The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1895-07-19
WITH THE TRAMPS
Mitchell Has Its Share Of the UnemplOy-
ed Monday Night and Fed 15O on
Bread and Sausage.
They Play a Waiting Game With Mil
Waukee Road for Transportation
and Finally Win.
A WISCONSIN LETTER
1t Tells Of Dry Weather and Ruined
Crop Prospects People WANT to
Buy South Dakota Hay.
THE PASSING ARMY.
The Army of Tramps Makes Mitchell Its
Headquarters.

Headquarters
If there is any distinction for a town
to be the point of a railroad division
Mitchell is certainly getting plenty of
it at present by entertaining over night
the passing army of tramps, and yet it
is hardly proper or just to apply the
word 10 all OF them, as among the crowd
are many whose bearing and appear
ance puts them on hig her plane than
ordinary tramps, but they are unfortun-
ate enough to be out of work and trav-
cling from place to place without any
visible means Of support they are nat
urally placed in the tramp category.
For several weeks past these men have
been coming up from the south, seem
ingly from one harvest country to an
other, and on questioning several of the
men they said that down in Missouri
the crops were not sufficiently large for
farmers to employ extra help, and in
Nebraska the hot winds and dry wealth
er had made a perceptible difference in
the prospect so that they could obtain
no work there, while in Iowa. they
said, the farmers were able to take care
OF their own work. as generally the
farms were not so large as in South
Dakota.
Monday evening when the freight
arrived from Sioux City and pulled into
the limits it was sight to see the box
cars emptied of their human freight.
1t looked as if a portion of Coxey's
army was doing business again. With
the number of tramps gathered during
the day and those who came in on the
freight, made an unusually large num-
ber, probably $50. They were hungry
and wanted something to eat, so they
agreed on novel plan to appeal to the
sympathies Of tho chief of police The
entire crowd formed into line by twos
and marched up Main street to the
office OF the chief of police, being head
ed by the drummer Of the Juvenile band
who tell into line, and stated their desires
to Mr.. Huyck He acquiesced and told
them to return to the green sward near
the mill and he would bring them some
thing to appease the cravings of the
inner man. Securing great quantity
OF bread and bologna sausage it was de-
livered at the impromptu hotel and the
men began to eat. There were about
% men in the crowd who would not ac-
cept Of the bread of charity, but having
money of their own decided to buy
their food and make the railroad com
pany haul them free. The mer were
quiet and orderly, exhibiting no desire
to do anything that would cause people
anxiety or annoyance. After disposing
of their meal the major portion of them
went to the depot, where some passed
the night reclining in the cool breezes
from the water tank and ice house,
while others bunked in the empty
freight cars.
Tuesday morning there was great
anxiety among the army to move out
of town, but Conductor Tompkins of
the north freight refused to carry them
as he had received orders from the
superintendent at Minneapolis to carry
no mora tramps, and consequently he
did not care to disobey the instructions
OF his superiors. However, this didn't
cut any figure with the tramps, for
when the train pulled up to the depot
every mothers son of them made a
break for an empty box car, but the
train didn't move and for As minutes
the crew waited for orders as to whether
they should carry the tramps Finally
the conductor took the matter in his
own hands and seeing that it was an