Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-09-06
HOW VAGnANCY IS
REDUCED TO An ART
The "fiigh Grade" Hobo Makes
His Vocation, or Rather, Lack
Of One, a Study.
ARE TRAMPS AND TRAMPS
Name is Applied TO All Glasses Of Pee
ole of Male Persuasion Nowadays
Who Are Aversc to Perform
anco OF Manual Labor.
ARE TRAMPS AND TRAMPS

There are tranlps and tran4ls, lust
rs there is Workus masters and worAgus
masters. There is as much difference
atween TIE amachure or moo beginner
an the reg'lar professional us there is
atween chalk an milk"
The speaker WAS a bronze proved,
time-torn, storm-stressed person. who
IN ms w peculiar calling stood UNI
rivaled. As he took pains TO explain,
ne was corn II tramp. reared Il tramp.
and thoroughly moidod. by taste and
circumstance into Il perfect specimen
of the genus II WAS his proud boast
mat be knew every highroad in the
Kingdom, and that there was 70 work :
house master but had greeted him as
guest.
"Tramping is Il fine art he told me
when | overlook him on his way to the
workhouse which serves Maidstone and
the surrounding district. Its a mis-
take to run away thinking as we folks
is a set OF empty noodles. We nave
sometilin' in our brain pans what the
world don't give us 'alf enough credit
for. Proper Migrants, as they call us,
is Well up in the worlds 'appenings.
We read the newspapers, am that's an
dedication in itself.
Their Stock in Trade.
"Wot's our stock in trade" He re-
SoeC NiiC VuCSbloIl, Sloppeu SlltcIIy,
n stared thoughtfully up at the blue.
Il see a perlice officer old the beak
(magistrate) in an East London court
that he'd found Il o map on one OF
us. l laughed when l read it till l
thought l would ave died. Why, them
maps is of our cherished institu-
ions. I've got II myself. Sect"
He gave Il rapid glance around to
make sure that he was not over
looked. Then he drew from the breast
pocket of the ragged garment which
once had been a coat Il greasy, foul
odored packet. and handed it to me for
my inspection. 1t contained curious
documents. Each page did duty for
some special tract of county. A long.
curious line showed the highroad, while
the o1fshoots We're indicated by lines
sweeping OH at IL variety of angles. For
all the world it was like a fishbone
work in charcoal. The first of the
series-the one which was evidently
then in use-bore at the foot the leg
end:
This Rode Lcds from Sevencaks."
AT irregular intervals there appeared
y lumber of mystic symbols. such as Il:
crosS, II reaping hook. II triangle, Il
cross Il circle aud Il square. The trans
-ation of these characters is quite sim
pie TO the scientific Vagrant. The cross
marks the habitation OF the uncharit-
N''>' i'oP Tx XXI. =
paradise; the triangle, the house which
has been slirfeitel by the cir
lie and cross. the abode of religious
people who are kind to the deserving.
out severe and uncomprornising toward
'mpOStorS; the square-a symbol with
4 meaning borrowed from t7reemason-
Rry-lnarks the residence of people who
can always be relied upon to assist the
.lfed Wiyfarer who can tell the tale"
Sell it Not likely said the model
ramp as he clutched eagerly at the
packet and replaced it in his breast
pocket. We've trouble enough to get
en-, md they're usefuller than you
AN think. You can copy 'em at Il
price. ii o Sc wish. They amt a
regular market for EN-. A mar like
me raws EN- out, an then sells the
right to a tracing.
.Of course. they amt SO much use
unless you've got some experience.
There's certain signs us marks the kline
Of house that's meant. an in most
cases the crosses. squares and what
nots is penciled in chalk upon The
ouses themselves.
Must Be Posted.
But there's a good deal more as a
zeal wagrant must understand. For in
stance, there's the casuals. WHY.
workuses is among the most unreliable
Of 'uman institution. Now, the one I'm
soin to used to be AL. You'd spend
your night, ave "A good feed an off
next morning like a bird. But it's all
changed now" He sighed at the con-
trast between h new and the good
stone in an iron cage, n get precious
little for 1t. too. oh. I've 'eerd a lot
about it. but as i amt been there for
years, an as the master there don't
know me. I'm 'oping to get off cheap.
Besides, | guess I'm Il bit OF an in
valid
His face heightened and settled into
q ludicrous expression of lugubriosity.
His gait changed into ar uncertain
malt, and a string of unmelodious
yroans escaped his lips. "Wot do you
think of that, gov'nor. for a bit of act
n he said, adding. with a twinkle il
MS eyes. "a tramp wot succeeds has
to be as clever rs any actor on the
boards. You ave to judge character
pretty SIN. :tly. too. Sometimes yer've
10 be as me.>.y as Il fish on Il hook, and
sometimes "a gloomy as Nebuchad-
nezZ>r hisself.
"Talkin' of casuals-C!itheroe used
20 be Il champion. AS a country 'ouse
"a sort of fresh air retreat-it We're
AL at Lloyd's. The solitary cell bust
ness m starvation diets done for it.
AT one time so many of US Went there,
an made ii our recrutin' ONE. that it
was actually proposed as a bill should
De SlucK up, lrampS, beware. we
shoot EN-
Same with Yarmouth an 'Emcl
Empsted. The Yarmouth big wigs
started granite breasin'. That's the
sort of thing to take the cart out of a
fellow. Why. since it was begun
there's not Il quarter OF US ASH honor
It with u patronage.
Fear Work. Not Ghosts.
'They 'ad a ghost at 'Emel Emp
sted. an they threatened to find one
at Yarmouth. Now I'd like to know
wot tramp as is worthy of his name
an profession d be scared by a spool,.
Iranitell frighten 'em right enough,
but ghosts-fudge. Who cares for
shosts?" He snapped his fingers. and
laughed scclnfully.
I've met all sorts and kinds OF wag-
-ants.' lie grew reminiscent Some
IF EN- had fame. many more Of EN-
deserved it. The greatest OF en- all
vas Il chap / came across at knuts-
sord. He carried a couple Of note
BOOKS, closely written in lead pencil.
There was crowded into EN- all sorts
- out of the way items OF informa-
:icn. He could tell at a look the exact
height of giants and dwarfs. the num-
ser Of letters in the bible and the Num-
Ter OF acres II Yorkshire.
he was called W outsiders the en-
y C'i,' l:aGlp, Dut we wot was