The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-21
HOBOES AFRAID OF
THE TRAMP CHAIR.
htor of Reskabk Instrument for Extinouisbino The
Wandering Willie Tribe Describes rs Successful
Wokmg IN His Nztfpe Place.

HE genus trampihas become an
extinct animal b the vicinity Of
Oakland, Ne. since the sdnp-
ton By the torn authorities Of
IL the tramp char. OF which am
the proud inventor. Ny pride
h. think. a pardonabis one. for live in
. town that for years suffered atominabiy
from the hobo nuisance. the Wandering
Willie fraternity at that time. in fact, be-
came an unmitiga,ed and dangerous evil.
and drove us 10 ADOPT extreme measures.
or be as the mercy Of the va&abond ioafer.
Inspired with a desire to find means OF
freeing from this Nuisance, the community
in which was moot interested. I set my
Wits 20 work and evolved tho tramp chair.
which will describe
II - simply strongly built cage In the
form Of a chair On wheels. Il In 20 con-
sfructed that thu occupant must remain
perfectly quiet IN q sitting position. A
shelf IL placed scar tho top for food. ard
the continuance can be handed about from
place TO place Mt viii. The chief pecuii-
arity OF the chair hes In It's door When
used q method OF punishment tbs cul-
prit Is obliged to enter inio II and sit down.
The door. which Is 10 constructed that IL
foiiews the lines Of the chair. Ii then
ciosed and licked. and the victim Is con-
hned as firmy an though h were glued to
the seat. Another peculiar thing about the
chair In that when the door Is locked ne
cannot draw his feet up. or move any part
Of his body enough to obtain rest. The
chair resembles some OF the ancient In
esrumente OF torture used by the Inaui.
sition, in being only formidable as to APP
pearance. but a terror 10 those who are
forced 70 spend only few hours within
its confines
When l FIRST introduced the chair TO my
surprised townspeopie. attempt after at
tempt was made 10 induce some one to
Eit In the chair as an experiment. but no
ono seemed willing to go back far enough
In Purttanic days to allow himself To be-
come a subject AZ n last resort To show
It's workings. by the assistance Of a s. bill.
I persuaded one man TO enter the chair
and remain there for two and a half hours.
The yicsim remained In the chair for the
length OF time agreed. but at the end OF
his penanca Krasped the money with such
aiacEaty that II was shown he considered
he had earned the reward many times
over.
Through the experiment IL was shown
that had substantiated one Of my claims
that no man could remain in the chair for
any length Of time. and. when he was out
Of the chair, say that he had been thor.
oughly comfortable or that he would be
willing 10 repeat the experiment, even
with money consideration as the reward
for the time he had spent doing nothing
The suggestion OF doing nothing IL one
OF the strong points or the tramp chair
Idea. for the true hobo spends his life in
stndying new ways and means Of accom-
pill hinf that greatest desire OF his lazy
sou'-sbsoiute inactson To he wheeled
about In chair. like n big hahy seems 10
him IN be the acme Of slothfui ease. Ha
steps in for his first .sde In the chair with
alacrity. finds II no; unpleasant for tho
nrst ten minutes. then begins To feel I'M
comfortable. gets eramped, and finds his
bones aching. aud before the end OF an