davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

one may be in a similar predicament, he
will. II he is good tramp. pass the word
along. He does 1t by marking out rough
good for a small sum Of money, he will
draw a circle behind the feet. All Of
which Is useful information.
1t II sometimes useful to know that
only women live in house. This news
IL conveyed by q crude drawing Of q cat.
as shown here. II the house Is also
worth robbIng the circle with the line ~
added to It.
A rough hammer means: "You can get
meal, but they will make you work for
it." 1t is almost as useful in shying on
tramps as the spiral. II for any reason
a tramp thinks one Of the fraternity
should know just who and how many
are in house he uses very simple for
mulae. An upright line means a child.
An upright line above q curve means q
woman, an y means q man. II the
woman Is old the line Is wavy and II the
man is old the x Is made wavy. II you
should see on q barn door one upright
line, an upright line above curve, .
wavy line above curve and crooked
X and beside 1t the circle with the line
across 1t. you could translate 1t thus:
-Four In the family. one child. young
woman, an old woman and an old man;
worth robbing" Two lines of angles
like the teeth Of saw mean, vicious
dog; look out"
This is only q part Of the many signs
used, but 1t will give an idea OF the per-
lection Of the system.
The organization maintains regular
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13
Vagabondia Now Fully Organized With Departments, Codes
Camps and Secret Symbols The Most Versatile Criminals
at the Head Just Like Other Predatory Corporations.

that all is well. II the eyes are closed
1t means the camp 10 unsafe. This
warning Is always looked for by the
tramp. and 1t IL part Of his duty to
see the signs are accurate. 81
One Of the most famous of all the
tramp camps was Camp No. "a" on
the Hyde Park road. near Poughkeep-
sic, which was the rendezvous for the
most expert Eastern Yeggmen. 1t was
discovered and raided and then watch
ed. Despite all precautions. the warn
Ing marks were up day after the
seizure. The police took away all the
equipment OF this camp. which Is
shown here. These consisted Of a to-
mato can used as a coffee pot; two
large pals for boiling soup OF. clothes;
q frying pan: lard pail used for tea
or coffee: q mirror for making I'D q
disguise, = number of leather soles for
shoes to destroy telltale foot marks;
htehet and Sdt kniy,ss INCLUDING nd one
topset steel. both Of which are use
full for shaving; hats. caps and false
boards; ropes. masks and an automatic
pistol. This was a rather complete
intact as possible. There are hundreds
of suIh camps scattered over the coun-
try, and they are a most significant
sign of the excellent organization Of
as well h as ITS Ss aims bo.r M
prime factor in the development Of
the country, have also been the prime
factor In the knitting together Of the
fraternity Of tramps. Where the rail.
rapid travelling. He goes by the bump
or route. 1t 10 true. hanging to the rods
beneath the cara
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

OF trampdom, Yeggmen. These are
skilled men who have executive ability
and can map out a robbery campaign or
terfeiting to blowing up a safe. The
most able of the Yeggmen are known as
well by name to the rank and file Of
their followers as Morgan and Rockefel-
Ter are In their field of effort Next to
them are the "Gaycats." These are I'M
developed Yeggs who help their masters
along until they have gained enough ex-
pertness to be Yeggmen themselves
They may be called the lieutenants Of
the industry. The third class Is the
"Bindle." He is the old-fashioned tramp
who just drifts about and whose active
criminality Is confined to an occasional
raid on a hen-coop. Last is the "Shovel
Stiff" who will work when he can, who
tramps about from Job to Job and who
has been driven into Vagabondia by
changing Industrial conditions to which
he could not adapt himself. or by some
other misfortune. Look at any bread
line" such as are formed In New York.
and you will see "Shovel Stiffs" in the
process OF formation. A "Gaycat may
in time become "Yegg,"' but "Bindle"
other hand, the latter often passes into
the "Bindle" class. Both types must,
however conform to the regulations OF
their superiors, and that ID where the Pc
culiar sign language figures most
The purpose Of the sign language Is
warning. guidance and specific informa-
ton for the commission Of crir's Part
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

