Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-15

ticularly during the warm months. In the
winter they are known to seek shelter in
the large cities, where they swell the ranks
| of the discontinued and complaining, and
| accept benefits from charitable societies.
They certainly are not tramps in the hobos
r,strely calling them gay cats" is that
| they work when they have to and tramp
only when the weather is fine.
Many of them really prefer working to
begging. but they without employment
during several months in the year, and are
constantly grunfblng about their lot in the
resentative unemployed men of the coun-
| ny and are gradually developing a class
feeling among themselves. They always
speak of their Kind as 1.-The poor" and of
the people who employ them as 1.-The rich"
| and they believe that their number is con-
tinualy increasing. &c.
| g. studying the "Gay CATS ....
For the past year it has been one of my
duties to keep well in touch with this
c.ilSs. AT the request of railroad official
WHO has been considering an innovation in
railroading, have made some special in
Vestigations regarding all who trespass on
the steel thoroughfares.
The attitude OF the comDany iowa rd
this class of trespassers," he said in talk
ing to me about the matter. must neces-
as long as they both use the same methods
of tra"el bit L have often wondered
whether there are enough of those who
claim to be merely unemployed men to
justify railroad compa MES in experiment.
| ing with a cheap train a day. somewhat
similar in make up to the fourth class in
Germany and Russia, for their patronage
AT present the trouble is that we can't Tell
whether they would support such a train
and l personally am not convinced that all
| of them are as honest out-of-works as they
say they are, when arrested for stealing
rides. If you can gather any data con-
corning them which will throw light on the
| matter. should be glad to have it."
All told, l have met on the railroad dur
ing the past year about 1000 men and
boys who claimed to be out -of-Works and
rot professional vagabonds tramps. In
saying that have met them mean that l
have talked with them and learned a good
deal about their history, present conditions
and plans and hopes for the future They
talked with me freely as with one of
| their own set; indeed, they seemed to as
sun:e that l belonged among them. l have
made their acquaintance up to date in ten
different states. and in cities like New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore. Cincinnati,
Pittsburg. Cleveland and Chicago.
The most striking thing about them is
that the majority are practically youths,
the average age being about twenty-three
years. both west and east. OF any 1000
out-of-works. fully two-thirds were be-
tween twenty and twenty-five years old;
the rest We're young boys under eighteen
and mature men anywhere from forty to
seventy.
Youths of all classes of society Rave their
wanderjahre and so much time during this
period Is taken up with mere roaming that
| 1t is easy to understand how many OF them
must be without work from time to time.
1t is also true that young men are more
hasty than their elders in giving up jobs
on account of some real or supposed al
front; life is all before them. they think,
anyhow. and meanwhile they do not intend
to knuckle down to any overbearing en-
ployer In certain parts of the country. on
account of crowded conditions, 1t must be
stated. Furthermore, that it is difficult for
a certain number of young men to get
suitable employment.
Its Sociological Bearing.
There is a sociological significance how.
ever about the present strikingly large
number of young men who are beating
their way over the country the railroads
There is gradually being developed in the
United States class of wanderers who NAV
be likened to the degenerated ..Hapdwerks
burschen" of Germany. They are not nee
essarily apprentices in the sense that the
Observation-Disclosures" usually are al
though the great majority of them have
trades and make some effort in winter at
least, to work at them, but they are almost
the exact counterpart of the "Burschen"
In their migratory habits. Years ago The
travelling apprentice was a picturesque fea-
ture in German life and it was thought quite
proper and useful that he should pack IN
his tools every now and then, get out his
wheelbarro&. and take a jaunt into the
those days. and there was no such induce-
ment as there Is now to take long. unbroken
trips. A few miles day was the average
stint. and at the end of a fortnight or nos
s.bly a month. he was ready and glad to
go to work again.
This Is not the case today. The contem-
porary "Handwerksbursch" works just as
little as he can. and travels in fourth-class
cars as far as the rails will carry him In
a few years, unless there. is some home in
fiuenee to bring him back. he generally
wanders so far afie.d that he becomes
victim of Die Ferne." thing Of romance
and poetry to his sturdier ancestors of
Luthers time, which for him has become
a snare and a delusion. German yaga-
bondage Is largely recruited from German
apprentices. 1t Is the same love of .sDie
Ferne.s the desire to get out into the world
and have adventures Independent of pa
rental care and guidance which accounts
largely for the presence Of 30 many young
men in the ranks of the unemployed in
this country. As have said. they are
not tramps Or ''hoboes," but neither are