Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-01-25

i"re tHiHS I'd ilnu woman among
them; now, however, this is changed,
and while the men are still largely in
the majority, it is lamentable to sec
that their ranks have been recruited
by the accession of large numbers Of
women, and these, not the old, bag
gard and decrepit, by any means. If
the tramps united and travelled in one
large army, they would indeed be for
midable, but while there exists among
them n spirit of camaraderic, they
hive no iden of organization, and rs n
consequence, are rarely to be found
more than four together, usually two,
and now, one OF the two is apt to be n
woman.
While the tramp has 10 fixed desti-
nation in view when he leaves the city,
no has tho plan of his summer opera
tions usually arranged in his mind.
Along the lines of the many railroads
that scam New Jersey between Now
York and Philadelphia there are
countless market gardens. The tramp
and his companion leave tho freight
car Mt n proper point, which he knows
even better than tho conductor, and
applies for work to the nearest fnrmer
In the early spring the men and wo-
men hnvo but little difficulty in find
ing employment ut cutting asparagus
the man rcceiving seventy-fivo cents
day, and the woman, though she
may do moro work, fifty cents, out of
which they must board themselves.
Tho farmer permits them to sleep in
his stable or barn, and where his es-
Establishment is large, lie often has
rough shanties erected for the special
use Of his temporary help. Often the
woman finds employment rs servant
in the house, when she is enabled to
provide food for her partner without
any great outlay; otherwise they buy
whit is absolutely necessary from their
employer Mt the lowest rates and live
economically. After the asparagus
season is over, the green pea season
comes on, and here the relative wages
are the same, though it is customary
to pay for the amount picked, rather
than by the day. Following the green
peas. como the strawberries, and by
the time>tae New Jersey supply is en-
hausted, the more cnterp1ising of the
tramps make theiIss way so&th as far MS
Delaware ard Maryland, sshps,e- ihey
are ready for the peach harvest.
Frequently the tramps are skilled
basket makers, work which, the world
over. seems to be calling peculiar to
Migrants, and if tho woman does not
understand it, she is quick to learn.
and soon exceeds the man i'll skill.
Along the banks of the streams they
find suitable willow saplings in
abundance, which they use without
asking the owners leave, and for tho
product of their labor they find n
ready market among the surrounding
farmers. Many of these people return
to the city with sums of money which,
if used with the shrewtlness and econ
omy shown i'll collecting it, might
carry them through the winter; but
the rule is, they return to their old
haunts i'll the city and begin drunken
debauch, which lasts till every cent is
gone and they are forced to solicit
aims on the street, or to avail them
selves of the shelter afforded by the
station-house of the Island.
The female accession to the army of
trnmps of late years presents many
sad features, and seemingly insur-
mountable obstacles to those inter
ested in the elevation of the masses.
1t is now not unusual to find women
tramping alone and single handed,
under which circumstances they get
alone even better than when accom-
panied by men, for they are moro fer
tIIa
adapt themselves to their environ
ment. In addition to this they have
more resources in themselves. They
are quite as skilful and able rs the men
in the farming work they undertake.
i'll addition to which they can sew and
do household work, which is entirely
out of the rench of the men. Farm.
ers and villagers, perhaps because of
the novelty, regard more favorably
women than men tramps. They ap-
peal to the sympathies and hospitality
OF country folk, and being usually fer
tile of speech, and with active imaq-
nations, they are never at loss
to frame appropriate stories to excite
the sympathies and benevolencc of
those whom they can get to listen. It
is curious fact that one never finds
among these women members of what
may be designated rs the middle
class. They are either very ignorant
and degraded or remarkably intelli-
gent and with evidences of refinement
about them which their ragged raj
ments cannot hide nor their evident
poverty wholly conceal. In tho
former case it is possible that they
may be making an effort to better
their condition, though the chances
are that they are spending their OBJ
jectless lives in wandering and moving
on; in the latter case they are inyari
s'ly women with story which they
conceal from the public, story Of
error, it may be, perhaps of crime,
but never devoid of romance, and
never, if the truth were known, show
ing that they were themselves entirely
responsible for their degradation.
Although these people are never
seen with children, possibly never