and the everlasting doom of love- She
knows that when a man leaves his office
or workshop he II desirous Of leaving
there all worries and perplexities. with
the result that she does not try to force
her opinions on him.
It 10 often said that widows angle. or
run after men: but In Ave cases out OF
six the accusation IL an unjust one, the
real truth being that their popularity
causes men to really run after them in
stead OF vice versa AS rule q widow
10 80 sympathetic and gracious to all her
male friends. seeming to so thoroughly
their fancies and feelings. that
they -instinotively seek her society.
She may. or may not. care to enter
the bonds OF wsdlock once more. but,
having grown accustomed to . hus-
bands comradeship. she enjoys the So
ciety of other men. She enters into
their pleasures As far as she possibly
can. and endsavors at all times TO
make them feel as comfortable and
AT homo" In her presence as they
would In that OF men companions.
VIVA. 10 more. . widow Invariably
shows herself to be of an economical
turn Of mind. the result Of her former
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

lions q lucid explanation can be made
Of the most important. Those who here
after see the figures scrawled about their
property will know whether they are
protected or marked for slaughter.
Two intersecting lines like plus mark
mark means Good for a meal" A cir
Gle means mo good for anything. Just
as we'll pass by" A spiral, such as Is
Illustrated on this page. is desirable
thing for those out Of the trust to have.
1t means Pass by. Danger" 1t always
carries the implication that the dweller
In the house so marked Is either an off,
Ger Of the law-constable, policeman,
Judge. etc.-or SO closely allied as to
make application perilous. Certain COM
munities that adopted the rule of making
vagabonds caught within their limits
work on the roads, noticed that soon no
tramps entered. The spirals were found
decorating every approach to the town,
warning by those who had been caught
to those who might come that way here
When a Bindle Is given a meal at
house that seems to him reasonably easy
Of access and worth the robbing, he will
scrawl on the gatepost or wall circle
bisected with line. This means Worth
cracking" and the next Gaycat or Yegg
who comes along takes note and acts
as he sees fit. This is the criminal ex-
ploitation" mark, and the man who makes
1t, although he may not have either de-
sire or courage to attempt the robbery
himself, has no conjunction in obeying
the rule and pointing out the 'easy place."
In isolated districts many homes are al
ways well provided with guns, which the
housewife knows how to use. When this
is found out, q triangle with two lines
sticking from 1t, crude hands at the top
--as shown here-conveys the news to
trampdom.
In the same way, when a tramp notes
that another house Is protected with bur-
glar alarms and telephone, he draws what
Il intended to be q rooster somewhere In
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

understand the vagaries Of opposite
sexes. "And this" A. the celebrated
Mark Twain has observed. 'is Just where
the widow comes in. She has served
her apprenticeship. and has parted with
her illusions, 80 that the man she con-
descsnds to marry has . fair start"
Undoubtedly men are attracted towards
women who understand them. and no ono
knows this better than the widow herself.
What widow. for instance. ever objects
to smokipg7 She knows Q man loves
his cigar or q pipe Of tobacco. There
fore she makes study Of man In order
to gain . knowledge Of his likes and dis
likes ana never negleots an opportunity
OF catering TO his wilma. A widow has
the happy knack OF being more anxious
to please than to be pleased. and a. very
many men have q weakness for little
adulation. she invariably succeeds In her
object.
She ID wise enough. too, not to argue
with the man whom she would like to be
something more than . friend. or. II she
does. she contrives to convey in q fascin-
ating manner the impression that she II
convinced he u right She II aware that
arguments are the cryI: Of frisndship.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

TT was Tony Weller NAe on one occasion
gave the solemnsadvsce to his son. the
. irrepresible saIa Of ''Pickwick" fame,
"samivel. my boy Asyare Of vidders."
But 1t is evident. afipg from the num-
Der of widows we34set married every
year. that the av&k( man Is inclined
to pay little heedEH pid Tony's warn
have improved in S21rlctsr and dispose
ton somewhat s3dns tho Pickwiokian
days. or maybe the4 swilss and fascin-
ations have bsoeat a fonser and more
sag
Whatever the rSN the fact remains
that widows frs@s8tly win husbands
where splnsters 61e3 ana. according to
official returns. tfstS y growing dis
position on the part Of the stsrnsr sex
TO share their homes and fortunes with
ladies who have already had some ak
psrisnes Of married life. Probably the
TACT that Widows previous knowledge
oe men and matrimony secures for her
IN advantage over her single sisters has
, great deal to do with this rather sur
prising state OF affairs. Much married
happiness IL often frittered away before
he average husband ana wife get to
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13
A Dying Race in a Fruitful Country.
By F. w. Christian, B. H.

