Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-11

cents for every meal served and the
poorniaster divides profits with the
storekeeper. The latter, out of the
goodness of his heart, very often
contributes without charge old
clothes, shoes, stockings, chewing to-
bacoo and pills to those who reed
them.
An indignant taxpayer once de-
clared at town meeting that the
names in the tramp book must have
been copied from tombstones all over
the country, and that the town was
buying meals for dead ones. But the
poormaster an old soldier, hit his
accuser with an affidavit and an
army cruteh. Investigation showed
that both had been used with justi-
flcation.
When the tramp house. was first
opened a delegation Of citizens went
to the poormaster and protested
against the location of the house
in the village. 1t happened that
there were a number of maiden ladies
in the delegation, and the -poormas-
ter sent them home happy by prom
Using to get beau for every one
of them. even if he had to- get a
hobo. His pun saved the day.
The town supplies wood for the
tramp house, and an old-fashioned
drum stove supplies the heat. The
wood is thrown in a pile outside the
building. One stormy night some
naughty guests at the castle wouldn't
go out of doors for 1t, so they burned
the chairs and some planks that had
been used for bed Stats. That is why
a sign has been nailed over the stove,
reading: 49,
''Notis, Don't Burn. the Furniter."
To- ),
evening, they gather around the fire
side in a delightfully."- informal way,
removing their shoes and stockings
if they have any-rolling their trous-
ers above their knees, and hosting
their heels above the hot stove to
warm up and dry off.
The beds are rough boards, nailed
together so they rise above one an
other in tiers. They are supplied with
ticks filled with straw, and with old
quilts. The bedding is never washed,
but at the end. of each winter season
the poormaster removes it from the
tramp house with long handled
hay fork, carries it to the bank of the
mill pond, pours oil over it and sets
it on fire.
The tramps boycott the Castle
when the warm weather comes, and
LIleV take TO the WOOQS at nlSuti lOT-
aging for their meals on farms in
the day. Some years ago, when the
hop fields attracted more tramps than
they do now, farmers kept sharp
watch on their crops and the tramps
got their meals at the home of the
soldier-p oormaster. He boiled beans
by the hushel. bought bologna by the
crate, and bread by the wagonload,
and he fixed up "quick lunches" IN
handy bundles. These, out of respect
for his army career, he called cart
ridges and he fired one at the head
of every tramp who appeared in~his
dooryard. If the tramp missed it, u
delegation of waiting dogs caught it.
All kinds of men and all kinds of
characters have stopped at the little
tramp house. They come and go
peacefully, and no depreciation of any
kind has ever been done in the village
by a tramp, although Clayville has a
police force of only one constable.
The town has a good reputation
among the tramps of the country,
for it feeds them and lets them alone.
They reciprocate by eating their fill
and letting the town alone.-New
York Times.