The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-12-24
BILL ARP'S WEEKLY LETTER.
PRESENCE OF BURGLARS IN TOWN
DISTRESS THE PHILOSOPHER.
TRAMPS ARE Adopts ut THIEUNG.
Tho Discussion Of Co-Education Eiiolts
some Very Timely and Well
Intended Remarks.
clark, bark. the dogs do bark
Tho burglar have come % town. -

Tho burglars have come % town.
For years this has been an orderly,
peaceabloRnd honest town. Ever since
the saloons we're abolished there has
been no disturbance Of the public tram
guilty. During al that time our doors
have not been locked at night nor has
our chicken roost been robbed by the
fowl invader The presence of our
faithful dog may have been our pro-
lection, for there have been some few
chickens stolen in these parts. Our
neighbor, Charley Patterson, suffered
some in that way until he bought the
old gallows on which man was hung
a few years ago and built a chicken
house Of the timber. Since then he
can hardly get a darby to put chickens
in il by day, much less to take them
out by night. But our negroes in and
around Cartersville are a clever, indus
trious people and as honest as mankind
are generally. The domestic servants
will take some liberties with little
things that they think we won't miss,
but they have many good traits that
are a set-oh, and so we compromise on
general principles.
But now the burglars have come to
town and alarmed the whole commu-
nifty. I believe they come from up
north where every bad thing comes
from, even to bad weather. The other
day a tramp came to our house and
asked for something to eat. He was
fairly good looking and we'll dressed
Ny wife got him a lunch and asked
him where his home was, and where
he was going He smiled aud said he
had no home and was raised in an
orphan asylum upnorth and was going
to Atlanta in search of work.
Glow do you travel" said she, eff
you have no money!"
"Well, l ride on the freights until
they put me of, ;" he said, "and then 1
wait for another one and ride some
am just taking little trip now more.
to see the country"
There were two of these fellows in
town and they took the rounds asking
for something to eat and always got it.
My opinion is that they are profess
\ sional thieves and their purpose in
calling at so many houses is to pros
! pect the premises. The night after
they were at our house burglars enter
/ ed four houses and stole money They
took $50 from under a sleeping mans
| pillow and smaller sums from the
pockets of other men. A few nights
after they entered three houses and
took a fine gold watch from under a
bankers pillow and the next night a
watch and some money at another
place. They take no clothing nor any
thing to eat. They are white folks, 1
tell you, and are experts in their bus
mess.
Well, Of course, the whole commun-
ityis aroused and especially the women.
Ny wife is not timid woman. She is
more afraid of snakes than of men, but
she, too, got alarmed and made me get
the hammer and the screwdriver and
some bolts and nails and fix up every
door and window. She held the lamp
and watched me all round from room
to room, and 1 mashed a great blood
blister on my finger and it hurts yet.
When all was done to her satisfaction
and we got ready to retire, she sud-
denly told me not to lock the back hall
door, for Uncle Sam had to come in
there in the morning to make fire.
! Considerate woman She knew that
I didn't like to get up
out of warm bed to unlock
the door, Reckon she thinks the
burglars wouldn't be so impolite as to
come in at the back door. Bet they
/ don't get any watch from under my
pillow, for haven't got any. Forty
years ago they got mine just that way
in old DIR. Thompson's hotel in Allan
ia, and have never carried one since.
. They got my pocketbook, too, and a
| little money and some valuable papers.
, They were from up north and were
, very clever men, considering, for in
about a week they sent me all my pa
2 pers back through the mail and the
r letter was postmarked Philadelphia.
q They will give a man back everything
they can't use. Bill Fort told me that
they were a ktnd-hearted set of thieves
4 and he had known them to lean over
s and kiss sleeping man after they had
/ robbed him.
: No, it is white folks who are steal
ing these valuable things, Negroes
. haven't got above chickens and tur.
3 keys yet heard the other day of an
s old darby who prayed every night dur
g ing Christmas for the Lord to send
> turkey to him, but the turkey didnt
come, and so he changed his prayer
and asked the Lord to send him to
2 turkey and his prayer was answered
k that very night. A negro don't hankeI
n after gold watches. He wants some
thing to eat.
But now I want to know what is al
8 this racket about that they call coed