Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-02
MANY TRAMP ABOUT.
Come to Work a Little on. the Ice
--Nothing Yet to Do.
How Lot Of Tranps Barely Escapsd Be-.
Ing Suiieseted.

The useless. often hopeless, and al
ways shiftless type of humanity. tn,
tramp. is well represented hereabouts
at this present time; especially now
with the weather soinconveniently fine
They call at our back doors for bit
of pie, or glass OF something hot left
over from the last meal They are 6
hungry lot, for what little work the,
do manage to brace up to has SO far
this winter. slid out from under them
as it were -s~
j There is no snow to shovel. for these
wanderers. and, time for work on the
ice has not yet arrived. So they are
begging harder than ever
One called at house. recently, where
good hearted woman presides. He
got what he wanted in the way of food,
when his tongue started up. as is usual
when the tramps stomach. is con-
tented. s 's -
Fl say, what 5 tnlS tramp cnalr DuSl-
ness. l read about in the paper, few
days ago." he asked. Il understand
they have one in the police station. to
lock us fellows in. They had picture
e int #: go. good + ss~.. replied n.o...
yet been adopted.
Now, want place where l can
put up" he said.
well, go over to the police station.
They can put you up there. somewhere
on the hunks, Oh the fioor-any' old
place"
The man allowed as how he wouldn't
mind the hunks. but didn't quite like
the idea of the floor: nor did he feel
quite so sure that they wouldn't spring
the patent folding iron chair business
on him and make him sit it out all
night
Eat the tramp finally became reas-
sured and, eased on the prospect of a
nights protection flpm !: the. cold.
changed his subject = ss -.
And say, that somehow a1n16A nc.
now you speak of the polfeSAttion, Of
one fellow named Mccormick Who was
as near the fiend in the tramp line. as
any l have ever seen, and that's say.
ing something considerable. I'll tell
you what that man once did.
1t was in Richmond, some years
ago. 1t got to be along about this
time of the year, when all we boys
along the river We're making our New
Years resolutions to do a little work.
Much to our relief, if / do say it, who
there was no work to be done.
The weather was moderate. and we
all day and loafed about, and
at nights were put up at the little po-
lice station they had there then.
1T was small affair. low and poor
ly ventilated. with only one window.
and that an insufficient one at best.
Nov, when we assembled there
shortly before night fall, there were,
some twelve Of us, and with three in
each of the berths, and the remainder
stretched on the floor we were packed
in altogether too closely''-and even the
speaker the hero of many such an
affair, shuddered at recollection of that
close atmosphere
There was stove in the room, the
draft of which helped out the ventila-
ton" he continued. I'VE were very
then. as far as heat was
"The keeper used to lock us in every
night, and leave us there. to let us
loose in the morning. about sunrise, or
at such time as his royal highness
might deem advisable. /
one morning, early, this Mccormick
that l speak Of, climbed up to the top
Of the police house, by way of shed,
crawling up onto the roof. He took a
board. and placed 1t over the top Of
the chimney: and put stone on it, to
keep it from blowing off.
The boys below weren't slow In find
ing out something was wrong. And
The scene that followed in that dun
-eon. was something terrible. The cs-
,apins smoke and gases. finding no
other vent, came putting out into the
room.
1.-The gang awoke and made rush
Cor the window. No man could stayl
there for long, as his fellows would
hmm on him. and either crowd him to
the floor or else grab him by the neck
and pull till he had to come.
There for a half hour or more we
foupht each other. Two who had been
having an individual scrap over the I
window, being forced to the rear would
punch and hammer away at each other
~ in a corner until, half exhausted.
thew would get IN, to again wait. or /
make an opening to get at the window
when the Keeper came. we were al
,onst dead and / believe if we had to