The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-28

| rake walk and you VIII ind those
same green meadows-those same
brooks-those same lambs, but you
won't find Uncle Josh and Aunt Mary
no more. They have been dead for
years. A city like this seems a hard
hearted and cruel place, and you shiver
at the idea of being dead broke. Let me
just tell you that tramps are driven into
the cities to recuperate. All the cloth
ing 1 have had for the last five years
has been begged in the city. All the
jewellers therein. The only kind words
have heard have come from the hurry
burly. Makes you open your eyes,
doesn't it? You are still clinging to the
old fashioned ideas of the country.
my friend, let me tell you some
thing. There isn't today a harder
man to deal with than the average
farm There isn't a woman with
less sentiment than his wife. There's
been a mighty change in the last
that was forced on the farmer to pro-
tect himself. In years agone, in
tramping over the highway, I have
met lightning-rod men, windmill
men, piano men, hay-fork men, com
mission men, peddlers, chicken buyers
and horse traders. All were after the
farmer. Each and every one intended
to beat him and did beat him. He
was beaten when he sold his produce,
and he was beaten when he bought
his goods. He was considered fair
game all around. 1t was argued that
his peaceful surroundings made him
gullible, and 1 guess they did.
'fWell, Uncle Josh and Aunt Mary
died twenty years ago, and their chill
dren took hold. That babbling brook
babbles for cash now The green
meadow means greenbacks The
lambskins frisk, but they frisk for the
dough. The watchdog at the gate
can size up a swindler as well as a
man. The farmer holds on until he
gets the highest price, and the mer-
chant who sells him shoddy has got to
get up early in the morning: Say,
now, but I'd rather start out to beat
ten men in city than one farmer.
I'd rather be dead broke here than to
have dollar in my pocket out in the
country. If taken i'll here I'm sent to
a free hospital; if taken sick in the
country the Lord help me.
I'm not blaming the farmer in the
least. For a hundred years he was
the prey of swindlers and was taken
for fool. If he's got his eyes opened
at last and is taking care Of himself. |
and assure you that such is the
case, then so much the better for him. |
1t is the Dflapidated Gentleman who
suffers most from this change.
"Why is a sailor a sailor? Nineteen |
times out of twenty it is because he
wants to rove the seas. Why is a tramp |
a tramp? Nineteen times out of TWEEN |
ty it is because he wants to rove the |
land. 1t is a nervous, restless feeling |
that he cannot Withstand. He wants to |
get somewhere, and he Is no sooner |
there than he wants to get somewhere |
else. The majority of them are sober
men. They are as honest as the aver |
age Not one in twenty will refuse to |
work for a meal or for pay. Not one
in twenty commits a crirne for which |
he should be jailed. You can't make
statistics talk any other way The
lying, vicious tramp has his
home in the city and STAYS there
'It is the press of the country that |
has got the farmer down on the |
tramp. You may drive for so miles and
interview each farmer as you come to /
him, and you won't find five to say
that a tramp ever caused them any
steal a few apples or turnips. Any one
driving along the highway is free to do
that. Should he steal an ak, shovel,
plow, sheep. calf, or break into the
what is he going to do with his plumber?
The instant he tries to realize on it
he is nabbed. The tramp who entered
a house and stole $50 in cash would
be worse off than as if he hadn't a
cent.
81 can walk into that bakery over
there and say that am hungry and the
woman will give me stale loaf
can tackle most any man passing here
for a dime for lodgings money and get
1t. I can wander down most any resi-
dence street and raise hat, coat or
a pair of shoes. How is 1t out in the
Well say I've hoofed it all
day, making about Is miles. I've stop
ped to rest now and then and view the
scenery. Don't you make no mistake
about that scenery feature. If any art
company wanted to publish a thousand
views it couldn't do better than to ask
the tramps where to find the best ones
For lunch I pulled two turnips from a