The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-16
A REMARKABLE TRAMP
WHO TRAVELS WITH SOAP AND
TOWEL.
Rides Only on Fast TRANSACTED
for Deadheading His Way on
the Alton-Takes q Trip
Around the World.

Bloomington. Ill. boasts Of the most re-
nnarkable tramp on record
This tramp washes.
Instead Of being thrown into convul-
sions at the sight of soap ne actually
carries bar with him on all his travels.
He has portmantoau.
He carries q brush and comb.
He wears q suit Of jeans over his
clothes to prevent them from being soiled.
He keeps q diary.
He always has tooth brush In his
pocket. =
He carries a watch so as TO make sure
Of catching trains
Instead Of drifting aimiessly north and
south, like the wild birds do, this tramp
travels strictly on schedule.
He scorns freight trains and rides only
on fast passenger trains ss
The Bloomington tramp that washes Is
Eddie Simns. While he il only 4 years
of age he has already bsen around the
world. has zen in every section Of the
United States, and has made extensive
taunts in China, Japan, the Philippine
Islands Germany; Belgium. England
And he never paid q cent Of fare in his
life. says The Tribune.
Uncrowned King Of Tramps.
Eddie simms is tbs unorowned nng
he is passionately fond Of travelling. He
If he were rich. it Is doubtful If Eddie
s s"" ssc sSae Of for Ss fss Ms
He has natural talent for travelling
without money and without price. He
does not like dirty, gathering freight
besides. he says, on freight trains one
meets so many common. ordinary buns
OF the Wondering Willie" type. Eddie
simms rides on through passenger trains.
To make good his boast Of travelling only
on fast trains he has often raced for
hundreds of miles with letter posted at
the same hour he left that particular
arrived at the destination on the same
day the letter did and sometimes he has
beaten 1t.
But the remarkable thing about Eddie
washes, and that he does not shy and
grow pale at the mention of the word
soap. The first thing he does upon arriv-
ing in town where he has planned to
house. or. If there Is none there. to find
river or pond where ne can battle.
Carries a valise.
And another unusual thing that this I'M
usual tramp does Is to carry on all of
his travels portmanteau. Think of
tramp with portmanteau. It's a won
der that the Weary Waggleses. the Hun
the other shining lights of the tramp pro-
fesson do not have him committed to an
asylum. This portmanteau that the
tramp who Is not afraid Of water carries
consists of a gunnysack in which he
has rolled suit of underclothes, towel
and a shirt. In the pockets Of his clothes
he carries a whisk broom a comb, a cake
of soap and a toothbrush. Over his
clothes he wears when tramping suit
of jeans. When he arrives in a town
which he desires to honor with his pres
ence he takes off the jeans SUIT, makes
his toilet at a river or pond or public
bathhouse brushes his clothes neatly.
puts on a clean shirt and gets a scent
shave If he has no razor, though he often
carries one Then he appears on the
street neat and clean. From his appear
ance he is never taken for tramp. and
he has never been arrested for vagrancy
DR. anything else, for that matter. He de-
:ests handouts and he seldom makes
oack-door calls. He always secures work
In the town where he stops. thereby again
proving how different is the tramp that
washes from the ordinary unwashed kind,
While Eddie Simms. the unusual tramp,
likes to pay for his rood and Jht he
would blush with shame did hAaEafth
himself in the act of paying railroad
fare. When he travels across the ocean
he sometimes has to pay, but never does
SO in cash. He will work his way as
fireman, though if he fails to get a berth
he will stowaWay with the most cheerful
abandon.