The record-union., 1897-12-03
The Tramp's Story as He Told It.
written for the Record Union by
Shook PumpkinS.)

written for the "Record-UniOn' by
Shook PumDkinS)
''Well, boys, I've had a pretty tough
time of it during the past few years,
Many and many are the nights I've
slept without floor or bedding beneath
me, and no roof or covering above me
except the broad canopy of the heavens.
Heavens, did / say? Is there such a
thing as heaven? 1t may be, that to you,
who have only looked up into the dla-
mond-studded sky when you felt so
disposed, could behold there the handf-
work of some omnipotent power, and
wonder with reverence at the supreme
mathematical and architectural skill Of
mind so far beyond human concep-
ton as to be able to plan their gran
deur and systematic arrangement, so
that the evolution of ages, nor the
traversing of spaceless space should
ever disturb their relations to each
other; but to me, as / have so often
watched them, shivering beneath their
cold rays, While trying to rest in sleep
on the still colder bosom of mother
earth, they seemed to be the eyes of
demons, tantalizing and mocking me in
my misery.
The dews that I once believed were
sent from heaven to give life and thrift
TO vegeta ton for the welfare and COM
fort of mankind, now seems to me a
curse of Satan to make my lot more
miserable and uncomfortable than l can
bear. And man, my fellow man, blood
of my blood, flesh of my flesh, bone of
my bone, and spirit of my spirit act
ually refuses to permit me to rest my
weary, hungry carcass beneath the
sheds, and within the walls, that pro-
tect his brutes from the piercing winds
of winter.
Yes, boys, when one gets down, and
down, and down, until the only thing he
comes in contact with is adversely;
when the brand is placed upon his
brow, so that every man he meets is
set against him, it seems hard to be-
lieve that there is a divine, overruling
power that will permit such things.
'Ah, / remember, years and years
ago, when I was younger than I am
now, when had the comforts of home,
friends, and social surroundings, that l
was gullible enough to believe that the
Lord would temper the winds to the
shorn lamb, that He would not allow a
sparrow to fall without His notice; but
alas! in my long weary tramp, tramp,
tramp, from locality to locality, from
State and Territory to Territory and
State, L have encountered thousands
upon thousands of God-created men
who know naught but hunger, misery
and woe, while within view, on all sides,
are plenty and to spare. Hundreds and
hundreds of times have l gone to the
homes Of the rich and affluent and beg
ged for morsel of bread-yea, for the
very crumbs that fell from the
plates" and was told that there was
nothing for me, while the swill tub was
made the unnecessary receptacle of
what would have been a feast for me-
Indeed, | was impressed with the
words of Him who exclaimed, "How
hardly Will it be for a rich man to en-
ter into the kingdom Of heaven" But,
whether they get to heaven or not, they
have comforts here, that would be
Veritable heaven to thousands Of Door
hungry, ill-clad wretches like me.
But. you ask, why don't you secure
work and earn your bread by the sweat
of your brow?
That, boys, is an easy question
asked, but how few there are who can
answer it. Just let it be heralded
abroad that ten good men are wanted
upon some job here in Sacramento at
living wages, and tomorrow morning
there viii be one hundred men on the
spot clamoring for the place. Ninety
OF these applicants, If they have no
MONIES of their own, will have to march
on-tramps from necessity, not from
cholce. And. you know. boys, that
tramps have hard names and employ
ers of men are afraid to have them
around. They are branded as lazy,
worthless vagabonds, without being
given a trial al labor.
The truth is, they have the brand
upon them. and every mans hand is
turned against them. The farmer pre-
1ers Chinese or japanese, because he
says they will not go off and get drunk.
but in truth, because they will work for
wages that white men cannot afford TO
work for
Electricity and labor-saving machin-
cry now do the work in many avenues
of industry that formerly required the
employment of many men. Take. for
example, the typesetting machine. One
machine will do the work of half a. doz-
en- printers. A girl with a typewriter
can do the copying that half a dozen
young men were required to do when
/ was your age. Steam gang-plows,
combined harvesters, etc, etc, mini
mize the number of men on farms. and
the time-work hands are needed.
'It is a mistake, boys, to say that
men who are idle will not work IL they
are given an opportunity. The reverse
was proven in the city of San Fran
cisco early last spring, when men were
given an opportunity to work on the
proposed boulevard at 81 per day.
There were hundreds of hungry men
applied for work every day at that
figure who had to be turned away, to
return the next day, hoping to get at
least few days work. And these per-
sistent applications were kept up until
work ceased upon that thoroughfare.
In this scramble for employment
there isn't much chance for one as old
ential friends to intercede for me, while
there are many awaiting jobs who are
backed by friends who have weight
with the employers. Boys, these are
XINH YH KH