ing. like q grim milestone, the march OF
Time the Destroyer 1t was a prophetic
instinct that inspired the mournful pihe
or chant Of Aria, the Tahitian sage and
poet:
"The fallen fau-ieaves strew the sand,
The sea shall swallow coral strand,
Our folk shall vanish from the land"
French Polynesia, Of which the Mar
quesan Islands are part. is divided. like
Caesars Gaul. into three parts-Tahiti.
the Paumotus and the Marquesas. All
Of these islands are on the decline.
In Paumotu. or Low Archipelago.
whence for many years there was vast
output OF pearl shell into the Western
much mischief, for the Low Archipelago
islanders are too tough and sturdy, too
sober and naturally hard working, to be
gravely affected by the undesirable In
som ns's Two 81 hundred ip ana Atty miles away.
But recent attacks OF blight and heavy
typh0ons have done great mischief to
the cocoanut palm trees. which grow In
age in the copra returns Also very re-
Gently an enormous tidal wave swept the
Low Archipelago. destroying about =
thousand lives ana Soi1E ln Inc rISUs bic
dustry ianguishes also.
In Tahiti things are worse still. In
Papeste, the chief port. and In the coun-
try districts within . wide radius OF the
little capital, drink ana opium and the
allied evils Of civilization almost I'M
checked by Christian church law are
DIaying very great havoc with the native
IN Tahiti, though backed by
svery possible advantage Of nature. the
french occupation. with few honorable
sxceptions, has not made by any means
aa much as II ought to have done for the
happiness and true prosperity OF the
people. II vas 3 very mipchievous meas
ure, a. Ia MadagascAr, the turning out
Of the missionaries. who had given such
mighty and unseinsh Iabors to civilixing
and raising the early Tahitian natives
from barbarian There arc no manly
or amussments In Tahiti for
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

the natives in their leisure time. Drink
and opium, and shameful, loafng idleness
are poor substitutes for cricket, football,
rowing and Olympian games-are they
not?
So tho cotton, the coffee. ana tho
sugar-cans and the vanilla plantations are
running to waste. and great tracts Of land
which. under energetic cultivation. might
be yielding prodigious returns are be-
coming year by year moro and more
overgrown with weeds and returning to
the primitive Jungle state. under the au-
spices Of the gauva. the lantana, the
mimosa. or sensitive plant, the sword
grass, the oat-grass, the knot-grass and
the native and imported nettle.
The Ra-otongans are the most ad-
vanced OF all the South Sea Islanders in
European Industrial civilization. They
have become efficient artisans and
mechapics; they build houses after the
they work extensive plantations and cot.
and lines. or the former they expor,
millions; from the lines they express
some 1000 gallons yearly being sent
from the island. They also export cot
ton. coffee. and quantities Of bananas,
green and ripe (also in dried form In
winch the irult tastes IKE date). Ar
rowroot Is also consigned. also much
corpra, or dried cocoanut kernels.
The Rarotongans thrive and are happy
because free and unoppressed, and are
81 liberty to enjoy the fruits OF their
labors. The Rarotongans are industrious
planters and workers. mighty cricketers.
generous contributors 20 their native
church, happy, sober and contented
Maori sons OF the British Empire. /.
RArotonga y happy. fiourishing
under the rood church In ~
OF those sane, strong men. our Christian
shining like an astral burner
amidst the murk and gloom shrQuding
Farther Eastern Polynesia. its falling
population and Its tagging plantations
or. at least. the feebly Christian, secu-
lar government Of the Tricolor and the
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

