Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-22
M Asst ERLESS MEN
A STUDY IN LONDON'S QUALITY
OF MIGRANTS.
A Park Seat Philosophers Findings as
to the Average Tramp-Loathes
the Workhouse.
From the London Telegraph.


He is in no way decorative. He offends
more senses than-One. 1t is hard to guess
what harm would be done if he were
eliminated. Blu, while he does exist he
points moral and adorns a tale. He is
an awful example-an incarnate tract.
There he sits. in the spring sunshine, a
blotch of filth and failure Ciotted, shaggy
hair and beard half hide q habby face
Strata of dirt and grease lie on his Clothes
He slouches limp in the corner OF the seat
But there are no rags on him. He Is not
lean. He watches me with dull carele IS
eyes. The whole of him is faced. You try
TO imagine some energy in him, and fail.
Twenty yards away. beyond the park pal
ings, Is the strenuous flood Of London life.
sat down on the same seat, and he
regarded me with distasteful annoyance,
as one who intruded on his private rights.
But 1t was no doubt too much labor to
move to the next seat. After while he
produced somewhere a bulky greasy par
eel. Out Of good deal of pink news
paper came slabs of bread-a sausage
other things. The smell Of an onion now
mingles with the former smells. He has a
full-sized mans meal. He ate everything
up and breathed heavily, replete. Times
bad!, said sympathetically. He per-
for poor man; q poor man, that couldn' [
get no work. Those statements he re-
peated several times, In various forms.
ne did not seem to feel any interest in
them. His imagination was not able to
carry him further. Had he home? No,
he hadn't got no home; and times was
very hard for poor -. I found that
beginning to pail Where do you sleep?,
Where he could, guv'nor; and times was
very hard-- DO you try the work
houSe?
Not a Pauper.
For the first time something like interest
cleaned in the dull eyes. He almost sat
up. Il amt a pauper." he growled Again
the question as to where precisely he did
sleep was put He regarded me with a
lethargic hostility. and said nothing. 1
brought out shilling, and looked at It
thoughtfully. That whining chorus of his
began again. Times was very hard for a
- l explained that that was not news,
and that what 1 wanted was shiIling's
worth Of answers to questions. The shill-
ing changed hands--without thanks. I had
my answers. Selecting those which were
not obviously faIse-he was a thriftless
and stupid liar-they came to something
like this: His work" is "odd jobs" Most
OF them, 1 suspect, more odd than jobs
A great deal OF his food is given him. es-
pecially by poor people. who "ain't 'alf SO
close as those better off. He sleeps in
one OF the numerous shelters provided by
philanthropy; never In the casual ward
of the workhouse The casual ward has
rules which interfere with "a poor mans
rights. There's one law for the rich and
another for the poor. so there is" (this
with a curious anaemic oath; but he spoke
without heat. The casual ward he hated.
If man goes into 1t for one night, it in
sists on his stopping two, and occupying
the intervening day in labor Thus the d.
vine right OF liberty is infringed. More
over, the casual ward insists on an ade-
quate bath. He explained that his objec-
ing compelled to take one He was anx-
ious to emphasize this objection, but his
condition made that superhuous. He was
asked If he had ever tried steady work
No Steady Work.
and declined to answer 1t was perhaps
not necessary. The report of the vagrancy
committee was brought to his notice, and
he was informed of the proposal to estab-
lish labor colonies for gentlemen of his
persuasion. For the first time he became
animated, and somewhat profane. He
knew all about labor colonies. You were
worked like slave and fed on leavings
If man was such fool as to go to them
he deserved to be slave. But to be sent
there! "Who was a-goin' to send I'm, If
you please? No one admit no right to send
i'm e got is Twin honest Sight hon
ester n wot some Of these ere rich folks
did e 'ad is rights same as they 'ad. e
'ad is rights" Quite energetic with indig-
nation. he rose and shuf11ed Off He
enough for his shilling. Fifty yards fur
Their on he Topped down again on another
seat . passed him few minutes after
ward. He was sleeping off his meal.