The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1902-11-12
Tales of a Tramp.

as he was asked to continue his adj
ventures.
Nov and then in my journeys
up and down and across / have met
people whom ] could remember
with pleasure but my experience
is that nine meu out of ten are
just few steps above the hog. l
could relate hundred instances in
corroboration, but two or three will
suffice.
One night, as L was sleeping
under haystack on farm in Con-
necticut, 1 awoke to discover that
the farmhouse was on FIRE. The
roof had caught around the kitchen
chimney and the people had not
been aroused. l made for the
house at once, aroused the. family.
found and put mp ladder. and but
for my efforts the house would
have been destroyed. L had ny
hair singed aud my hands blis-
tered and when the fire was extin.
guished at last the old farmer want
ed to know how L happened to be
on hand. 1 told him and after
little thought he said:
WAL, you must be thirsty and
I'll have the wife get you drink
of milk
He called to her to fill pitcher
but followed her into the house and
as 1 was washing my hands at the
kitchen door L heard him say:
Hammer, be sure to skim the
milk before you give it to him.
He's a tramp and not used to
cream"
1 politely declined the skim milk
when it was brou ght out, telling
the farmer that 1 didn't want to
deprive his pigs of their breakfast
and. as started off, he said:
You had lodging in my haystaok
and that's worth quarter, but be-
ing as you put out the fire I'm will
ing to call it square"
AT another time in Massachu.
setts. 1 came along to farm house
with horsepond just below it. A
little girl of seven or eight was
sailing chips on the pond and fell
in just as 1 got in sight. of her.
The water was deep enough to
drown her and that would have
been her fate had / not pulled her
out. 1 carried her to the house
choking and gasping and helped
her mother restore her. The faith
er came in from plowing just as 1
was ready to go and. having heard
my story. he replied.
'Waar that's all right, but BERTHE
had a cent in her pocket this morn
ing, and I'd like to know if it's
there yet"
The cent was there and to this
day the farmer is puzzled over my
conduct in refusing the piece of
bread and butter he told his wife
to prepare for me as fitting re-
ward.-Let me give you a third
instance. l was in the butter max
ing district of New York State and
had gone to roost under tree in
field when thunderstorm came up
and bolt of lightning struck a
farmers barn and set it on fire. 1
ran for the barn and opened the
doors and turned twenty-one COWS
out before any one came from the
house. The barn burned to the
ground aud while we stood looking
at the blaze the farmer edged up
to me and said:
That was pretty slick of you to
save my COWS but two of 'em got
into the garden and have eat up a
dozen heads of cabbage l wat TO
knowY'
1t has always been difficult
thing to make certain people un-
derstand the difference betW cen
dilspidated gentleman and tramp.
This has brought me into trouble
with country constsbles quite Of
ten. The average constable looks
upon a tramp as fair game to make
fees out of. He runs him in on
the chance of his being sent up
and he likes to put on the hand
cuffs and make out that he has a
desperate character in custody.
One day last year as l was sitting
by the roadside in Pennsylvania
the irrepressible constable turned
and yelled at me:
Now, then, what are you doing
hereP'
Resting l replied.