The Elbert County tribune., 1900-01-18
FEEDS TRAMPs.
..,,sor.s HoTELFoR HoRoEs
.,~sts of the Road Arc Warmed
= rsd-nu't Work Two Hour. Tor .
- - 4 Hay and rsn-cent breakfast

=. correspondent of the Chicago
.iiSrd id writing from Afchison' Kan
= a's' ,nvn claims to treat tramps
Ihs han any other city in the
kla States. and also contends that
t'ir ,he hobo better regulated than
~ Mace. 1t is a violation of
~ g ~ ordinances here for any one
re w ramps. They are cared for
NJ ~ clty hall, where special apart
M have been made for them. and
-ssre meals are served three times
y when tramp stops a pedestrian
"a ,As street and asks for money with
- 10 buy food, he is directed to
~ INV building, and box car tourists
y ~ No handouts at residences are
~ y ,nformed of the tramp quarters.
- ,ramp quarters are looked after
!. no city TALLER, the police depart
.,t being in the city building. When
nm wants lodging, he appears be-
- the miller. registers, and deposits
y baggage, If he has any, in the
- as he would at a hotel. He is
s.n escorted into the sleeping room.
,.aund the sides OF the wall are hunks
w mueh like tourist sleeper hunks.
~ hunks are two layers high and
= .ecommodate thirty-five dodgers at
:. fine. The hunks are filled with
- hay every night. on which the
,seprs sleep. nearly always with their
sshss an. They have blankets, which
= rent free from vermin, and, In
"A tbe room is thoroughly disinfected
~, Few days. The floor is of arti-
tdal stone and is so made that the
~ can be turned on and the walls,
,rrks and floor washed clean. and the
,,ter runs through Il hole in the floor
- the sewer. The tramps have cleo
a lights and stove, and plenty of
|r4L
A new and important addition to the
r,mp quarters is bathroom with
rrrelaln bathtub, and hot and cold
,tpr. The bathroom is heated by
sssm. and there is n bed in the room
which the Wandering Willie can lie
hwn II he is fatigued from the effects
4 wafer.
The meals served to the tramps cost
de city 10 cents each. and, while there
no Die nor cake in the bill of fare,
N food Is wholesome, and there is
ikuty Of It, and n sufficient variety to
ailsfy the appetite. Some kind of
nat Is served with each meal and also
,atoes bread and coffee. The bin
fare often includes pickles, sauer-
r1ut tomatoes beans, honiny, rice,
| a. II a tramp wants n shave, he can
ma razor and looking glass from the
aser. kept for the purpose. The only
lnvlsion Is that he must shave him
1 W. or get one of his pals to shave
| ln The police department does not
hnish a barber
b return for lodging and meals,
|say tramp must work two hours on
| n rock pile. breaking up macadam
| b the streets. If tramp applies a
Aond time for lodging and meals. he
,ur work six hours on the rock pile,
| nj II he shows up IL third time, he
fined for vagrancy, and thrown into
u for from twenty to hundred
|ts II tramp is too dirty he is
| rlered to take bath. and II he re-
hse charge of vagrancy is placed
lulnst him, and he is sentenced TO
| rt on the streets of the city or on
y rock pile.
lamps are not taken care of In this
unner altogether on humane grounds.
| ne system collects the tramps under
: eye Of the law for the night, and
NJ cannot commit offenses. Those
1il fear to show their faces at the
fan department. are considered sus-
pknas characters by the police and mr.
mi& II they cannot give n good
tmunt Of themselves they are fined
,agrancy and the authorities look
nelr records. Several crooks have
Nn discovered as n result of this
.faod and turned over to the au-
.annes In towns where they are
n'led. Often laborers are wanted,
= u such cases the tramps are in
N1su wnere they can get work. Dur
ue winter months the number of
sefs averages about fifteen night.
N noooes must have been patriotic
= enisted In the army, for the num-
registered at Atchison has been
siIh e 'ne war WIN
as an odd fact that in every crowd
"ugers VIII be found very young
= snc very old men. Men as high
,sn'y years Of age, without homes
uainplng over the country, have
..speu The hunks in the tramp quar-
~ is common thing to see gray
80 men in the tramp quarters.
Se 10 say, the number Of colored
AZ. +sis Is very small compared to the