The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-08-10

ward the nils In the south, W1tn the
long. low. green valley and its winding
stream in the center lying between,
and the towers, steeples and chimneys
Of a village peeping above the trees at
at the western end. Behind the cottage
rolled away broad fields, now nearly
stripped of their harvests, and nearer
stood well-filled barns and granaries,
ems showed the thrift and plenty Of the
owners.
On the broad porch of the house sat
two middle-aged men, Lastly smoking
and occasionally exchanging q desult-
DRY word. On the steps below them sat
girl Of thirteen. with a book in her
hand, which she was not reading.
Some one was coming slowly down
the road-some one they did not know.
Nathaniel Richards tried to make out If
he were some old friend, when he came
into full view, and his suspicious were
vertfied-it was only a tramp: a~typical
dusty. dilapidated, Tootsore tramp. He
paused at the gate, but opened it and
came up the walk, looking wistfully
and conctliatingly at the men.
He limped; his clothes were as bad
az they could be; his face was thin,
bronAed by the sun, and not at all
clean: but his blue eyes seemed mild
and beseeching, and he did not look
bad" or dangerous. He removed his
old hat as he approached and said,
hesitatingly:
II am very tired and hungry and
am looking tor work, Would you kind
~ give me something to eat tonight,
and give me some directions"
Mr.. Richards spoke up sternly.
you aren't looking for work. It's
your own fault II you're hungry.
don't mean to encourage such people
by givin' 'em anything"
"Mister, I'd be glad to do any work
you give me-tomorrow, for am too
tired to work tonight. If had supper,
and could rest somewheres around"
II trailed off into incoherency from
either physical or mental weakness.
mo. I've been deceived too often.
Can't find work? Why, we've been beg
gin and prayin' for harvesters, these
last four weeks and couldn't get 'em.
Tramps are good fornothing-we've got
to get rid of 'em. This state of Penn
sylvania is going to pass law to ride
them out Of the state. They're an idle,
drunken, low-down set, or they would
MT be in the condition they're in. They
> like it better than work, or they would
work."
The man slowly put on his hat, and
dejectedly turned away. He saw that
further entreaty was useless.
The group on the porch remained sill
ent until the tramp regained the road
and limped away. Then the other man,
who was a distant relative visiting
from an eastern city, said slowly:
IF Pennsylvania chased her tramps
out of her borders, and all the other
states should do the same, where would
they finally be dumped?" .....
II don't know: but 1t they found there
was no place for them they'd-they'd
quit being tramps."
II wonder how? Could this man
quit anytime?"
Eyes, let him 80 to work."
"But you will not give him a chance
to work. Who will?'
HE never should have got into this
condition. There's a lot Of these good
for-nothings all over the country. They
leave their homes and good jobs and
start out just for adventure. They
keep getting worse until they land in
the penitentiary. We've got to drive
'em out of the country"
"Where? Will Canada or Mexico be
expected to receive the wrecks Of this
rich and mighty nation7 Shall we send
the ruins of our civilization to colonize
new lands to show them the results of
our enlightment?"
well. they might be kept at home.
taken prisoners and made to work."
Eyes; but whatever they are put at,
they compete with and wrong free la
Dor. Prison labor does no one any
good.'
Work for their own consumption,
then,'
THAT'S what all the world ought to
do, The problem would be settled il
that plan could be put into practice"
''Well' they could all find work IL
they wanted it," grumbled Nathaniel
Richards, moving about In his chair d
little restlessly.
If you'd seen as much of the world
as have, you might doubt it. Labor
saving machinery, trusts and consolida-
lions, are throwing men ont Of employ
ment all the time. You know, forty
years ago we scarcely ever heard Of q
tramp. There are thousands of them
now. Even If We can't find them lott
| ering about when we want two or three
| for week or so-we can't expect then,
to be hanging on our gateposts the year
| round waiting until we want them
| they are tramping by thousands back
and forth over all our rich land. How
is 1t. If they are individually to blame,
that 30 many such beings have sudden
ly come into existence? II they are
hungry and homeless because they are
idle and worthless, what is the matter
with society that it raises all at once
such harvest Of reprobates?"
Meantime, Tavia Richards has dis
appeared. She had listened intently to
a part of the conversation between her
father and Uncle Dave" but she had
also watched the tramp az he limped
away, and saw that at the corner he
climbed the fence and took his way be-