The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-07-30
TRAMpS DIFFERENTIATED.
The Beaver Convention Goes Hard
With "Willies.

when Sheriff William Wichmann, at
head of citizens committee, brought
his knuckles down on table in the
center of the room of justice in the
court house, and with slight drawn
in whistle, told the 80 or 40 represen-
tative Renville county men to get to-
gether and prepare for business. The
poor, lone tramp was away down at
the north end of the town, exchanging
feeble chirp with young sparrow
He sat on a rock, looking the very pic
ture of forlorn hope, and wished
himself to the feathers of the sparrow
lust as Williams knuckles came down
on the table up in the court room. He
was undoubtedly sent to Beaver as
the legal representative of trampdom,
authorized to get on to the "soft
snaps" of the town and to give full
report of the doings Of the men who
were in session to deliberate on the
extreme of their fate.
Mr.. Wichman announced that he
was no orator, and that aside from
telling the people why they were
there, he could offer no more. He
suggested that some person be select
ed as chairman of the meeting and c..
R. Sheppard of the Bird Island Union
was named. The Union man hoped
that something would be done to put
a stop to the tramp nuisance and then
proceeded with the business. W. A.
Reid of the Renville Star-Farmer was
named as secretary of the meeting
and the other newspaper boys present
seemed satisfied with the fact that the
newspaper machinery had captured
the organization that is to solve the
tramp question. Sheriff Wichman was
called upon for a speech. He again
insisted that he had nothing to say
except that he hoped that some one
present had crystallized ideas sutfi-
cient to do away with the tramps. He
called on Mr.. Erickson and Mr.. Err
ickson delivered quite lengthy ad-
dress on the treatment of the wander
ing Willies on the part of the popu-
lace, the separation of the good tramp
from the bad tramp, needed legisla-
ton, etc, and the etc. included a point
on tramp statistics to be given by the
tramps themselves wherever there is
occasion to forcibly register them.
Every convention must have crank
or "kicker." This tramp convention
had one. James Carruth fired into
the whole assemblage with the hottest
kind of hot shot. He said that there
was no way to exterminate the boys
Drive them out of the village they
went to the country. Drive them out
of the country and they went to the
village. There would always be tramps
so long as existing social conditions
remained and as long as the govern
ment remained in the present course
Time was called on the speaker just
as he got up to the highest pitch. He
stopped dead short, inquired who
had spoke, and then gave the other
fellows chance.
Chairman Shepard contended that
there was no real excuse for a man
being without work at the present
time. To all of which Mr.. Carrutt
objected. Mr.. Shepard contendec
that there were some tramps who
would work, we're needy and deserv
ing. TIC all of which Mr.. Carruth sale
"Amen." Mr.. Shepard contended tina
the idea of statistics was a good one
He said that the tendency of tramp
nowadays was to leave the railroad
and go into the country and he recitet
some outrages committed by tn
"frat," while travelling through tn
country. "Women," he said, ever
afraid to be left alone on account O
the large number of the wandering
gentry"
Here Bill Wichman got on littl
eloquence. He thought that it woul
be a good idea to establish a wor
house,and as the boys passed through
showing signs of vagrancy, to pu
them to work for their board for
while. He thought that work woul
soon keep them out of the sectio
where offered. He thought that som
organization could be perfected where
by they could be kept out of the cou1
try towns as we'll as the villages.
j. A. Schmahl of Redwood Fal
was called for and he informed til
L.. 4Lo& ~ 100.