New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-15

was settin' in Wabash yard
sH0kin 1S SPiDes with "a, another ether! PAra-
Two peter men come down the track
An grabbed me quick. behind the back
What. no. 1Ockeri
IN 'l ed, me sog up YORK s. fast hss
He Learned me . soD and he learned me 70 steal;
What hO my joker
But ss9o5 yF y man sSs caught AN m. s Ss sy sam.
He licked me right he licked good.
What. no. ny 3ockerl
II there be any songs OF slavery to-day that cor
respond to the old melodies which Hghtened the
burdens Of the negroes 'befo' de wah," they are
the uncouth songs Of the children. the thousands
OF boys who are wandering up and down the
road" the helpless hopeless slaves OF the trarnps
On the Eastern circuit. that ends at the Jersey
shore: on the Western round. that leads with the
first autumn frosts TO the South. are untold num-
bers of these kids" they are known on the
road working for their lockers" that Is their
tramp masters. Led by chance, evil impulse or
bodily spirited away into bondage by their masters
they are degraded, beaten. maltreated, and al
last utterly destroyed in body and in sou-such Is
the fate Of the kids" the children Of the road
Wherever these kids rneet-in Bowery dive.
in a country barn in a village jail-they sing the
story Of their bondage in some rude uncouth cycles
seldom, II ever reduced 10 writing similar 10 tnat
which heads this sketch Take these few lines:
they contain a history OF the tramp SAiNS- AAA~J
record in irregular rhythm. but concise phrase the
story Of a kid who was captured by tramps
and taught the life that obtains in the underworld
The story told in this introductory lyric OF tramp
life translated would something ike this. Two
young boys cids begin their activities at twelve or
thfrteen) were sitting round and smoking cigarette
ends in a Chicago railroad yard, when a couple OF
peter men CHATS. safeblowers who IN duh sea
sons lapse back to the condition OF ordinary
tramps) saw them, stole up and seized one and
started him out Of Chicago on New-York freight
to begin his work for his master, locker. as the
boy sings. The boy tells Of the tricks he was
taught Flop IS sprawIing the ground and
holding out hat for pennies. pan Is begging. and
"phoney spieT' is any OF the thousands OF lies
and lodges Of the professional beggar.
firing Of this life, all kids" do, the singer
tells OF his attempt TO away. and the result
simply exchange OF lockers for .yegs man"
only another variety Of safebower, who took care
to beat him soundIy 10 discourage future efforts TO
escape Such is the song OF the kids 1t has end
less verses, extemporized most often the spur
Of the moment. and lends itself to the dull chorus
sung by all
This lyric is chiefly interesting because IT COM
presses intV such narrow compass an accurate
and detailed glimpse Of the life OF these child
criminals To illustrate by the actual life OF
one. the following is the story OF Cincinnati KID"
preserved in the underworld still Cincinnati
Kid came into the underworld suddenly; he was
kidnapped by a tramp with record" ginaw
Red''-who caught him in the Queen and Crescent
freight yards in Cincinnati AT first. Saginaw
Red impressed by the good clothes and pros
porous appearance Of the boy, attempted TO make
him tell about his parents. hoping 70 make a
touch" from them But. despite many beatings.
little chap held stoutly and kept his secret
Finally the boy was brought East and set TO
work in the streets begging and turning OF little
tricks at the direction OF his locker" As the
valet Of Saginaw Red" he lived life Of extreme
degradation, wearing himself rapidly out At last
his master realized that he dying, and had him
insured One day Cincinnati Kid vanished Ac-
cordins Saginaw Red he died naturally and IS
buried in Calvary Cemetery. Even to his death
the little chap kept his secret, and his identity
persisted with him
Picking Eddy" who halls from Western, not a
Chinese. PeBing. IS present the proud possessor
Of two kids mOurrful. bighted specimens OF
humanity, who working Jersey towns for him
One claims the professional name OF Tin Ears -
given OF respect TO his huge, Tapping auraI ap
pendages. and the other is named swallow As
their locker Eddy. IS complete despot Of their