Rock Island Argus., 1899-11-21
TRAMP ARMY FOR PARIS.
About 1000 Foboes VIII Go to
the Great Fair.
e VESSEL ALREADY CHARTERED,

Movement Agents Are Now In
France Working Up the Scheme.
They VIII Forage For Their Food
Supplies.
Carl Browne, who led the western
COxey army TO Washington, has trim
med his hair, doffed his leather coat
and abandoned all further attempts at
raising a new army. In Denver and in
Wichita he has for weeks been preach
ing the sew crusade with poor success.
In his last speech he said that the
poor have too much work TO give heed
to his 'On 10 Washington" doctrine.
He therefore accepted the situation
and announced his determination to
hereafter preach expansion, provided
he could secure audiences that would
contribute TO his support.
Browne did not realize that the
Paris exposition had anything to do
with the failure of his project, and
yet such is the fact. Some three
months ago four men, professional
tramps. and yet shrewd men in their
way, met in Topeka and inaugurated
as apparent absurdity has never been
equaled in this country, being nothing
more nor less than an immense eXcur-
sion of tramps to France for the os-
tensible purpose of attending the
great exposition.
These men. Jared Yeoman, Sam
Mitchell, George Purvis and Michael
Delaney. are well known to the tramp
ing been freQuenters of nearly every
tramp camp west of the Mississippi
river. They are not without money,
even though they We're never known
to do a days work. That they have
influence with their kind may be
known from the fact that they have
already secured the pledges of over
100 to join one of the three companies
they have organized
After having shown a mass of cor
respOndence fully corroborating all the
statements made, PurviS. who is Sec
retary of the excursion committee,
gave in detail the origin and plans of
those who conceived this scheme. he
said:
Il assure you that our plans are
practical and that they will be fully
carried out. We may not have enough
means just now to meet all the eX-
penses that will arise. for our num-
bers are already greater than we an
ticipated when we started this move
ment. We expect TO get together about
300 men who wanted 4 good time, and
we have already more than 700. with
the certainty OF having 1000 Delaney
is now in France looking over the
ground and mapping ont our course
prior to our descent upon Paris Here
is a letter from him in which he says
there will be no difficulty, as he has
visited the cities of Rochelle. Mort,
PoitIers. Tours and Orleans.
1--WE now propose to move in three
companies, crossing the ocean in as
many sail vessels, one of which we
have already chartered. Owing to the
prejudice that exists against us we
will make landing at three different
points. Havre, Rochelle and Marseilles.
The latter is the greater distance from
Paris and therefore viii he the first
point made. This company will be I'M
der my immediate directira."
Put do you not anticipate police in
tcrferenceE" was asked.
mo. do not. have been over all
We must do. OF course we will not
travel in a body when we land. but
will deploy over the country between
that point and Paris until we have rep
rescntativcs in Avignon, Valence, Ly-
onS, AuNCrrc. Sens and Melun, enter
ing the big city in small detachments.
The company landing at Rochelle will
pursue the same course, covering the
cities spoken OF by Delaney, who has
already made arrangements with local
men of the rowing fraternity. Another
will land at Havre, being the
first to reach Paris, although it will
be the last one to start. / will not tell
you the port from which we will sail,
rs this is one point which we do not
wish TO become known until after it is
too late for the local authorities TO pre-
vent the congregating of such large
numbers as we will have.
we do not intend TO do anything
dishonest: but, you know, the men will
not go hungry when there is anything
in the country TO eat. We now have in
the treasury more than enough cash to
pay the charter of one vessel and will
have no difficulty in getting all we
need. We intend to do this thing I'D
in style-that is, the style of our own |
kind. Some OF us may never come back. |
Indeed we make our contracts for
crossing the ocean but one way. How |
10 we raise our money: Look at these |
letters. They all contain the advances
for anticipated expenses. You see that |
we do business at more than a dozen |
pCStoffces, not that we are afraid, but /
It is more convenient. And then our
agents make collections every day. |
which moneys are added to the general /
treasury"
This movement is most unique. and,
while it may not reach the proportions
il is as likely to be greater
in volume as smaller, for many who /
follow the profession OF tramp will
work when there is sufficient incentive.