The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-01-27

| To-The Tramp'ss Wardrobe-Sun-
day the Wost Day of All-Lady
| S"hO Treated a Tramp as q Guest,
Forgetting He Was a Beggar.
| Besides studying the persons Of whom
he pegs and to whom he adapts his ghost
! stories as their different natures require
| tite tramp has also to keep in mind the
tlme OF day, the state of the weather and
| the character of the community in which
| he is begging. That is, of course, the ex-
pert tramp. The amateur blunders on re-
! saruless OF these important details, and
asks for things. which have no relation to
the time of the day, the seasons or the
locality
lis bad form, for instance, to ask early
in the morning for money to buy a glass
OF whisky, and it is equally inopportune
TO request contribution toward
the purchase of a railway ticket late
at night. The tenderfoot is apt to make
both of these mistakes, the expert, never.
Ihe steady patrons of beggars, and all old
hands at the business have such, seldom
reallze now completely adjusted to local
| conditions ghost stories are They prob
|
told to them time and again and in the
same way, but if they observe carefully
they will generally find that either in
the mobilization of the voice or the tone of
expression it is different on rainy DAYS,
| Tor instance, from what it is when the
sun shines. 1t takes a trained ear to dis
crlmlnate, and expert beggars realize that
nj ch VI the skill is lost even on persons
| VINO give to them, but they are artists in
| their way and believe in art for arts sake
linen, too, it is possible that they will
encounter somebody who will appreciate
! their talent, and this is also a gratifica-
| ton.
speaking generally, there is more beg
| g1ng done in winter than in summer and
IN the East and North than in the South
| ana west but some of the cleverest beg
glng takes place in the warm months.
| IL IS comparatively easy to get something
| to at and a bed in lodging house when
the thermometer stands 10 degrees be-
low zero. A man feels mean in refusing
an appeal to his generosity at this time of
ene year. Il may be cold and hungry
sulie uay myself, he thinks, and he gives
the beggar a dime or two
In summer, on the other hand the
tramp mas no freezing weather to helm
MIN out and has to invent excuses. Even
the story of no work is of little use in
the summer. This is the season. as a
rule when work is most plentiful and
| When Wages are highest, and the trarnn
knows and is aware that The. n1,h,,s sI..p
understands this much of political econ
olny. nevertheless, he must live in sum-
lIer as we'll as in winter, and he has to
plan ol1terently for both seasons.
Ihe mann d1tference between his sum-
ner ana winter campaigns is that he gen.
in Gil
small towns where people are less ."on
~ MN, ana where there are all kinds of
Tree doses (places to Sleep in the shape
OIL oarns and empty homes. In November
ne returns to the cities again to get the
benefit Of the cold weather dodge or
goes South to Florida, Louisiana and
! Texas. ai'o
Probably $1,000 Eastern and Northern
tramps winter in the South every wear
1neir luck there seems to be entirely in
uudI' some DO we'll and others bare
i've. They are all glad however, to
return North in April and go over their
OLD routes again.
An amusing experienca +ba+ h,a
long ago illustrates the different kind of
} tactlcs necessary in the tramp's sun
mer campaign. So far as I know. he has
never maze use of the story that did me
euch sood service, and that was told in
al truthtulness, but it has since occurred
| - /
relate 1t here so that the reader NAV
not pe taken unawares If some tramp
snould attempt to get the benefit of #
IN the spring of 1898 had to make an
inspection for railroad company of the
tramp situation on some railroads in the
mlddle west. During the first month of
the investigation I lived like A. veritah1a
tramp, so far as travelling was concerned,
out paid for my meals out of funds
sent to me in small installments by a
friend In the East. Once the remittance
from the East was delayed little, and
found myself one day at dinner time
| down to my last nickel.
[ was travelling in quite a. comnanv IF
FOUNDERS, and on the day in question we
were beating our way on a freight train
toward town where there was a Door
house night shelter. Noontime found us
all hungry, and we got off the train at
a small village to look for lunch. 1t was
such diminutive place that it was de-
cided that each man should pick out his
particular beat, and confine his search
to the few houses it contained. If some
tailed to get anything, those who were
more successful were to bring back hand
outs.
MY beat was so sparsely settled that I
hardly expected to get so much as a
piece Of bread, because the entire village
I was known to hate tramps, but an in
l.
| the fields, and I got set-down and
hand-out at the first house 1 visited.
/ The interview at the back door ran
thus:
Madam" she was rather a severe
looking woman, II have exactly cents
| IN my pocket and I am awfully hungry
know that you don't keep boarding
house, but have come to you thinking
! that you will give me more for my nickel
than the storekeeper will over in the
village: I shall be obliged to you if you
will help me OUT -.~~. - s.~.--.--....
A look Of surprise came into the wom-
ans face. I was a new species to her,
and knew it, and she knew it. ...
Don't know whether we've got any
| thing you want she said, as If were
O guest rather than a wayfarer. ''--.
ANYTHING will do. madam, anything"
I replied, throwing into my words all
| the sincerity Of which a hungry man is
capable. She invited me into the dining
room, and gave me a most satisfying
meal. There were no conversational in
terruptions. ate my meal in silence,
and the woman watched me. The new
species interested her.
Just as I was finishing she put some
sandwiches, cake and pie into newspa-5
per- had made good impressions.
There" she said, as I was about to go.
"You may need It."
| held out my nickel and thanked her.
She blushed and put her hands behind
her back.
T don't keep HOTEL she said rather
indignantly.
But, madam, want to pay you. I'm
no beggar."
You wouldn't have got It IL you had
been. Good-by."
The tramps' methods Of begging, as has
been said, are largely regulated by CIR
cumst stances and experience, but even the
amateurs among them have theories
about the procession. and they are Eaver