New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-02
THE CITY AND THE TRAMPS.
A NEW ERA IN THE METHOD OF HAN
ding THESE PESTS.

THEY ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED IN THE POLICE
sTATIoNs-A BARGE FOR THOSE WHO ARE
NOT HOPELEssLY LAZY-THIS CLASS is
FULLY AS BLACK AS 1T HAS BEEN
PAINTED OR BLACKER.
AS has been frequently pointed out in The Tribune
one of the important problems confronting the peo-
pie OF this city and Its government H. that contained
in the question What shall be done WIN the
tramp Recently has been barred out OF me
| police stations and further changes in the treat
| ment Of him are contemplated While considered
generally as dis :lncvey modern institution. the
| tramp in a sense Is old Egypt But In that
day he had not reached the dignity OF his present
state Possibly the merely idle class were meant
In the od-tme edict of death for the man VINO hal
no visible means of support and no desire to search
out ways OF Obtaining livelihood Now tramp l. d
title for a class who have a language Of their own
which has attracted the attention OF learned pho.-
ogiss. They have free masonry OF thelr OWN W
which the members known one 10 aho'her a'"
by which they taught to recognize ioeai''cs
hostile 10 their purposes Mysterious hieroglyphcs
have been found ornament!ng the gate-posts oI
country mansions whore vicious dogs were not
chained and servants. both maid and man. had re-
ceived instructions TO show no mercy to the Dusty
Rhoadeses and the Wandering Willies Of the hsh-
way
One-half the energy wasted by the tramp IN MS
desire to attain to a conlltlon OF dpso'"'o
ingness II applied properly. would make OF MN
man and a brother As 1t is he is nondescrip'
The sgu-manal OF tr Ie manllness which approaches
to GOODNESS is cleanliness. moral ana physical Inc
tramp Is not clean. He has blunted moral con-
sclousness that is ragged and unkempt ana as
dirty as his one suit Of castaways. which never
leave his body except through the process OF decay
His near relationship to evil is indicated by his utter
detestation for water In any form. He VIII NOT
work The grand principle that every man owes ~
the world his best service he has reversed into thar
resort of the rogue and the scoundrel. the worid
owes a living.
THEIR REGULATIONS ARE JUSTIFIED.
Veteran officers OF the Charities and Correction
departments Of New-York know this to be true
Ask Major Japha Who for hfteen years mas oes"
in the DEPARTMENTS and who is now in charge OF the
nia- NJ Fast Twenty-sxth-st. While going about
with a reporter OF The Tribune early the other
morning he said:
These chaps do not want to WORK NOT only
that they will Why. they even refuse 10 use
a broom for few minutes TO keep the rooms cieah
where they are permitted to sleep II they so desire
every night through the winter months. The ques-
ton that YOU ask is gettng more serious every day
We cannot do anything here. Under the new Con
stltut!on cannot even send them up Tor Vagracs'
All that do is to ask them 10 90 10 the A's
house for few days till they can get c-eahea up
We cannot force them to do that even We can only
tell them that they 90 whenever they ieei so
Inclined Seine Of them CO. but these are not OF the
confirmed kind The genuine tramp would rather
die than take a bath. In fact am nrHilS coH-
WINGED that II would be the death OF him TO WASH
him clean. You Will see that in each one OF lie
rooms here on the pier have a stationary wash
stand with running water. There Is plenty OF soap
for them. bu, not in ten uses the convenience.
..Do none of them take a wash in the morning.?
Bless your heart. no; they would not take
wash Cor anything. Well maybe a few may use the
basin but very few Once In while decent lei-
low in hard luck drifts in here II is pitiaoie for
him"
As he talked thus OF his charges the Major walked
ahou. the pier showing first of the rooms nd
then another and all the while commenting from
the wisdom Of n large experience on the height
breadth and depth Of this issue wnicA the city
must meet For while opinions differ even among
nolice officers and charity officials 10 the source
OF the tramp supply. yet the word OF those whose
sole duty Il Is 10 face the problem may be taken
FOR the statement tina: large percentage IS the
class known as "hobos." who resemble the liies OF
the field only In this. that they toll not. neither 90
they spin
SOME GENTLE FALLACIEs
Weird stories have been told o, the unexampled
honesty Of this class It has been said OF the 'ha'
,hev ae.r. only food. and that they DO not expect
,h,. Rot from the oven. This IS far from being
true
The tramp has become o, importance. Next 10
the new woman and politics. he Is the most promo
source OF nspirat for the cartoonist whose Cd
Zee, Is satrcal He has probably fooled hmse.f INTO
the belief that he Is a social necessity. certainly
no. few modern plays would be the sheerest
emptness were Ii not for the presence or Inc
tramp ldealzed. OF course. for the stage tramp
f. all 100 cleanly The unexanlp.ed NTH OF
the genuine article is beyond belief Herein
lea another source OF positive danger to the COM
rnun,tv Clothed In rags poorly fed. lodged night
tn clos no
dred Others OF his kind breathing foul air tha' would
drive medieval penitent 10 the ioothltIs 'he
tramp is peculiarly marked for the admission OF
con;agion and he carries 1t about with him to be
hion I'm the faces OF all classes OF citizens Appar-
ent,y the contagon leaves him as soon as 1t de-
ca,.lv can IL has been said that death loves
shining mark. Who ever saw dead tramp! ihe
contagion leaves him and passes into Respectable
habtaton officers OF the depaf tments OF CHARITIES
and Correction are willing to declare that the cpl
dsrlc Of tvphus fever which prevailed in New-lorK
some time ago was almost certainly traceable TO
this source at least in its incipiency
All Of the rooms on the pier are skeet-iron lined
from floor to ceiling and wall. ceiling and floor
are thoroughly washed down with regular
fire stream Then a quantity of bichloride Of lime
,s used in the final scrubbing. The stalwart porter
handling the nozzle has fits OF absent mndecness,
and turns the weight OF water wherever ne sees
dirt The tramps are aware OF this, ana GEAR OUT
10 the prosecution of their vocation, the thorough
avoidance of work They beg food and money II
they can get the latter The money IL not FOR
cup Of hot coffee which your tramp covets IN the
morning With Is or 20 cents in MS possession his
dubious appetite is provided for for the day Then
he begs for bread from house TO house. Generally
he is not honest the romancers to the contrary not.
wthstandng. He will not steal for mere gain Ike
the professional thief but TO the articles with
In the entry way II he finds deserted hall and
neglected door The owner will find them in the
nearest pawnshop that the tramp can reach Num-
erous thefts laid professional sneak thieves have
been traced to these in the end. When evening
comes the protless object OF munc pal socitude ap
pears at the East River pier. drunk as lord and
Internationally defiant OF social restraint. Once In
a while this condition leads him to his deserts. He
becomes involved in Tow in the lodging quarters
La I'd off 10 he