The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-03
TRAMPS IN CHICAGO.
Many Who Are Used to the City Al
ways Return for the Win
ter Months.

NaSO " lhAO " ltlANI II
used to be that with the approach of
snow and ice the tramp winged his
flight with the wild duck to the sunny
southland. The tramp would explain
his migration by saying he did not
like snOwballs as a steady diet. saws
the Chicago Tribune. But the tramp
found that while there was plenty of
sunshine and balmy breezes during the
winter months in the southland. yet
sunshine and balmy breezes were also
far from fattening and that the oppor-
tunities for picking up sustenance dur
ing the weary winter months were
much better in a big city than in the
south. \ large proportion of tramps
continue to go south yet with the COM
ing of the first frost, but a constantly
increasing number each year turn their
wandering footsteps toward the big
cities, where bed in the cheap lodg-
ing houses may be had for dime and
where philanthropic citizens with
dimes may be had on the boulevards.
The tramps that come to Chicago in
the winter do not remain at a perma-
nent address during the cold months.
Some of them live in the Easements of
deserted buildings and others occupy
quarters in box cars on the side tracks
in the railroad yards. In a yard in
Eighteenth street are a large number
of abandoned traction engines that
were used last winter by the tramps
n bpir bnnopC old CT
out behind car barns and left to de-
cay are also quietly confscated by
tramps and used until the barn boss
drives them away.
On extremely cold nights. when the
box cars and the traction engines are
cherries and gloomy, the tramps walk
the streets until they can collect the
price of a bed at a lodging house, and
failing to raise the necessary amount.
they take refuge in the police sta
tiOns. The policemen send them down
stairs to the big room in front of the
cells. They spread newspapers on the
foor,and then lie down and sleep peace
fully until morning. Every genuine
hobo carries piece of soap and
newspaper. On the rare occasions when
they perform their additions they
scorn to use any soap except their own,
and they never think of lying down to
their rest at night without spreading
their newspapers under them. Tramps
know the value of paper in keeping out
cold, and sometimes an apparently
thinly-clad tramp will have newspa-
pers judiciously stuffed in his cloth
ing in lieu of underwear.
The tramp usually dimes in the win
ter months at the cheap saloons in
Clark street and in Halsted and West
Madison streets. where for five cents
paid for a large vase of beer they are
permitted to stand in front of the
lunch counter and harpoon the tempt
ing viands there displayed until the
hoarse-voiced bouncer moves down
upon them and demands: "Well, dye
tink dis is de Palmer house? How
much provisions d'y' think yer bought
wild dat five cents?"
In the cheap lodging houses the
tramps can find bed for prices vary
ing from five cents to twenty-five
cents. The customary prices in the
majority of the cheap lodging
are 10 and Is cents. In the early part
of the evening the big front rooms of
the lodging-houses, which correspond
to the corridors of the high-priced
hotels in Michigan avenue. is filled by
a miscellaneous crowd, among whom
are many tramps and who sit as close
to the red-hot stove as possible. AS
the evening passes on those of the
crowd who have ten cents seek their
beds. At ten o'clock big red-faced
bouncer appears and announces in
clarion tones: ''Now, youse fellers
wot's got de price get to yer holes,
and youse fellers wot got ter carry
the banner, carry!"
Many tramps, however, scorn lodg-
ing-houses except on the coolest
nights. They manage to live some
how, no matter how cold the weather
may be, though how they do it is a
mystery. They often drag consider
able clothing into the nests they in
habit under sidewalks and in the base
IntIllS VI utSSIJcu DulitlHSS, anu olL
cold nights, after putting on all the
clothes they have, they build small
fires and some one sits up and tends
the fire while the others sleep.
I'm a-goin' back ter Sheecago,"
said a tramp who sat by the side of
the track at Oak Park, where the
freight crew had put him off. ''As de
schoolboys ulster say: De cole wind
does bio an we shall hev snow, an
wot will de hobo do then, poor thing?
Why. he'll sit in Their s'loon an keep
hissil' warm an hide his head in de
free lunch, poor thing Amt it de
truth. OATS right. We ulster alwuz
go down to Orleans wen it came cold,
but dere's so many goes down dat
way dat it's poor picllin'. 1t amt so
hard ter get along in Sheecago in de
winter time. De colder it is de quick
er somebody'll say ter us: Poor man,
wat a shame. an it's cold ernuff ter
freeze de tail often er iron monkey
Den dey coughs up er dime. In sum-
mer time dey wud jest say: You big
hulkin' rascal, wy dom you go ter
wuk?' an dey gives us de chiny nit.
Sure, in de summer time, de chilly
init. Amt it funny? An in winter
time dey give us de warm smile. Sure,
the warm smile. Den we kin alwuz