Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-30
PROJECTION IS NEEDED.
A Railway omcial Talks sense on
the Tramp Nuisance.

the Tramp Nuisance.
That awful tragedy on the Grea,
Western near Marshalltown the other
day makes me wonder more than ever
what will be the outcome of the tramp
question: remarked prominent Bur
lington official to an tOttumwa Courier
reporter the other day. Things have
came to such pass that every member
of train crew should carry a revolver
for self-protection, and yet there is abb
solutely no warrant in law for such ar
faction.
THE impression prevails that because
trains are not held up as frequently now
as they used to be in this section few
years ago; the tramp question is gradu-
ally solving itself. but such is not the
case by any means. l think every man
in Iowa will bear me out in the asser-
ton that the tramp nuisance was never
greater nor more serious than it is to-
day. Several years ago bands of trampss
would by sheer bulk and numbers take
possession of train and insist upon
being carried to the end of the division,
or as far as they wanted to travel on
that particular day, but they We're gem
orally good natured and harmless as
compared with the fellows who make ii
| q business to beat their way on the
| roads today. We Well remember how
the companies used to cut trains in two
| and try all kinds of tricks to outwit the
| hoboes, but it rarely happened that
| trainmen were compelled to defend
| their very lives.
Almost every day we hear of some
bold deed perpetrated by one of the hobo
/ type, wherein the life of the employe of
4 the road and also the safety of the train
| is jeopardized. Many of the trainmen
| are equal to any emergency or bluff
that comes up, and their physique is in
/ their favor. have a brother out on the
west end, who very seldom has any
1 trouble with tramps. He gives his or
/ ders and they look at the man and get
out. He can handle three or four orcli-
nary men in a fistic encounter, and un-
i less he runs amuck of an armed hobo.
does not fear any of them. The num-
Der of reinforcements which the hobo
company might have don't make much
difference to him, either. But there are
thousands of employees of railroad com
panies in the train service who would
not prove anything near match for
i the average tramp, that has no other
ambition than that of seeing how nervy
u
have some protection. Assaults from
hos are entirely too frequent, and 1t is
high time that some legislation should
be made relative to this important
4 question.
4 The public is vitality interested in
this matter. If things have come to
such pass that trainmen are liable to
be killed between stations and trains
Ice IL to "; ~,
something should be done When
worthless scoundrels can kill trainmen
and throw their bodies under the
wheels to be cut to pieces the railroads
are going to clamor for laws that will
protect them. Railroads are often ac.
! cused of working for laws that espe-
lcially benefit them, and guess they do
| for they need special rights and pro-
lection, and every particle of 1t in TURF
, benefits the public. 1 think that tn.
coming general assembly ought to take
|, up the tramp question and solve it fol
all time.
What would suggest is law max
ing it criminal offense for any person
! to board train with the intention OF
beating ride. If some poor cuss steal.
a few chickens he gets sent down t.
Fort Madison. If man beats his wa,
over the entire length of the Burling
. ton without being discovered, defraud
ing the company out Of several dollars
he is considered cute by some people
If he is killed while stealing ride ant
J leaves relative on earth they thinl
: they are damaged.
There are three or four months IL
levery year in which the elements o