The sun., 1912-07-07
BY REV. ALCERNON s. CRAPsEY
r N this as in all civilized countries

IN this as in all civilized countries
vagrancy ia a crime. and yet
like all naughty things. IL Is nice
To wander care free. going by this
road or that. or by no road at ALL eating
what one finds. sleeping where one
can. this IL the very abandon OF life.
In losing this freedom of the vagrant,
man has paid dear for what he calls his
civilization. He no longer goes any.
where. he IL sent.
Packed in railway and trolley cars.
sentenced 10 sit crainpcd for hours in one
place. hunchci like a bale of mere handise.
h" Ia hurled through space from his point
of departure 10 his point of arrival.
through the windows of the box in which
one ia confined. one has glimpses Of
wooded hills and running waters. such as
make ono chafe against the confines
of ones travelling prison and long for the
freedom OF the vagrant. Your tramp
Is vour only free man. His is The freedom
# the road and Of the woods; he has re-
verted to type. He belongs TO nature.
Whenever a civilized man attempts 10
enter into this life he can do it only as an
amateur. not as professional. Such
was my experience during the past two
months. ! attempted the vocation Of a
vagrant tasted "A few of i,s JOYS. hut
always felt awkward and out Of place.
Instead of being carried from place 10
place, ! walked. and walking in these
modern days and in this modern country
ia a lost art. and as the sequel will show.
l. is a crime.
In my own case. the vagrant had a pur
rose In his wandering: and purpose in life.
like purpose In novel. ia destructive of
all interest Your true tramp has no
purpose whatever in his life. For him
10 live il purpose enough. What my
purpose was is of no consequence. and
will conceal II as far az ! may. My pres
ent intention is simply to give somc ex-
periences Of my vagrancy.
Disguised by the simple means OF wear
Ing slouch hat and ordinary clothes and
carrying a hAvereack over my back. l
was able to 60 In and out among people
Attracting no attention where my person
atty was unknown. and only mild aston
ianment where It was known. came in
contact continually and closely with that
mysterious being the ordinary man. and
70 my surprise found that the ordinary
man does not exist. Every man is ex-
tFsordinary.
In one Of the Hudson River towns I
ohanoed to meet a hero disguised as an
ordinary man. He was the common
W." Of workingman. 40 written at and
leceured. He was dressed IN overalls.
he worked BY The day for 81 80 per- His
duty placed him In the signal tower OF
thA railroad, where from at night until
: IN the morning he guarded the lives of
the passengers and the we'll being Of the
merchandise that passed over his road at
that point.
Tho extraordinary fact connected with
this ordinary man was that he was
legless. That was not apparent to the
naked eye until he began to walk about;
thsn Il was seen that ne did not walk as
. man but az . machine. and one learned
that he had lost both his legs in railroad
accident. He had made for himself the
wooden legs that he wss using He was a
sdfful mechanic: . man Of more than
usual intelligence. his habit was one of
great cheerfulness sat for more than
an hour with him in his signal tower and
listened to his talk.
He was q socialist. but not q man Of
violence. He was profoundly acquainted
with the history OF tho exploitation Of
labor. He had no word Of abuse for the
rich man. nor even for the railroad cor
poration for which he worked. He had
,s 81 his legs In tho performance Of h Ia
duty. When he consulted the legal