Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-05

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derin' life and come back to New
York to live like a gent. That same
brother of mine knows durr well that
I'm getting old, and must take the air
brake before long. He'd like to stand
in for that $4,000 bucks, but it'll be
nit. That same beloved brother want
ed to make out that was 'nutty' once,
so as to have me pinched to Black
wells Island. But it didn't work.
He amt got brains enough himself to
make his head ache; but I'll guaran-
tee no ones been kept from sleeping
by the buzzirg of my wheels.
ayes, SIR" continued the old tramp,
replacing the papers in his "trunk. I"
"I calculate that I've done as much
travelling for my age as any man living
has, and its cost me less, too. I've
been from the Atlantic to Detroit to
the gulf about dozen times, and
when get back to New York on this
trip it will make nineteen. I've been
from Detroit to the gulf about dozen
times, and I've been in every state in
the country from one to fifty times. I
never paid a cent for railroad fare in
20 years, and I've rid on just as many
trains as old Chauncey Depew has,
but, of course, was not always so
particular about takin' sleeper.
"How did I come to be tramp?
Well, now, that's askin' a leading
question, and I refuse to answer on the
ground that the answer might crimi-
nate me. 1t wasn't cause I was poor
or desperate, or anything like that,
and whether it was somebody else's
fault, I'll be burned if I'll say. But 1
will say that I had heart in me when
1 was 40 years old, if l was little
homely and kind O. queer, and when
ever any one monkeys with a heart
and rips it up one side and down the
other like it was done to mine, then
man might be expected to do strange
things.
"No, I've never been married, and
never will be, but came all fired near
to it once, and it wasn't my fault that
didn't get hitched, but that amt
worth while talking about.
81 took to the road over 20 years
ago, as I said before, and since then l
have been just plain, penniless wan
derer. left New York one Sunday
afternoon with 500 in my pocket, in
tending to make trip west and back.
went straight to Denver, and staid
around there few days. Then, what
little money I took with me gave out,
and instead of sending to New York
for more, l took notion to start out
travelling without any money. l fell
in with q couple of good fellows in
Denver, and We all took the tie route
to Nowhere. The life kind of suited
me, and I never did care to leave it,
strange as it might seem to you. But
Its fact, there's something kind O.
catching about tramp's life, at least,
I always found it 80. Of course, it is
little disagreeable getting into fixes
like am now, but you're no worse
off when you get through, and you
enjoy life much better after you get
taste of jailing. What's the use of
going to New York and dressin' up
and acting like dude generally, when
I can knock about the world just as
happy as lark, and knowing all the
time that my forturn is getting bigger
instead of smaller. Most people try
to get happiness out of realization, but
II don't. I take the anticipation for
mine. What is comfort, anyway, but
anticipation ? You've always happy in
the thought that you are goin' to get
something, but when you get it, you've
got no use for it Of course, II l
didn't have this money I might be
wanting to steal, borrow or beg some,
but, as long as I've got it, and don't
use it, I'm happy, because I know l
can use it if wanted to. That's the
whole size of it from A to q.
"For five or six years after started
out on the road, I always carried
certificate of deposit in my clothes for
s25, 900, and I had more fun than a
little bit with that piece of paper. l
wasn't afraid of losing it, cause it
made no difference if did. Nobody
could get it cashed but me, and no
one could prove they was me but my
self.
at would've made your heart glad
to see how I'd flash that check on
some fresh guy after he'd ordered me
to move along. I used to flash it
whenever 1 got good chance to take
some mean cuss down, and it always
worked handsome. 1t got me out of
a good many scrapes, and saved me
lots of trouble all around; but at last
somebody stole it from me, and then l
didn't 20 to the trouble of getting
new one. When I'm travelling down
south or in the east generally take
fair-sized certificate with me now,
cause it gives me the visible means,
and saves me lots of trouble, but they
are getting to know me putty we'll all
over now, and don't think I'll need
the paper the next trip.
~ expect to put in about year
more on the turf, and then I'll retire
for good, and just about the time I
commence to feel that the grave is
rood,, for rna TIL fyuD nv money and