The morning times., 1896-12-13
HE IS KING OF TRAMPS
AND MERRIEST OF MEN
81 Cook Broke Into Bellevue Hospital on Tuber-
culOsis "Caught from a Cow"

if amt consumptiye I'll hope ter
eat my shoes, and / guess I'd have ter
on
THE next day was surprised TO have
appear before me a big, burly fellow
with n face streaked with flour to smu-
late pallur What is your name?' 1 asked.
'Si Cook. King OF the Tramps,' said he,
and then as he saw smile creep over
the faces of the dispensary staff he added
quickly. but I'm sick now, doctor. I've
been Slcepin near a cow wild tuberculosis,
and my cough is terrible painful, and my
lungs
II motioned him away. Into Bellevue
until beimproves,' said |, knowing W ell that
the wards are Iilled with tranps in cold
weather. Si thanked me gratefully, and
was led away, emitting little hollow coughs
like "A barking dog. The next day he told
nae about himself and the profession OF
which he is king.
MONEY FOR TRAMPS.
''uow tramps get their money during
these long tours is a question that Kept
the statiStician busy for a long time.
1t was finally answ cred by Questioning
the tramps themselves as they were taken
to the prisons and hospitals, especially the
latter.
1T was found that 20 per cent work
for what they want. The smallest sum
on which u tramp can live is 81 per week.
This includes his clothing, his shoes, his
hair cuttings-fur a haircut is luxury
| in which every tramp indulgcs-his drinks,
and his food. All foot up to that amount.
BY working one day in a week the tramp
can manage to live all the year round.
| ANA during the weeks he is doing time
| he can take his rest. In many Of the
time places a small sum is AID the la
borcr for his work, and this 5 the tramp =
| delight The name of such benevolent
| Institution is passed along from tramp
| 10 tramp. and the place is generally filled
| tc the doors. Tfalnps will purposely get
| drunk or steal II copper to bc sent 10
| an Institution of this character.
| TWENTY-FIVE per cent of all tramps beg
! and steal what they get. They stop at
: a farmhouse over night, make themselves
! generally entertaining and 20 away with
/ "A little money, either Il gracious gift or
| something appropriated. Women can be
! relied upon to help this branch Of the pro
! fession. Many an industrious farmer has
| his dimes surrep;iuously conveyed into
the dirty hand Of tramp by his syst ematic
| helpmate. Tramps mark these farms, and
| there is a steady run OF tramps callers
| TIE farmers wife gives with the secret
| feeling that she is doing the Lord Ser
| vice 10y helping His l., or lambs, and thcl
| go away only to become sheep outside the
| farmers door.
The remaining 30 per cent live upon
| their friends and their income. This sounds
strange until you have talked with a
| tramp. SiCook SAYS that In his whole tramp
acquaintance he know hardly one that ha
| not some private source of income. Their
families. in moderate circumstances, con-
tribute a few dollars at Christmas time
sending it to some remote pOstoffice address
for the hard-working boy in hard luck in
some distant city.
And the 'hard-working boy draws out
the money, washes his hands long enough
to write a clean, fearful letter home, and
then waits for next year and its remittance,
meanwhile stretching the dollars as far al
they will go. None of them go by their OWN
names ST told me his was a nom de plume
borrowed from trapper he once admired
MORE EVERY YEAR
The habit OF tramping is increasing in
the United states. From $4,000 tel
| years ago there are now 100, coo TIL
increase is alarming TO those who face so
cial problems, and the worst of il is thai
there is no way to stop il. Any man car
be tramp and no man can say him ma
THE habit oftramping comes upon a MAJ
unexpectedly. When it is known that q;
per cent of all tramps come from the pro
feSSions OF have a trade, some idea cal
be obtained of the uneXpeCtedness of TIL
tramp's life. Men who intended TO ride i
gigs with medicine cases are sleeping il
the hogs, dirty-faced and happy, and mel
who thought to become master mechanic
D are whiting sticks in the woods for ;
kettle to rest upon.
1T comes upon man by Indulgence il
tramping. \ gentleman sends his son t.
college, urges him into a profession. edu
. Gates him up TO the required notch, an
! | then suggests that he 20 away for a thre
| months travelling tour. He gives hir
= about money enough for two months. Thi
! sum the young sprig of medicine or la,