The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-09
I ramps and Tranpdom
not support you. Long sentences in
tho chai gang given here. Sixty to
ninety laXa Ollr apecfaltY."

not support you. Long sentences in
n rhs day san n gysn here Sixty to
tramp life. In America are from the
pens OF Jack London and the late
",Josiali FLINT" Bo,n men wrote, from
the average hobo likes good literature,
that Dickens and ,rhackery are favor,
i I,a, with those who, frequent Cooper
I, Union IN ), Library : e IN the winter For
z favorlte piece or literature with
cursed IN their hang-out conferences.
ppisone siaI rs ago 1W9 tramps were i'm
grancy firing Of confinement they
decided to toss a coin to determine
whether they should write story or.
plan an escape. Heads was to denote
won. The sheriff furnished tho paper.
They worked for weeks on that story.
one OF them. said that he Squeezed
his brain nntilit was tired" The story
was finally concluded and the sheriff
again came to the rescue and gave
money FOR postage. In due time n iet-
publisher containing check for nine
ty dollars. The two paid their fines
and got out the same day. In single
,Wenty-four hours all evidence of their
they were riding a freight train to a
more hospitable climate.
Another instance showing that the
tramp Is not without literary tastes
He wrote an article for the Century on
the hobo, and got letters nom tramps
from all over the country. He says
the lest criticism on his article came
from hobo In Texas.
| Perhaps the most interesting study
OF the tramp world IL the freemasonry
Of the road. There are signs to be seen
| here and there, meaning less to the orr
binary citizen, but full of significance
me OF friendly te of nos.s
other such vital things. and no matter
where tramp comes from. he does
not fail to read them Alright.
The average tramp has an aversion
/ to work that is really surprising. There
IL in Philadelphia a Wayfarers Lodge.
whose table is az good in It's way as
Delmouico's and Sherry's are in theirs.
Moneysis not needed to purchase tho
They may be had for only few
hours' work at saving wood But the
place IL not at all popular with the
vagrant class. It is the saving wood
that makes II unpopular as stopping
; place. The University OF Pennsylvania
has been assisting In some work in the
study OF tramp life at tho Wayfarers'
, Lodge and elsewhere in Philadelphia.
One OF the things that Is desired in
this connection is census OF the
/. tramps OF the country.
; that has any accurate figures. There
never has been time wien the stu
dents OF the tramp evil were SO aroused
{ over Its seriousness as they are to- day.
and they believe that a Federal census
of tramps would riyet the attention Of
the country upon the evil and help
: to bring about It's eNtermination. A
! national law. under tho right of Con-
proposed to keen sramps off of the
5 rights Of way. 1t has been pointed out
i by some. in turn that there Is already
a law to keep them off of trains. aa'i
Q that If they were to be arrested and
j tried for accepting free TRANSFORMATION
G under the anti-pass clause Of the rate
: law. the trouble would be solved In
y that direction
1t is to be said that the great body
of the tramp population Is not truly
: criminal. The "yegg men" constitute
n the really criminal class OF the genus
$ has been committed by them. their
favorite work being the robbIng of
: railroad offices and possibilities Re
6 so serious that the Postoffice Depart
II ment had to make friends with some
= of these "yegg men and pay then
handsomely for information that wonlt
e tenders to book. Congress Is not dis
o posed to look favorably on the prone
v sitlon TO pay these people for irfor
Is nation.
d those in America are familiar, though
: none of them are sNnonomous to tn
10 initiated, In England he is the "sturd,
~ bcgRar." In France ha is the "vaga
=, bond" In Germany he IS known a
n the sseegrabentapirirer Blu
n wherever he Is his Is a burden on SO
is ciety. and indiscriminate giving Is sal
ID By all who have studied the, matte
- well. to be more than any other on
10 thing, responsible for his existence
20 He is afflicted with the .wanderiust.
Re He usually acquires 1t in youth. Chill
m labor is claimed by many TO be re
I, sponsible for the uncomfortable dis
like for work with which thousand
a Of hnboes are afflicted They clair
81 that the endless grind of their factor
!, days has made Migrants for life o
d: thousands.
III To- morrow-congress of Mothers.