The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-22
Vernacular of a Noq.

The city detective had landed a vagrant In
the cooler" the night before. and this morn
ing he dropped in at the station to look him
over Defore the man hailed before the
ponce Judge. He was typical tramp, a su-
perlative tramp; possibly an exaggeration OF
all tramp characteristics: the ne plus ultra
OF American vagabondage; Weary William
personihed y
PROFESSIONALLY, the detective was well yersed
IN thieves cant and the slang of the day.
Wlth nearly all classes, of the slums and I'M
derworld he could "patter" quite intehigently
so when the keen eyes of Weary William
caught sight of the city official standing be-
rore the cell grating in the gloom of early
morn the latter was not startled by the re-
quest:
Gimme fuse boss"
A cigarette was tossed through the bars of
the cage seized and promptly lighted.
Going to plead guilty?" the detective in
quired
sure l give him wheeze de las time.
an he's onto me-"
How have You lived the last thirty days?'.
Dumping"
'Bhr'
Jumps Chickens ye know"
On. yes. All. good morning Mr. Bliss"
me sanitation was respectfully addressed
to tail young man. of reverent aspect wear
ing enc cloth and air OF clergyman
'Iood morning" replied the young preach
en- you have no objections to my talking a
few moments with this MANI,
None IN the least, but-er-are you quite
sure you speak the language?"
Language! He--he speaks English, sure
English as she is spoke on the road.
certainly. But go ahead
M! GOOD man." said the clergyman turn
talk to me?' s8s- ~
Sure thing. Politics?'
oh' no. l would do you good. if possible.
ana In order to do So tell me something of
your lie. Where did you come from here ?''
well, III tell you. boss. l was out for
de long straw las fall',-
Long straw!"
Harvest After she was over, went
thrashin, blew in my wad and went broke
IN Montevideo, Minnesoty. But there was
plenty of punk in the country, an while twas
warm Weoder foppings was good in box
cars
'Wad? Punk? Floppings?"
Wad is money; punk is bread, and flop.
pings Is place in which to sleep" explained
the detective.
Inc heterogeneous character of his patois
is, indeed. singular. 1 am
Say, boss, don't land so heavy on me
character, interposed the vagrant. 1 know
I'm tough. but don't call me hetrogenus.
Don't do it."
Why, my man. nothing was further from
my thoughts than to cast any reflections
upon you whatever. The definition OF
heterogeneous is-but never mind. Tell me
more about yourself"
Sure. I had to hike out"
"Hike?"
Drill"
'Drin?"
eyes. l moped about ten miles to tank
an jumped an extry. The shack was q
good guy, but the con fred me, an had ter
hit de gravel
AS the clergyman looked up blankly into
the face of the detective, the latter explained
He walked out ten miles to water tank
and boarded freight train. The brakeman
was a clever fellow, but the conductor put
him off the train
''Yes. an bull pinched me at Glencoe"
Policeman arrested him." again interrupt
ed the detective.
Il puts up a big talk to de judge an he
let me go wild a promise not ter become
chronic
'Chronic?" inquired the clergyman.
"Hes one ahead of me, this time" laughei
the detective. What do you mean by
chronic?''
pokeouts, shoveouts an dukeys.'
Back door lunches" said the detective
Sure Then I struck in wild Slim Oscar
an me an him went down inter de jungle
an made combine. Dere was party O.
| muskfakirs an wire workers an dey Clipped
| in wild some DOPE
Il think from what I can gather" said The
detective, that he and Oscar went into
piece of woods where they made a stew o.
stolen chickens, onions. strips of beef ant
potatoes. There were some gypsy peddlerl
and workers in odd wire goods and orna
ments, and they supplied beer for the party
Am l right?'
You called de turn, boss" answered TIL
tramp. Dere was dingy among U.S."
"a dingy!' This from the clergyman.
"a shine
HE means negro"
What happened them"
might. The hull push jumped a through
freight; she give de high-ball at every town
'High-ball?"
Yes; two short snorts frum de engine da
was pullin' US. OATS q signal dat dey ISM
| goin' ter STOP So we all cum on through an
scattered"
MY man. said the clergyman, 81 heal
you are going to plead guilty and will. like
| ly, be sentenced to thirty days. Here Is &
| dollar. 1t will hardly pay your fine but keeI
| it for punk when you come out Don't spend
| 1t for DOPE" Richard F. Steele.