The Washington times., 1901-07-21
A TRAMP HosTELRY.
Bosfon's Queer Hotel Always Dc
Rushing Business.

| IL there is one place about Boston which
more than any other is the abiding place
of tramps it is the property of the Boston
| and Maine Railroad on Mystic wharf.
| Other places may harbor a few wanderers
| occasionally; Mystic wharf is the one To-
caiity where the police are always certain
| of making successful search. Although
constant efforts are being made by the
| company 10 break up the hobo commu-
nifty, the place still retains its charms for
the wayfarers and despite frequent raids
| the property is never entirely free from
their incursion.
Located on the main road between Bos-
ton and Lynn and yet isolated from other
property. the wharf is a particularly entic-
ing spot for the homeless. A couple of
sheds on the east side offer accommoda-
tion on winter nights. and the prospec-
tive dodgers have no scruples against en-
| tering even if the buildings are locked.
There are always number of cars load
ed with coal in the yard nd the opportu-
nifty to build fire thus afforded is another
reason for popularity of the place.
One of the sheds, painted an artistic
red, is the most frequenteG. AS many as
forty men have been known to crowd into
it on cold nights and all efforts to keep
lock on it having been found useless by
the railroad employees, its door is now left
. invitingly unfastened, and the building
has come to be known as "Debs' Hotel
by the fraternity Of patrons. Breaking
into the sheds for shelter is, however, the
only Objectionable act that the men ever
commit. Though several thousand lodge
there each year the railroad has never
had any of it's cars broken into or any of
its property stolen other than small
quantity of coal. The dodgers appear to
be perfectly willing to let things alone
and ask only that the same courtesy be
extended TO them.
Railroad people. however, are not in
clined to grant the desired privileges and
the general superintendent is ever pre-
pairing to make raid upon their haunts.
1t is impossible for the watchmen to keep
the property cleared of the irrepressible
visitors, but when augmented by the COM
pany's private detectives and a squad of
the city's police the inevitable result is
wagon load of prisoners for the Charles
town Court. During the last year the
railroad company has waged an earnest
war against the offenders and the raids
have been of frequent occurrence. Only
last Wednesday three of the vagrants
were brought to court and the only rea-
son that the number was so few was be-
cause the season is Sc warm that most of
the tramps have sought the country. At
times during the winter the number ar
rested reaches as high as twenty and on
one occasion last season the officers
caught forty one frosty night.
To an observer the midnight raid is a
source Of great amusement. The dodgers
are no. the kind that are anxious to get
arrested and secure a winters board at
the public expense They are desirous of
their liberty and evade every possibility
of being caught. The sudden approach of
party of officers Is always met with
much hustling on their part and any op-
portunity of escape is taken advantage
of. A first impulse is to take TO the wat
er, and IL a boat is near they are almost
certain to appropriate it. 1t is always
found nearby the next day. In their eff
forts to escape the men never forget their
antipathy to water sufficiently to leap into
it, and IT Is in their efforts to hide under
freight cars that they are ivariably
caught. Regardless of how frequent the
raids may occur there are always some
tramps about the property. 1t is noticed
that the same ones do not come two
nights in succession, and it is probable
that they are willing to run the risk of
being arrested for one night for the sake
of the other privileges that it affords.
1t is noticeable that the men are of q
different sort from those who patronize
the Wayfarers Lodge and similar instittl-
tons In Boston. They do not want to saw
wood for their nights lodging They are
the real type of tramp and even begrudge
the effort necessary to keep out of the
clutches of the law-Boston TRANSCRIPT.