Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-06-26
NUMBER II.
Just A Homeless Tramp.

just Homeless Tramp.
Last Tuesday evening about twi-
light-whlle the placid sun was sink
ing over the western horizon to make
preparations to sleep and slumber
during the silent highland in the
far off North, behind black pillar of
clouds-could be seen Jupiter hurting
thunderbolts hither and thither:
Mars, Venus and Plato in the back
ground. as happy as happy can be
but keeping wistful watchout lest
some impending danger may accrue
from the hurling of those uncombus-
tible thunderbolts from the electric
artillery in the heavens, guided Dy
the iron hands of Jupiter-but-gen
tie reader. as we said before. it was
about twilight last Tuesday evening
that an accident, very sad to mention,
for as the weSt-bound passenger train
pulled into our beautiful depot and
took aboard its passengers-all but
one, and who was that? Can you
guess? He was just poor homeless
tramp, he never had no money with
which to pay his fare; he has no place
he can call home; his mother and
father died while he was baby.
He knew it would be of no avail to
use his influence to get the conductor
to carry him free. consequently this
poor homeless tramp went about three
hundred yards ahead of the train.
where the conductor could not see
him catch the train. but, alas. the
engineer had the throttle wide open
and. was moving very rapidly, still
this homeless tramp made an attempt
to catch the baggage car next to the
engine but failed, and then he waited
till the second baggage car reached
him and he made another attempt
which proved more disastrous than
/ hn for l,n
faster, still he made dash for the
steps and in grabbing the rail
| ing the train hurled him over two
double SomerSaultS and landed on his
right side. He was not injured, save
scratch in the palm of his right
| hand. a crowd soon gathered, in
Guiding a WORLD reporter, he was
questioned in regard to his serious
miShap, but, as he was deaf and dumb
and could not talk, a pad and pencil
was brought into service, upon inveS-
! tigation we learned that he was
printer by occupation, and a member
of the ST. Louis Typographical Union
No. 8, with certificate of member
ship in his pocket. He was bound for
/ Pensacola, Fla, in search of employ
ment. The introduction. of type sett-
Ting machines has thrown thousands
of printers on the road, and this poor
homeless tramp is one of the victims.
| Kind reader, did you ever let the
thought reverberate on YOUR mental
pabulum-even for one brief mo-
rhent-the life and hardships that are
brought to bear on this poor homeless
wanderer-wandering over the face
of this precious earth of ours in search
of employment that he may earn his
| bread and meat by the sweat OF his
brow. He has no idea in his imagi-
nations beyond that of his destina-
tion-ouuside of that he does not
w IN nr bn
drift. He is hunting work and asserts
that he will continue to do so until
his last strength is relaxed-despite
the fact that starvation is staring
him in the face. Just think of it one
brief moment. gentle reader, COM
pare the position of this poor home
less wanderer to that of yours, can
you draw a contrast?
From further personal inyeStiga-
tion we learned that he had been on
the road nine months and twenty-one
days He started from San Fran
cisco on September 2, 1896, and has
been on the road continuously, not
stopping only in large cities and al
lowing one day to each city. He has
covered all the Northern and Eastern
states. and he asserts with frown on
his face, that every place he inqnired
for work he found business in all
channels of trade at a standstiH. He
further asserts that every way he
turns his head-heil eternal Stares
him in the face-despite all these
obstacles strewn in his path he says
he will continue to search for work
and says lie is determined to have it
or die in the attempt.
His intentions is to cover the south
ern states, from Denver he goes
through the Oklahoma Territory
down through Louisiana. thence to
Florida, if he has good luck he will
reach Pensacola about September 15.
Before parting with the WORLD re-
porter, he wrote the following on a
piece of paper and handed it to US for
publication:
Life is nothing but Tiny,
Tempest-Tossed Bubble, float
ing through aerial space into
the Sea of Oblivion