Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-21
Boy OF the Old Time Class.

4 oVy OI inc UIu lime VtdSS.
Years ago when the young man, who
had arrived at mans estate or had
bought his time during the remainder
of his minority" wanted to go out into
! the world and carve out a fortune for
| himself he rolled his earthly posses
sons in a large red handkerchief and
| left the old roof tree and started on
the road of life on foot and oftentimes
pcnnilcss.
| He went bravcly about. remembering
the good advice of the mother; he was
| cheerful, WAS content to share food of
I the humble farmer and the farmer was
glad to help him along. He would not
| think it was begging to call at a farm
house and ask for food when he knew
he had nothing to pay for it with for he
| also knew that the good folks within
would look upon him as a young man
| just starting out in life and they would
| help him along FOR possibly they might
have Il boy of their own out in the
world struggling for a living
The young man in those dear, dead
days of long ago" was always well
| coined to the farm house, his name.
age and residence and in fact an ali
| breviated biography OF his life taken
| orally. lie was given n good supper.
the spare room and in the morning
WAS sent on his way with the God
speed" of the family and a generous
supply of cookies in his pocket.
Everybody WAS willing to help every
mody in those days. But today. in nine
cases out of 10 if a young man should
call at a house and ask for food the
bull dog would be turned loose and
the shot gun taken down. Peace on
Garth, good will to men" was a house
hold motto but now Get off the earth
or 80 days in JAIL has been nailed
upon the wall.
once in while an honest man whom
circumstances have placed in some
what prccarious financial condition
comes along but the dear people have
been so many times deceived by out
ward honest appearances that he must
take his medicine with the rest and so
what might have been done to make a
man has been withheld and that done
which makes a tramp instead.
Yesterday the Journal manwas stand
ing on the platform of the Maine Cen
trail station in this city. conversing with
IL IL f'liu. W Iitii ii Sib6lt ipbkllIS UbN,
perhaps II years old. plainly. even poor
ly dressed, came brislSly forward ana
the following conversation opened by
the stranger ensued.
4 wonder who owns that coal on
those cars over there"
The Maine Central railroad l pre-
sumo
DO you suppose l could get a job I'M
loading it?''
Il can not tell, the road usually has Il
force of men for that purpose. You
might go to Mr.. Alden, perhaps he
could give you a job
II guess I'll try anyway" and away
he went whistling as though he was
already happy from having secured the
job.
Now that boy will sometime be mana
ger of a railroad, a bank. or a large
trade emporium and live in a brown
stone front. possibly may be a candi-
date for president of the United
States. His chances are good because
there are so many who will never be
anything in the world.
Waterville has had more than her
share of visitations from wayfarers
and it is getting to be very annoying
to the timid housewife and the hired |
girl to be subject to almost constant
alarms from the hobo fraternity |
Senator-elect Head is in favor of some
kind of a law that will make the hobo
q pauper where he belongs if pauper
he must be.
Certain it is that this city has been
almost overrun with tramps. who say
they are on their way to Bangor"
where they are going to work on the
waterworks, or a railroad or the ice
Mr.. Head says that almost every day
a tramp calls at his residence for food
and says he is trying to get to Bangor
where he has been promised job on
the water works Notwithstanding the
fact that the city council of that city
has set down water works to the de-
gree of suspending operations entirely.
1t costs the county thousands of dol
lars to house and feed tramps in the
winter. 1t costs farmers many barn
and stock of cattle with farming uten-
sis thrown in to house them in the
spring and fall. The child's fear of
the "Booger man" has given way to
that of the hobo.
Years ago the question that appeared
to bother people most was What shall
we do with our girls" Now the dear
girls have demonstrated their ability
to take care of themselves and people
are asking each other What shall we
do with our tramps?" True it is a
puzZier for the man with fine Christian
to grasp but it is evident
that something must be done to save
the county eXchequer and our barns.
Senator Head is of the opinion that
A tramp law" must come next winter
which means that Mr. Head will vote
FOR any bill that will exterminate the
national pests from Maine. providing
that bill is along the lines of decent
humane action.