Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-08-31

lookout for q nice dark corner that ne
can crawl into ana drag IL alter him.
His name is Benjamin Z. Marsh, and
he has been rather widely advertised
as the hoIzsr OF the first ana only
tramp fellowship IL existence, es-
tablished, SO the story goes, about a
year ago by the University OF Penn
sylvania. one cannot greatly blame
The agile-minded reporter who invent
ed the term tramp fellowship. 1t is
at once picturesque and expressive.
But Mr.. Marsh and the University ot
Pennsylvania both deprecate the ex-
preston. Mr.. Marsh is a special
student OF the university, 10 whom ii
granted junior fellowship, carrying
stipend OF $500 a year for study along
special sociological lines.
The United order of Hoboes would
probably sue for libel any individual
or publication that referred TO them as
special sociological lines" And yet
Mr. Marshs special study has been
the tramp, not on the road, but in
great cities, particularly the tramp as
be swarms-hundreds and thousands
OF him during the winter-into the
station houses night after night, or
into the innumerable lodging houses
and wayfarers' lodges, that public or
private EeneYOlence has established
for his shelter.
Mr. Marsh has been hailed as a Cor
nell graduate, rather 10 his annoyance,
/ for since he is not one he does not
wish TO be represented as claiming
what does not belong 10 him. he is
Grinnell, Iowa, man, who has pur-
sued such branches of study as par
lttcularly interested him in several or
the universities. II has also been
stated that he has travelled some forty
thousand miles over the United
States as a tramp in company with
tramps. AS a matter OF fact
all his practical experience as a
tramp or among tramps has been
right in the quaker city during the
past year.
The idea Of the tramp fellowship"
originated with Miss Mary Richmond,
secretary of the Philadelphia Society
for Organizing Charity. The organiza-
ton opened about a year ago a fine
new Wayfarers" lodge, where the
homeless, destitute wanderer is
lodged and fed in exchange for some
three or four hours work in the wood
yard. About the time that this was
opened, Miss Richmond suggested to
L q ~ -
versity, that the university institute a
| Fellowship for the study of the home
less, destitute man in cities. She
undertook through the new lodge, to
keep a large and varied supply of the
material for such study always on
hand. The provost thought well of
it and awarded the fellowship thus es-
tablished 10 Benjamin Marsh. And a
better man than this same Benjamin
Marsh IL would be hard to find for the
job.
Mr.. Marsh is a big, whole-souled,
wholesome bodied man, with bright
brown eyes that see without seeming
TO criticise. He has a hearty, frank
manner and makes friends easily. In
short, he is what Tammany hall calls
"a good mixer" He is, moreover, as
Miss Richmond stipulated that the
holder Of the proposed fellowship
must be, intelligent, educated and
sympathetic, able TO go among the
tramps freely and win their con-
fidence, find out why they are tramps
and how to help them to ambitious,
industrious useful citizenship. He
must have ideas and courage, be able
to plan out his own campaign and
carry on his own plans.
That is precisely what Mr.. Marsh
has been doing for the past six
months. He entered into the work OF
the Society for Organizing Charity last
fall, and has since then made its Way
farers' Lodge at 1924 Lombard street
his headquarters. He has since then
been studying CAREFUL the men who
come there for shelter. They are
given a clean led in a well-ventilated
dOrmitory; a shower bath, and supper
and breakfast For this they must
give a few hours work. They may
stay iii &C ud.. - anu MI. AluISu udS
those three days to waken them to a
desire for better things and start them
on the path toward respectable citizen
ship. Rather a strenuous proposition
that! But Mr.. Marsh has prepared
himself not merely by talking with
them, and studying theoretically their
condition and their point OF view, but
so far Is possible by practical ex-
perience.
Mr.. Marsh tells OF his adventures as
a "five-cent topper" He had ap-
piled at one of the shelters for per
mission TO sleep on the floor. saying
that he had no money, but would work
for. his lodging in the morning. But
apparently IL was a place where no
credit was given.
Another night he spent in a Saliva
ton army barracks. He applied about
midnight, ostensibly broke" but the
officer in charge had exhausted his
supply OF sympathy. A workman
ofFnraF ~ nav for his loaorinu ami he