar that you
| would not give me a quarter" Then
! the governor Went down II his pocket
! and handed over the quarter.
/ Governor Lewelling tells this story
| among his other experiences. but the
| fact OF the matter is that even the coll
| ored man deceived him. Some Of the
! boys in the Eagle office sent that color
! ed man to the governor in order 10 find
! OUT whether he practiced what he
! preached. and the quarter was after
ward sent TO the governor az Topeka
One favorite trick which was played
| on Governor Lewelling more than once
| b V dishonest men was - get 4 small
| amount OF money on the plea that they
were trying 10 reach the4r families in
! some distant city. and they wanted
| money to buy their grub on the way.
| and that the railroad companies would
| allow them 70 ride in cattle cars.
| Investigation nearly always showed
| these men 90 be frauds, and Governor
| I.awelling declares that one man who
| played that trick on him DOW lives in
| Wichita