The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-29

that day. no clothing. junk stores, cigar
and tobacco shops, boot black and other
establishments advertising that they
are not closed Sunday or any other
day, but there are tramps, as the Hill
people can testify. 1t is said there
were almost no arrests this week by the
police but it doesn't alter the fact that
few officers stationed around in the
residence districts could make arrests
in the day time with advantage to the
city. Whether or not the weary indivd-
uals who are so i'll starred as TO he run
in at night are released from the po-
lice station in the morning with the
understanding that they are to forage
on the community for their meals, it is
certain that a squad of them will be
seen to scatter and appear at residen-
ces nearly every morning.
1t isn't a pleasant task to turn a
hungry man from ones door unfed. The
average woman may have excellent
ideas on the subject and may thor
Oughly ,disapproVe of feeding a tramp
but she is rather prone to see to it
that he gets a warm breakfast How
! ever the unprecedented visitation Of
these nuisances lately has been the
| cause of hardening her heart. The
boldness of their demands, their impu-
| dence and evident thievish tendencies
have alarmed her and she is now ready
| to unite with the cook in refusing their
| requests for it is seldom indeed that
| the kitchen divinity does not regard
! the tramp with coldness and aversion
and with an i'll concealed desire to
greet him with a thwack of the broom-
| stick.
One of the features in the landscape
| fronting a country house near Harris
burg is an immense placard the size of
| a door, announcing Look out. Cross
| Dog" 1t isn't at all likely that there
| is any dog on the premises but that
| sign bears a very OminOus look and
| doubtless has frowned away many a
tramp. The scheme is recommended to
Scrantonians. A big placard set in
among their favOrite greens that hide
the desolation of winter about their
verandas might be effective, The only
other bug-a-boo likely to appeal
to the imagination of a tramp is
the name of Mrs. Duggan. Utter that
to your unwelcOme visitor and he will
quickly disappear.
One housewife who could never here
tofore listen unmoved to the tale of
wee from the tramp has grown so in
different lately, because of its frequent
repetition, that she allows short audi
ence. The other morning she chased
off with cOntumely and reproaches a
man with smudgy face who insisted
on speaking with her at the door. After
a time her husband telephoned to in
quire what she meant by driving away
the plumber that he had sent to repair
the hot water boiler, whose contents
was flooding the kitchen After the
manner of plumbers, he had appeared
without any visible evidences Of his
calling besides the aforesaid smudge
expecting to make another little triT
back to the shop for tools, and she was
so determined that he must be tram
that she had listened II no eXplana'
tions. The plumber, much mystified
had gone down and complained bitter
ly to the head of the house, and tho
matter was thus adjusted.
Books have been written abou
tramps. Magazine articles. with eX
pensive illustrations. have told of thei
! Vagaties and habits. Great men haVj