The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-22
PRELATE PLAYS TRAMP
or BISHOP COLEMAN IN
THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.
Disguised as Hobo an Aged and Pop
uIar Clergyman Spends Two
Weeks ON the Road.
Wilmington Del) Letter in Chicago Times

-N
Wilmington (Del.) Letter in Chicago Times
Herald
For years the venerable Episcopal bishop
of Delaware, Right Rev Leighton Coleman,
has aimed to put in portion of his summer
vacation in getting close down TO the people
Though he has dined with the Queen of
Great Britain. chatted with the Prince of
Wales and sat in the council as one of the
vice presidents of the Lambeth conference.
and though he would be a welcome guest at
any Of the summer gatherings of great
men. social and political, in this country
Bishop Coleman prefers rather to east his
lot among humble strangers who dwell in
cottages and innocence and ignorance. And
now that he has come home again. his resi-
dence is besieged with friends who find COM
fort and pleasure in the story of his jour-
neyings
For two weeks in September he was lost
to the world, and in the guise of an aged
tramp "hot-fOoted it, as the hoboes have
1T, from Martinsburg, w. Va, to Rowney.
thence across the Blue Ridge TO Grafton.
along the Valley of the Cumberland, COM
ing out after a while on the highlands
crossing back over the mountains, and
vending his lonely way back to his COM
Portable home Two hundred and thirty
five miles he has traversed at an average
rate of something more than twenty-five
miles day, and once registering the record
of twenty-six. Often he has laid down to
sleep at night in the tall grass al the road
side after partaking of a crust of bread
from his kn2psack and bathing his face in
a nearby stream Sometimes he has housed
with worshiping families, and so far forgot
himself in the new character of tramp
as to lead them in fervent prayer.
Wonderful adventures for man sixty-one
years old who has been am active brain
worker since boy and has lived to be one
of the best known clergymen of this coun-
try. TiredT Yes, the bishop was tired
sometimes He admits that, Days there
with more hardships than material gain.
But he has come home with youth renewed
in old age and lessons which renew his Wig
orous preachngs of the gospel.
THE BISHOPS TRAMP BEGINS.
Travel with him on that ten days jour
ney and you will see more of the real life
as it is lived by the common people than
you will see pictured in books or lived in
the crowded cities. Bishop Coleman, now
the unknown and unheralded tramp, wakes
from nights restless sleep at the way
side. He has supped bread crusts and
water and breakfasted on water and crusts
Along comes wagon carrying farmer to
town. He glances at the tramp, first with
suspicion, and then, as he observes the gray
t nair ana the white beard, he pulls up the
team and asks: Coin far?'
Yes, good bit down the road" answers
the tramp.
Room for another here" says the farmer
as he spreads out the blanket. Better come
up and ride. It's purity tough for an old
man like We to be wallIin'. Where be yez
goin? To Washington. Col that be long
way afoot. Lookin' for work, be ye? Wal,
l reckon we kin find enough to keep you in
bread and board back yonder in the village.
oIlds lomklnS, lndt keeps the store, IS look
ing for hand, and l shouldn't wonder if
you'd just about suit him."
And so the venerable tramp gets down
and goes back. Night comes on and he turns
in at a farmers gate and asks for place
to sleep. There was room for him that
first night out from the comforts of Bishop
a welcome among those he had never known
before Supper of corn bread and salt pork
and good fresh butter and homemade bread.
and then clean straw tick to sleep on.
Morning came, and with it breakfast.
Back in his school days in Philadelphia
Leighton Coleman, the boy, was the cham
plOn walker He was a star member of the
walking club. After he left the Episcopal
Academy he went to college and won belt
as the champion walker. OF this exercise
he has continued to be an active advocate,
and, though he works till midnight always
and rises to work early, not a day of his
afford time for the regular exercise Be-
sides, he has never tasted tea coffee or
stimulants. Consequently the tramp of that
first day Of the vagabond left no firing eff
fects when he arose from the farmer 5
straw bed.
THRUST OUT BY A TAVERN KEEPER.
Trudging on in the dust, he stopped fire.
quently during the morning to talk with la
borers in the field. Sometimes they took
kindly to his digniied manner and vener-
able appearance, sometimes not Night
came again and clouds lowered. Tired, and
fearing rain the old man hurried to coun-
10
for the night He surveyed the stranger at
a glance, and then spoke up abruptly:
Mop chuck full might"
Cant sleep on the floor. asked the
tramp. I've Travelled since early morning
and I'm tired out"
" 'Fraid not" and that settled the discus
sion.
Then he sought a near by farmhouse The
lights were out; the farmer and his house,
hold doubtless were asleep, but the dogs
on guard certainly were not. They met him
at the gate and the tramp bishop was run
ming down the road as fast as his legs could
carry him.
BY and by, in the middle of the night, the
bishop came to an old schoolhouse. Il could
tell it was schoolhouse," he relates, "by
Under the q red them one b
one, and finally found a blind that swung
open. could tell by feeling that the lower
part OF the sash was gone The window was
a foot or so above my head, and how was l
to get in? Well, / found rail, and, brac-
ing it, against the sill and the ground,
that one finds always yin a country school
house-the odor of the pine desks and the
bread and butter of yesterday / lay down
on the floor of that humble seat of learning
as | have lain many a time at school long
ago and dreamed of my boyhood, with my
knapsack for a pillow. / was up and off
betimes in the morning. ready for another
days tramp. OF course 1 didn't rest as I
would have rested in my own bed. but you
see, / could lie down in the grass in some
shady part of the roadside and make up for
lost time"
Another night followed a day of varied
experiences. A farmer kindly gave him en-
trance to a hay loft and there he passed
the night. 1t was better than the school
house floor, and the tramp was satisfied
Daylight came again, and with it more
kind words. mingled with harsh ones, and
more experiences with the country folk In
West Virginia, as i'm most States, the roads
through the country frequently course
highways are often darker than is condu-
Give to the safety of wayfarers. Bishop
Coleman encountered one of these places as
the darkness had settled down in earnest
Suddenly. there appeared before him an
ominous-lOoking object. Filling his lungs
like bellows, he yelled at the top Of his
voice. Who's there?"
Me, suh" came hack quick 'Please,
sub, | don want nuthin, sub. Use JUS wait
in heah Use all right"
1t was big negro. What he wanted in
his satisfaction. and he came away from
the spot before the colored man could enter
into a further discussion, if. indeed, he
cared to speak another word. He was
thoroughly frightened, and but for the fact
thar the bishop aWOke the trees with his