Islands ] have come upon race
4 rapidly approaching extinction. and
q 1uxuriant country that soon will be
without inha bitants. 1t II appalling.
but cannot be denied.
These people who are vanishing from
the face Of the earth are Inhabitants OF
the Marqussan Islands.
Fifty years ago the native popula-
tion when France annexed these ISLANDS
was 10000. Now. counting half-castes.
ana these no great number. there are
left some 1000 survivors, many OF
them feeble, apathetic and sickiy. The
birth rate 10 very tiny: the death rate
II appalling. Every year the poor.
miserable remnant are sinking lower
ana lower into apathy ana despair:
Drink and opium have 20 mud ace
:nsX ssys fcs e. y.impisst ana most
Sars iifs. much less Tor the sustained
iabors Of grsppisns wisn n nnSsr cmi id
,v:tion. Kindly. weii-meaning officials
Whole tracts Qf land. oncs the site q
we'll cultivated plantations no 40
=. Ind saaasr sim than this:
mi over auu-eoorched, drougnt. smItten
e sss sors ts g s:S. 'a and f sse
vailsys ars niisd ~ day With sw.rms q
s~iiiicnG "a mosquitoes: All over fertile
Hiva-6a 81 the south. With ttg kindner
Sils1t1. Whose the monbund 1arovsssn
rScS cflnGg o. q life most hrmly, up NIL
snl down dds you may ride. ana see sne
Sr1a bu1It ~ hugs bssalt blocks, mark
~ ~ el}eo * 1ormer thriving tovn-
SRf16, ~ monuments 81 . vanished pop
- csepls srs asee. thstch ana roose
VI 80 IN aIooe arr Ieee win ners
. i q 9S1Slg oofvo1 stens Image mArk-
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13
~ Line," from
Which Trampdom

Of the Bindle's or the Shovel Stiff's duty
to the organization is to contribute this
information. You see 1t in the strange
marks and pictures scrawled on fences
and bars or house walls, on trees and
stones. By 1t a district may be marked
out as plainly for exploitation. with full
details as to disadvantages and ad-
vantages as the secret reports Of
Standard OIL Trust agent. say. to his
superiors. There are few who have
seen these signs, crosses and spirals
and circles and crude drawings. and have
not wondered what they meant. Professor
Wallace Ernster, Of Michigan University,
made study Of the system recently dur
ing tramping tour, and Chief of Police
Charles J. McCabe, Of Poughkeepsie,
N. Y, has made analysis of the SYM
bols q hobby. From their observa-
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

"No other predatory corporation or
combination of them could equal the
menace" he says.
Finally. just as legislation 10 being
urged in all States to curb tho activity
Of the Industrial combinations. 80 IL the
need Of legislation that will wipe out
the tramp problem under consideration.
Until the need Of the bread line and the
prison have vanished It IL not likely that
the tramp will 20. but It Is possible to
break up his organization.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

camps. which are kept furnished with
the tools needed for tramp trust ao-
tivity. and also for q get away" or
escape from the police. The tramps
know these places. which are also In
Q way direetorste rooms where the
m ombers meet to plan operations.
There IL one sign which tells whether
NE camp IL safe or whether 1t 10
watched by the police. This consists
Of an x under q line. banked by q pair
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

marriage experience. She knows the
value of money: that the most elastic
dollar only contains one hundred cents.
and no one can make It 60 further than
she.
Consequently. II anything were need
ed to convince q man OF q widows At
ness to be his wife. II would be her
practical and sensible Views on econ
omy.
IT IL. however. as q practical woman
that q widow appeals most forcibly to
man. He feels convinced that by
marrying her ne will be sure to have
obtained q wife who can manage q
home OF course. to some men tho
thought that another man had once
held FIRST place In the wife's affections
would be q great objection to marriage
with q widow. But men hold the repu-
tation OF being proverbiaily selfish. and
when II comes to choosing between .
woman who has only love and good
looks to recommend her. and one pos
sessed Of practical common sense. to-
gether with . sound kno wledge Of how
to look after = home and their creature
comforts. they incline towards the
latter.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

DR.. Orlando r. Lewis. Of New YORK.
whose connection with the Joint Ap-
plication Bureau OF the Charity Organ
ixation Society led him to make
study Of the Migrants of the rail-. has
estimated in four years 23.9o4 tres
passers were killed on railroads, and 49,
2S6 MANNED. Two-thirds of this astound-
ing number were tramps.
James J. Hill. who. by the way. hrst
christened the new Vagabondia the
tramp trust" asserts that S25.OOO.OO0 In
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

plain sight The drawing is never too
rude to be recognized. Ministers houses.
especially In the country. are always
marked. The sign Is pair of circles
connected by curved line. somewhat like
2 peir Of spectaelss. A ministers house
Il always supposed 70 Be good for meal.
When q tramp finds that q house ct
which he has begged Is kindly because
one OF the family has at some time dis
appeared. and that help II forthcoming
because the giver feels that the missing
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13
A Record of Tramp Organization.

