The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20


tramp and against any municipal
condition which tends TO propa-
gate him conducted by the re-
form element Of all the larger eastern
cities viii no doubt shortly result in
the entire eradication OF the derelict's
chief consorting ground, the dirty.
dangerous 10 cent lodging house OF
the aIuns and the tenderloin. which
in his own peculiar argot he knows as
the kip" or flop"
The roosting tree OF the vagabond
must go. cry these reformers. and go
IL viii. most likely. for these hard
hearted agitators evidently mean busi-
ness. Flabby American sympathy and
sentiment. which heretofore have al
ways been too ready to open their arms
and purse strings TO anything that
unped or whined or had & horror tale
20 tell, seem st last 20 be developing
E spinal column. Even erstwhile vaga-
bonds, now turned litterateurs. seem
70 take an unholy zest in reminiscently
muck raking the vile old dormitories
where they once cursed themselves to
sleep; selling their hideous memories
70 the magazines and news sheets for
column space rates.
with the passing Of the kip" the
flock OF broken winged crows whose
roosting tree il has been In the con-
gested parts Of the city they infest
viii no doubt greatly diminish IN num-
bers The theory that II you make
heI ha will
earn II is undoubtedly sound. This
assumption will soon find at least
experimental embodiment in municipal
statutes. after which. unless he wants
80 sleep out. the bum viii have to turn
vsorkingman-
During some years sojourn with the
lost nerves" Of the neither world 1
nave frequented hundreds of these
kip houses all over the states, in
elad.rg number along the western
nloast. and in san Francisco particu-
larly. J. too am not averse to reel
ing or son,e columns Of "reminiscences
aeaIing with the life in the 10 cent
buakhouse Cor the consideration Of
Quinn space rates l still retain in
some measure the instinct Of the under
srorIdling for locating an easy find"
as some Of my former yegg associates
would put IT,
About a year previous TO the local
earthquake L found myself one night
in the underworld Of San Francisco, a
strange ~bo," all but penniless, dead
tired from holding down fast freight
Tou Farx dox on
2 long beat from Portland. craved no
other boon from the gay western
metropolis that night ctan sheltered
and bIanketed bunk in which - stow
ny weary bones. 1 knew that with
the pittance I had in my pocket could
hnnd such a bunk II directed toward
the proper section OF the city. So I
asked the Whereabouts OF the old Bar
barry coast, Of which I had naturally
heard q great deal during my beating
about the country. and having ascer-
tained it's location soon found what
sought; for II is always IN the most
corrupt section OF city that the 'kips"
are 70 be found. souatting there in pro-
fusion, because they house the wrecks
whom the tenderloin have sucked dry
Of vitality and money; the wrecks who
by some strange fascination remain for
ever IN the region where they have
been leached Of their possessions. sur
rendering even the dregs Of body and
soul 10 their vampire.
I entered q Salvation Army barracks
and mission 'sQustting srotesQuely
against the eastern flank OF Telegraph
hfIl, on Broadway as I remember It.
II was early evening when I entered
the place. but already the reading room
where the men gathered TO await the
completion OF the nightly religious ex-
ercises and the subsequent opening Of
the bunkrooms was filled with
motley group OF outcasts.
Some were playing cards at tables
provided for that purpose. while others
made pretense at reading the old
papers, ever and anon letting their
eyes cruise across the top OF the sheet
10 size up Eone fellow waif that inter-
ested them In one corner, slightly re-
moved from the others. as though IN
silent assertion Of caste, a group OF
frowzy and rather fllfterete socialists
were gesficulating over some argu-
meutativs point OF their creed. Little
groups OF stoiid listeners ranged them
selves about talkative individuals
whose conversation ever tended plain
lively toward discussion as TO why men
cast thense4es or are cast into this
zsehsr world Of failures. Of drifters and