New-York tribune., 1907-12-15
SOIREE FOR 800 TRAMPS
GUESTS OF II REFORWER.
luncheon, Musical and Symposium
at the Bozcery Mission.

BQWSrE.
on the life and trials of the tramp. 1t was an ex-
3 cusive affair 10 it's way. for It limited to
tramps under twenty-one years Old and hoooes
and .-buns- were barred. for in the bright lexicon
of the tramp there is decided difference between
! ramps --hoboes'' and buns.
/ The guests represented every section of the coun-
try. and among them were such celebrities as "A
No. 1" Cannon Ball. Connecticut Shine Nor
folk Shine" Kangaroo Kid" Coast Kid aid
! Cincinnati Red Several of these names ap-
peared on the programme The owners of some
Of them sang and others told of their experiences
on the road. Connecticut Shine''-"shine' in the
tramp yernacular is negro-was the star of the
musical numbers He performed on the piano
proving himself past master at ragtime. He ran
the gamut of popular songs, in which the boys
] Joined in singing. and played half dozen varia-
! tions of Tramp. Tramp. Tramp. the Boys Are
Marching"
! There not present the deep pathos that one
/ witnesses on Christmas Day, when the older
anples OF the nisspent life gather at the Sullivan
clubhouse 10 enjoy the dinner of Big Tim, There
one sees gray haired derelicts. aged and bent
wrecks of humanity, some of them fallen from
heights of social commercial eminence. hut
without a hope left them for rehabilitation The
homeless youngsters who met at the Bowery Mis-
! sion. though part of the countrys hotSaIn ana
jetsarn afflicted with nothing worse So far
than the wanderlust, with hope. but small do
sire for redemption and reform They were per-
sons who moved 10 pity for others at nome
rather than for themselves. They seemed TO take
their wandering existence fTolic. Ihey t'"F-
oughly enjoyed the treat arranged for them ny pr
| Retman. but probably did not learn as much from
it as the representatives of several charifahie or
ganizations who had seats on the platform
The day was an ideal The heavy downpour
of cold penetrating rain at the hour for the open
ing of the meeting helped 10 swell the ATTENDANCE
the boys. wet to the skin. welcomed the chans
TO the warm. dry mission i few of them had
. overcoats: not one had an umbrella Inc types
were nearly entirely American. only a feW foreign
, being among them There were three or -FOUR
negroes and an Irishman-a happy -go-lucky sailor.
! known as Liverpool Jack The youngest was
about fourteen years oId-a neat chubby faced boy
with the bloom Of the country air on his cheeks
but with the dulled eyes indicative of exposure
lack of sleep and irregular living They called him
the Southar rnpton Kid and the effect of his
nomad life plainly seen when he tried To sing
the invitation of DR. Reitman His voice was
. cracked and hollow. The oldest was about at the
! age when most American young looking
forward the acquisition of full citizenship But
he had little thought Of responsibility. He was big
and strong. with indifferent air. and apparently
there just 10 enjoy himself.
Taking the tramps all through, they
rather clean looking lot persons of their social
status. and not of hardened appearance. They
well behaved too, and the policeman who
was assigned to the mission had nothing 10 do
The programme opened with prayer. Everybody
bowed his head and listened respectfully while the
/ help Of God invoked in the work of rernaking
the dflIsWOou thdt was swept INTO the mission on
! the storm wave One boy wiped his eyes on his
sleeve when he raised his head and In their tear
stained dimness there sad. thoughtful ex-
presson-it probably the recollection of Yes
terday" which in his existence means all of his
young life prior to his itinerant career The latter
Is dreary day with no yesterday and no to-
morrow far accomplishments or prospects ro
Connecticut Shine after taking the stiffness
out Of his finger joints with some lively ragtirne
played several popular airs, which were sung by
the trarnps with vim. The most popular Of these
was school Days" Then came the speeches by
the tramps. The first introduced was .sThe Coast
Kid. who was a printer by trade which he does
not believe in. and who has crossed the continent
several times He spoke good English.
Most of you fellows know me-" he said Now
have been In thirty-fve states In this country
and find that the getting more difficult
every year 1 have been on the road ten years and
L want TO tell you not TO undertake a trim unless
you're ready to face all sorts of trouble. I've
travelled lots of times in boxcar and often re-
GREETED the day l left New York. l have been
stranded and starving There's nothing in If I,,a
just like the sea-once you start on 1t you never
become anything
In his speech. '-rhe Coast Kid" told OF the rail-
roads he had ridden on In his travels, which in
cluded. nearly every important system between
New York and San Francisco. "The Kangaroo
Kid" young good address and wearing
clean white linen and black tie told tramping in
Europe The gist Of his advice was stay home or
you III sldy STRANDED. and the prejudice against
stranded Americans in Europe, he added is strong
Following him with tale of woe from the realms
Of Wanderlust came Connecticut Red" the last
part Of whose sobriquet apparent from his
plastered down blond hair.
I'm just out dom my bit fer jumpin' freights"
he began.
He said he had learned much from tramping
shat never could be learned from books He also
advanced a brand new theory about country peo-
pie making tramps chop wood for their food
'"They are too lazy TO chop it themselves that's
what he said.
But his greatest hit was when he said: ..Say
when do We eat? I haven't eaten in two days
and / am hungry"
This sentiment was loudly cheered. While Con
necticut Shine" played more .-ragtirne'. the
tranps ate. Each had a tin cup of his own and
there was simultaneous stopping to get them out
and also an accompanying clatter A great cheer
was sent up as three four appeared with
canisters of hot coffee and big sandwiches These
Were followed by bananas s dessert There were
more speeches then; one by Bull Tooth Harry
IN Jumpers and overalls who told of riding two
cars back from the engine tender for fear if he
got too close he would have work.
In talk to the boys DR.. Reitrnan said that New
York was a bad town for tramps and criticised the
Charity organizations for not getting closer 10
the tramps In their work.
You punks'-he addressed the boys fan1iary-
look for charity, but you don't find 1t. You think
you are going to have a good time here but you
don't Blackwell's Island, New York's most popu-
'ir institution, Bellevue Hospital and the Morgue
claim many Of you. am that 75 per cent of
you don't know where youll sleep tonight I tell
you there is nothing in this riding around the
rattlers and John J. O'Brien's"
Then Dr. Reitnan asked. how many are there
who have never been pinched2" There was no re-
ply. Many Of YOU" he went on. "are crippled
killed every year. and in the South you are
likely TO be shot for riding the rods. 1t is inpos-
sible. to travel without begging; if you don't do
that you must steal