The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1908-12-02

that would strive to become presl-
dent of the United States when their
own husbands were town loafers and
drunk half the time.
For the crime Of stealing three sour
apples off q tree in Indiana | was ar
rested. The constable hadn't done an
honest days work in five years. Ihe
Justice before whom was arraigned
had been charged with exacting illegal
fees. The iailer to whose care was
consigned was blinking old bum who
beat his wife. I happened to be the
only prisoner in the Jail for the first
fifteen days, and the reformers swarm
ed in on me. had q bed not tit for q
hog, but they didn't change it. The
place was alive with vernn, but no.
body sent in stuff to kill them of. |
hadn't half enough to eat but no more
was offered me. What they did oder
was prayers and advice, and because /
cot sulky and wouldn't sing Nearer,
NV God. to Thee the jailer starved me
for two days. was looked upon as
the worst desperate the town had ever
known.
II can't remember when have lied.
As a matter Of fact. have nothing to
lie about. The merchant and his
clerks lie every day. All last summer
INV stealings amounted to perhaps
dollars worth of fruit and vegetables.
There are thousand so called respect
able men who are grating the average
CITY out of hundreds every day in the
wear. 1 may get glass Of beer week
The average man, If he likes it. may
get three a day. swear. So do fifteen
men out of twenty. smoke. So DO
tens of thousands Of others. But be-
cause I'm dilapidated gentleman I'm
set down as very bad and in need OF
all the moral influence that can be
brought to bear. That's the difference
between tweedledee and tweedledum,
you see:s > .......
Public Fooled Again.
'sThere's a general opinion that the
tramp is ignorant. That's where the
public Is fooled again. / never met one
in all my wanderings. unless he was a
foreigner and only over little time,
that wouldn't pass muster with the
better class Of mechanics. and some
were graduates. At campfire with
six or seven average tramps about 1t
you'd have hard work to find one who
isn't up in photography, mathematics.
history, and so on. I've found plenty
up in Biblical events, ancient history
and scientific questions. Why not?
The tramp Is a tramp simply because
he was born restless. That spirit
would have given him the luxuries Of
travel If he had been rich. AS he didn't
happen to be he had to 60 on the tramp
to see the world.
"Of all people the farmer understands
the tramp the best, except in one thing.
He can't understand why Weary VIII
lie doesn't want to buy farm and
settle down. The farmer always has
some chores to do. BE most always
seats the tramp at the family table.
He often gives him good bed. If he
was ever afraid Of him it was years
and years ago. After supper the tramp
feels that it IS up to him to entertain
the household. He sits down with it
and can be mighty interesting with
out the longbow. He can tell OF ar
rests. escapes, Jails, police, and so on.
He can tell Of Niagara falls, public
buildings. conhagrations. the noun
tains and big trees Of California. and
what not. I've been a delighted lis
tener scores Of times myself.
III a tramp has had bis f1ll Of tramp
ing for the nonce he'll turn to and
work for q month: II not, it's no use
to try to detain him. The call Of the
road is as strong as the call Of the
wild. The farmer understands this and
plans accordingly. The tramp may
take few apples or turnips from him
and at long intervals chicken, but
next time be comes along he may turn
in and work like beaver to save the
hay or wheat crop. As for what we
call gratitude, the tramp has got his
full share Of it
Therefore, my friend" continued
the dnapidated as he knocked the
ash from his pipe and pocketed it,
when next you read that a tramp
did it. just make up your mind that
the lop shouldered reporter is mixing
his dogs and cats all up together and
doesn't know his trade. There are
buns, there are loafers. there are hood
lums and there are-yours truly
tramps." NJ. QUAD.