Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-08-06
Tranlpville.
A wisconsin village which Has Three
Hundred Inhabitants, All Tramps.

A wisconsin village which Has Three
Hundred Inhabitants, All Tramps.
Ten miles from Brule, Wis, is about the
oldest town in the country. 1t has 300 in
babitants. every one of them tramp. 1t
is a village of tramps. 1t is also some
thing of a Utopia, says the Milwaukee
Sentinel No one pays rent; no one works;
everybody loafs; all are fat, happy and lazy.
There may not be $40 in the town, and
there is no reason for the possession OF
money. There is nothing to buy and moth
ing to sell Vulgar commerce never dis
turbs the peace Of the community. The
houses are new, the streets are broad.
Near 10y are the deep waters OF Lake Su-
perior. aud ten miles inland is the railroad
runninl between Ashland and Superior.
The railroad is handy when any member
of the community decides upon taking a
little tour. and the lake is convenient be-
cause of the fish it furnishes. Within a
radius of half a dozen miles are enough
farms to supply the village with pilfered
produce.
These farmers and the few people who
know of the existence of the place call 1t
Trampvlle. The railroad men who have
heard of it describe It as 1obohurst-by-th the
lake. The residents, however, adhere to
its official title-Clevedon.
Back in 1880 a syndicate of English capt.
talists conceived the idea that a town could
he established at the mouth of the Boise
Brule river, which in time would compete
with the city OF Superior and attract much
of the lake traffic here the Brule river
flows into Lake superior the lana was
cleared, and town site mapped out. Me-
chanlcs and builders oil all KINDS were EN-
81 l.
ployed with lavish hand, ana houses
and buildings grew up almost IN nlght'
Such quantities OF money we're poured IN.
TO the scheme that Clevedon soon attracted
attention IRON the outside world, ana
numerous families came 10 the place, bought
lots and put up homes.
In year Clevedon had a population OF
| about 100 people and seemed destined TO
/ become the great town the syndicate had
/ planned. y big hotel was erected, streets
were laid out, and the well-huilt and bright
/ lypalnted cottages gave the place an ar OF
/ busting prosperity.
But the tide OF lake commerce refused 10
sweep upon Clevedon. 1t kept on moving
toward Duluth and Superior Just as 1t had
before the advent OF the new city. Then
the population began to fade away. Cot
tage after cottage was deserted, and the
next calamity was the collapse OF the iund
behind the syndicate. Two or three times
the syndicate secured additional backing
and made powerful Efforts to revive inter
est IN the place, hut the energy and money
were wasted. CleNedon could not be re
suscitated. by l>"O 1t was as dead as any
place could be. Every one had left. The
neat little houses we're empty The big
hotel took on ghostly look Grass grew
up IN the welI-laid streets. 1t was as 81
lent as the pine forests surrounding 1t. NJ
one ever went that way. 1t Is many miles
of the general line of travel, hidden II
thick woods on all sides except where Il
faces the waters Of the lake.
Three years ago some wandering vii
lie discovered it. Perhaps years ago he
was one OF those who had put his money
and faith IN the prosperity of Clevedon