Evening journal., 1899-10-10
KNIGHTS OF The ROAD
Annual Meeting and Dini Cr
OF Tramps at Iron Hill.
1T WAS AN UNIQUE AFFAIR

ENPERlENCES-ON MARRIED A
WOMAN WITH A HOME, AN
OTHER BECAME CONVERTED
AND WILL OPEN A STUDIO IN
BOSTON.
Fourteen knights OF the road held
their eighth annual reunion and dinner
in the woods at Iron Hill about
o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The speaker Of the occasion was
George Ashton, the Oldest man in the
Iparty. In the course Of his remarks
he said that he and his friends did not
term themselves tramps. because they
all worked from five to six months in
the year Some work in the packing
houses in Baltimore and others dredge
oysters in the Chesapeake bay Last
Winter was one that will long be re-
membered by the dredgers he said
Pointing to one Of the party by the
name of Brockton, he continued:
Look at him. He had his feet so
badly frozen that his toes and part Of
his foot had to be amputated. There
is our old dog Mckinley we had with
MS last year He also met with an ac-
cident by falling off car near Pitts
burg and having one of his legs cut off.
Now we often carry him in our arms
for miles. l do not mean many at a
time, for we Summer tourists do not
travel many miles a day.
There are three of our fraternity
here to-day who did not meet with us
last year They were detained at
Elizabeth. n. j., but not by their own
wishes The state authorities needed
their services for nine months. so they
would not leave the state in its debt
BY accident one Of our friends here,
Lawrence, met another of our party
who was not with us last year One
evening he stopped at a little truck
farm about supper time to ask for
something to eat, and who should come
10 the door but our old friend Nolan,
Summer before last, while he was tray
eling around he got employment with
the old lady who owned the place, and
in time matters went along nicely, and
she changed her name to Mrs. Nolan.
Nolan says he liked married life and
working around was all right. except
chopping wood, which is a heart
breaker, and if he and his wife ever
have a falling out it will be over cut
ting wood.
Our party has all been accounted
for except AL. Smith, and he has not
shown up for two years. He has, per-
haps, found lonely grave somewhere
land it is no doubt marked unknown"
At this time the cooks announced
dinner The menu consisted Of boiled
ham, cabbage, fried onions, white ant
sweet potatoes. and plenty OF bread
The colored boy artist startled the
company by asking a blessing, but az
ter recovering from their surprise the
= knights partook Of their repast with Z
relish.
f, After dinner the boy artist told his
story. He said that last Winter wheI
he was in Florida he became convert
ed, and since that time he has felt likl
a new man. He also said that thil
would be his last Winter from home
as he expects in the Spring to open ;
studio in Boston and settle down ant
do the same as their friend Nolan. Hi
comrades all wished him good luck.
Many persons wonder how tn
tramps manage to get utensils to cool
with. They have regular places 4
stop, and these are where the cooking
outfits are hidden. When they are don
= with them, they put them back in tb
. same place.
George Ashton, the speaker of thi
{ occasion, has been a tramp for thirt
J. years, and seems to think it is one q
Il the happiest lives a man can LEAD
{ While the knights were arranging fo
their next annual dinner and meetin
place, the colored boy artist painte
some of the surrounding scenery an
F. presented it to the representative of tn
t. Evening Journal, who was present TIL
l. next meeting will be held in sma
d woods along the b. & o. railroad mes
a Darby, on October 9, 1900.
ir Ashton. in saying goodbye to h
y comrades, said: @There are not man
r boys who start out in life with the e.
le pectation of becoming a tramp Mo
IS OF them are about 10 years OF age. an
in after they leave home they go fro
re place to place with the hope of gettir
le good employment. About seventy-fi'
y out of the hundred are disappointe
h. and consequently never get back
ig their homes. Again they often 6
lie ashamed Of themselves and never s