The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-11


Their Number-A Tramp Railroad In
Insurance Policy.
There was no such thing as mistaking-
tie fact that he was tramp. The bat
tered old hat told the story, tho clothes
formerly worn by as many different per
sons as there were separate garments pro-
claimed the fact, the unwashed face bore
testimony to it, and the lounging way of
walking, the "I-don't -take-any-speoial-
interest-in-anything-See way re-as-
serted it.
1t may be very pleasant tr mpinc it in
summer months when one oan choose his
resting place during the heat of the fiav
with no duties to perform, and no speoial
thought to take of the morrow or any,
thing else, but to the ordinary person
tramping it in the winter would seem
to be the reverse of pleasant Still thar
particular tramp looked dirty and happy
independent and comfortable. Others
were cold, he apparently wasn't.
Say boss" he said "Got 10 cents
about your olothesp''
The party addressed confessed to the
possession of the desired coin, but added.
You haven't had anything to eat for two
days suppose9'
The tramp smiled and replied, $50
you're onto tn racket are yer? Then
I'm not starvin' boss, only for smok 9
Got some 'bacco2'
The party of the second part hadn't. but
he felt in mood to get information and
If necessary to pay for it up to a limited
point, and SO he invested 10 cents in a
piece of smoking tobacco, and the tramp
said THAT'S somethin' like. I'll do as
much for you when your on the road and
Pm in your place."
Thanks. But meantime couldn't you
give me some news from a professional
standpoint? How do you manage to keep
warm these cold daysP You fellows seem
to be cold proof Are you?,
guess we be'' replied the tramp az
he filled his pipe "You see It's this way.
You begin in TIL fall wearin' thin sum-
mer duds an you can go on wearin' ,em
an not feel. bit cold'r than if you'd got
no thick clothes. heard Teller read
once bout man in California who don't
wear clothes at all, just goes without 'em
mostly winters an all. We come mighty
close to it an weir not bit cold'r than
you chaps who wear thick clothes an
wouldn't go out without 'em for fear
you'd catch cold. See?'
There may be something in that. .
Then we'r out in tn cold all TIL time.
We keep right on in tn fall, an we don't
mind tn draft when it's all draft. We
don't sleep IN warm room unless we get
ock'd up, an we don't mind TIL cold a
bit. See?''
Yes. Do you get enough to eatp"
II do. don't have no pardn'r, an
don't want to hav'. can get grub any
where if Pm lone. but take gang of us
fellers an somebody'll make row, or do
some mean thing an then tn whole lot
is bIam d for it. No I don't want no
pardn'r, an can get grub every time. .
Where are you used the best, in the
city or the oountry?'
Nloy 10 uloW IL Oltl6S are no &O0Q.
I was arrested in Lewiston, 1 was arrested
in Auburn, an here in Portland when |
ask'd a man for bite he p nted to a cop.
In tn country there s no cops to make a
row or to lock us up, an when single
tramp like me wants bite he don't get
invited in but he gets hand out, an
it's good chuck TOO. You see tn farmers
don't feel like sayin' no to us, they don't
know but what we'll camp in thu barn
some night light our pipe an forget to
put out the match, and the tramp smiled
in very suggestive way.
"Do you like this way of living?
''Some tramps don't and some tramps
does, an Pm one Of them as does. Its
heap bett'r than workin', an its good
way to see the country. If TIL railroads
would only let US ride in box cars we'd
like it.
edo the railroad men give you much
trouble??"
They pretend to but they don't as q
gener'l thing. You see few tramps a
hangin' to brake beams of a freight
trains are bout tn same thing as an
INSURANCE policy. No tramp WON'T put
anything on thu track if he knows or
thinks he knows that other tra1nps are
under them cars. TIL road as troubles
tramps TIL least is tn road that's saf'st
in thu long run. Thankee boss'' an the
tramp moved on.