Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-10-06
A Woman Tramp.

shown 10y one who lately figured in
the police court OF n neighboring city.
She gave the name Of Mary Hawkins,
and differed somewhat from the ordi-
nary Weary Willie" by promptly
paying her fine OF SO in the police
court. She was tall, dark, OF intelIec-
tua! type; with a slight German &C.
cent; plainly but neatly dressed. She
seemed to be in good humor with her
self and the world. Born in Germany,
she came over with her parents when
a child. They settled in Louisiana.
When her father died, after she had
grown to girlhood, he left her 200
acres of rich land. She had no neccs.
slty for adopting the HE of tramp,
except to see the world, and she de-
clarce, qualify herself to write a book
from her experiences.
Like DR.. TrnesdAle, who fitted him
sell ~ write the Secret Volume Of
Life" by voluntarily becoming the
victim OF alcohol, malaria and other
life-destroying conditions, to diagnose
disease from personal experience, this
waif, started out to encounter every
thing that would qualify her to de.
scribe the dark side Of life from paths
seldom traversed by those qualified for
the task.
In talk with the officers she de-
clared that she had found no trouble
in getting around" despite her skirts,
declaring that she can get into q
"side-door Pullman" or on a brake.
beam if necessary, as expeditiously as
any hobo, and when it came to telling
heart-rending story to melt the heart
OF the grouchy brakeman, she had
never failed in her object, whatever it
might be. Here is an extract from
her story in her own words, from the
Ledger:
"Well. l started out three years ago
and l have been on the road ever since.
l have been arrested, thrown Off trains,
robbed, drugged and l believe had all
the adventures that fall to the lot of the
ordinary wanderer. l make no defense
of my conduct, and do not ask for any
condonement. l want no pity or profess
sional kindness. Reformers weary me
to death. l simply ask no odds of any
one. With the exception of being q va
grant, and any one can be convinced of
that, / have done no one wrong. I'll
leave the world alone and that's all
ask of the world. No, never had any
love affair to start me off tramp. Love
appeals to ME to be great opportunity
to feed and clothe some man for much
less money than a servant girl gets.
No, there is nothing of the romantic
about me, whatever. / will admit l am
abnormal, but were going along more
conventional lines, l presume you would
say was person OF strong individual
ity. AS to my book, why, l am storing
up material for library. l can tell a
story that will out-Ibsen Ibsen for re-
alism. have seen life, deep down in
the dregs, with an occasional peep into
the evening clothes world and, honestly,
one is as good as the other. The only
people who appear to be downright, un-
reservedly happy are those in the great
middle, unthinking class. They have
no great joys and no great sorrows and
their lives run along as placidly and I'm.
Interestingly as brook through a cow
pasture. l don't know that my book
will ever be published. Perhaps not,
| because such books are not the sort that
appeal to the masses or the classes.
One wants happy endings and the other
wants meanness and depravity depicted
in spectacular fashion. The writing
OF it is going to be my pleasure. Was
| ever arrested? Yes, indeed, and can
find more human nature around police
station than on half a continent. OF
course Mary Hawkins is not my name.
Mary Hawkinses don't have German
accent and they are mostly hardworking,
lawabiding people. I'm sorry for the
Hawkins family. but their fault is with
chance, as that was the first name that
came to my tongue"
She then paid her fine, shook hands
with the policemen and e" the court"
and with the bow Of truly grand
dame and the smile of innocence and
childhood, stepped out to renew her
whirl in the journey OF life. This
shows how much better actors women
are than men, in real life, as on the
stage, where versatility is required in
adapting the lines to the various shad-
ings OF life's vicissitudes.
1t presents, however. . sad picture
of willfully travelling the road to perdi.
ton by woman of intellect, health,
and q resolution that if directed in
some other channel might have left
an honorable record, instead OF merely
qualification of q morbid desire for
notoriety by Adventures in forbidden
fields.
LAUNCH OF ANOTHER WARsHIP.-