The Washington herald., 1908-03-09
TRAMPS AND TRAMPDOM.
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

The annual migration OF the tramp
world is beginning. The opening or the
weather brings thousands Of these deni-
zens Of the underworld from the South,
where the winters are mild. into the
Northern States. where financial eondi-
tons are usually more favorable from the
hobo standpoint. Some time ago a min
lister wrote a magazine article on the
tramp problem. 4 man who had former
ly been hobo replied 10 IL, and stated
that the minister did not know what he
was talking about. since he could not
even make the distinction between a
hobo. a tramp and a bum. There are no
statistics as 10 the number in each Of
these classes, but. putting them all into
one group, q is estimated from figures
al hand that there are about 5000 OF
them in the United States II has been
estimated that the average tramp costs
the community $40 per week. On this
basis. leaving their depredations entirely
out OF consideration. their cost per year
to the country would be about $1,000 900.
Yet over So per cent OF them admit that
they are able TO work. OF the remain
ing + per cent. more than one-half are
afflicted with contagious diseases. over
6S per cent OF them acknowledge that
they are habitual drunkards: an inquiry
among several thousand shows that only
Z per cent Of them are married
Those students Of the tramp evil who
have gone about among tramps for
while for the purpose Of learning the
why's and wherefores Of their existence
have found that the reasons are many.
One CT them IS a natural desire to roam.
Thousands of young boys start out to
beat their way. 10 ride brake-beams from
city to city. and thus. inch by inch. work
their way up OF down 10 the professional
hobo station of life ProAigacy is an
other reason. The tramp does not know
the value OF money. One investigator
found where a tramp had spent SIS for
drinks in a single night. Another had
gotten 5000 as back pay on his pension
account, and within a single month had
squandered the whole amount In sol
diers' homes some o. these old fellows.
who followed the flag but who now fol-
low the rail, are often TO be found rest
ing up for a season and spending every
two Of the time they get II. With them
the morrow must take care OF itself
New York, OF course, is the center OF
the tramp world. No other city in the
world is so liberal TO the hobo as is New
York Mendicancy would pay better than
hard work there. If only the beggar were
as saving as the worker. It is estimated
q, :
CARS in the city. Some Of them are cit
liens OF both the upper and the lower
world Only recently a woman was dis
covered who begged by night. in order
that she could wear fine clothes by day
There are nearly 20.o00 beds in the city
that may be occupied for a few hours
work or for nominal charge. or even
without money and without price.
Aside from the big cities. the worst suf-
ferers from the tramp evil are the rail-
roads. 1t has been estimated that their
deDredations on the railroads of the
United States amount to over $25 COZ. 900
a year. The leading railroads Of the East
now maintain police forces, since tho
tramps have terrorized the train crews.
In 1906 the police force of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad arrested over 500 va
grants. But while the tramps do heavy
damage TO the railroads the railroads in
turn levy heavy tolls on them.
During five recent years there were
more trespassers killed by the railroads
than passengers and trainmen combined.
There were 1900 trespassers killed, as
compared with less than 1000 passengers
and 1900 trainmen. There were about
/ 5000 treSpasserS wounded OF the class
known as trespassers, railroad men est
mate that three-fourths were tramps.
From this it viii be seen that every other
| tramp hurt in an accident was killed
This comes from the exposed places in
\ which the poor patron of the .side-door
Pullman" must ride. So fatal to the
tramp IS the railroad that many lines
maintain private graveyards along the
right OF way. where the dead hobos are
placed in unmarked graves. 1t is said
/ that foreign countries are very much
ahead Of the United States in the matter
of handling the tramp evil. and that
tramps are seldom seen on the right-of-
way Of railroads In Europe An effort,
to which the railroads are party. Is now
being made TO prevent cities and towns
from forwarding their Migrants on to the
next place. The railroads say that II the
municipalities along their lines would
imprison the Migrants at hard labor, in