Hero II shown "Camp Poughkeepsie for
leaders OF the organi-
Above the the tramp sign meaning Scamp
II drawings scattered this page are
other Information to the
full outAt for robbery and for
tanned hundreds throughout the country
described In the article 10 shown
the
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13
Gets Many Recruits.

literally. in the words Of the immortal
Colonel Sellers. Of "Gilded Age" memory,
there Is million in 1t. 1t Is estimated
that there are that many tramps In the
United States. all of whom live according
to the code Of the order. For years GRIM
inality has been steadily working like
leaven through the mass. until now every
crime from murder to chicken stealing
can be found on the police dockets oppo-
site the name Of some vagabond. As in
other trusts of the predatory variety, the
most accomplished and versatile crimi-
mails are at the head. There appears to
be no great central figure as yet, no SUI
preme controlling force. but there seems
to be no reason such a leader should not
arise. and he will find the ground titled
for him.
The leaders are called, In the language
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

damage IL done annually to tho railroads
Of the United States by the tramps. both
wllfully and carelessly. He also points
out that their organization II growing,
and that 1t only needs q reply great
leader to make It the most formidable
criminal problem the country has ever
had to face.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13

q BIOLOGISTS. recently investigating
- the tramp problem Of this country.
have come to the interesting con-
clusion that Vagabondia has followed the
national tendency and has become. to all
intents and purposes. a trust. 1t is fully
organized. with districts, lieutenancies.
boards Of directors. meeting places. grips.
passwords. and q highly developed sign
language.
OF this new trampdom It may be said
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-24
DRExEL REGISTERS
1910 FEET ALTITUDE,
Ink Then Gives Out in the Barograph,
Though He Goes Still Higher--Limit
Reached Owing to the Rarified
Aif--LandS 20 Miles AWAY,

Philadelphia, Nov. 23.-J. Armstrong
DreXel broke all aeroplane altitude rec
OrdS here today when he climbed above
this city until his Blerot monOplane
was unable to make further progress
in the rarfied atmosphere. The ink i'll
the needle of his Paragraph ran out at
1870 feet, which was accepted as new
worlds record tonight by Clifford e.
Harmon, chairman of the National
Council Associated Clubs of America,
and James King Duffy, the secretary
of that body. The instrument is thu
same one which Johnstone carried
when he made the former record of
9714 feet Oct. 81 at Belmont park
Mr. DreXel left the aviation field at
Point Breeze in the extreme southern
part Of this city at 1923. He landed at
Or,apd. about 30 miles north of the
spot where he had started. at 4.46. In
his climb he Travelled at least 50 miles
to the northWard, for when he started
to descend, after trying for 10 min
utes to force the machine higher, lie
gliIed down for Il distance which he
estimated at about six miles. So swift
ly did the monoplanc descend that the
aviator was nauseated However. he
reached an Oren field ard brought his
machine to the ground without injury.
Mr. DreXel announced tonight that he is
going to fly back to the aviation field to-
morrow He was greatly disappointed
when he found that the Paragraph had
failed to record an even 10000 feet. The
air was so light it was impossible to
make the machine ascend another foot
he said. "The engine would not carry 1t
anv further. and was up at the extreme
altitude for more tlan Is minutes, jump
ing the machine in an effort to secure Il
greater height
Mr.. Drexel tonight said that While II
was very cold he did not suffer as he "i'
when he made his previous records or o'"
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-11-24

Lack of evidence against them caused
Federal Judge Walter Evans to dismiss
Tuesday at Paducah, KY, 125 alleged
night riders who We're defendants in
damage suits aggregating 100000. For
mer Police Judge C. w. Rucker. who
was whipped and driven out of Eddyville
by alleged night riders and who sued for
$4,000 recovered $1,000 from d. A. Ames.
reputed general of the night riders, and
Willie Bennett. Thomas Stephens. con-
fessed night rider. who was driven from
the state by the band and who sued for
$4,000. recovered 5000.