The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-16
MADE STUDY OF
GENUS TRAMP
Mingled With Them to
Get His knowledge at
First Hand

FIRST Hand
CHICAGO. July Ia Men are liv-
ing on West Madison street on 40
and 90 cents dav, according TO
Nols Anderson. who IL making a
study Of homeless ana migratory
men under the direction OF PROT
Ernest w. Burgess oc the University
OF Chicago for the United Charities
and tho Juvenile Protective 80
Cictv
Anderson became waudcrer
himself as hoy, he said today hut
happened TO find work on a ranch
where the family took an interest iu
him. At the age OF "a ho entered
high school. Eventually he was con-
frouicd hy the problem OF selecting a
topic for his doctors thesis, and
finding. according to his statement.
that 20 study had been made pre-
yiousiy OF the hobo. he began to
write on that subject on the basis
of his early experience. After he
had written $50 pages he felt a de-
sire TO strengthen hts preparation
for tho task by renewed iuNeStlE1-
tions Accordingly he has been
mingling with trnmps as one Of
them al their "muglos" on summer
camps, ON the road, In tho city
streets and In Jail
THE average student who hasn't
boon on the road himself" said
Anderson, rs apt TO find him
self unable 20 approach tramp
and get his true story. Not only
are tramps chockfull Of suspicious
and prcludlces and likely 20 exaE-
gorate or to keep still IL they sus-
1..t sN.
a slang Of their own.
FOR example, n man who works
with a shovel IL known In the fra
ternity OF working stiffs' as a
'mucker,' tho man VINO drives a
team is a skinner ono who lamps
ties on the railroad is a CANDY
dancer
Knows How TO Live Cheap.
I'm the winter the tramps flock
TO the big cities. They manage I'm
some cases to make $50 last n long
while, for they know where they
can get three douEhnuts and "a cup
OF coffee for cents and lodging
for 10 cents, II I'm the morning they
will sweep of the floor they slept
on. You will find 800 men on the
floor OF one Of the popular Chicago
flophouscs in the winter. though in
the summer the same place viii be
nearly empty
where are the men In the sum
mer? Many, OF course, are engaged
in seasonable occupations. The idle
ones are often gathered at the
jungles, which is an institution IN
Hobohemia like the fashionable club
in another statum OF society. The
men select for their camps n shady
place near enough to town for an
occasional handout and far enough
from town 10 seem secure from the
bulls or constables. They build
shacks Of wood or roofing tin or
whatever material they find handy.
! have seen very good shacks built
Of ripped-up oil cans.
Last summer tramped through
Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
covering 800 miles. talked TO
some thousand wanderers and tabu-
lated 402 cases. I had slashed my
vest to carry my index cards. only
one man noticed the slashcs ana the
slight bulEes. He asked me II !
was an organizer for the 'Wobblles.
/ said no and that was all"
Pride Kept Him out.
No man ever sinks too low ITO
retain some spark Of self-respect. 4"
according TO Anderson. Il knew
an tlutllN DldTkfl SUN NI 1lt pros
pcctor type, who refused 20 90 nm
institution Ter treatment, though he
was a victim oT~~~ner's consumption.
He gave two characteristic reasons
First, he didu't want his relatives
10 find out about him. Second, he
felt that TO go 10 an institution
would be equivalent 20 surrender
and IL would be only a question OF
time before he would give up the
ghost. He declared vehemently that
he could never think OF going home,
for he had failed TO communicate
with his family when he was well
and had money and he would not
communicate with them after he had
become IN and INDECENT
MANY take 20 the road or the city
streets because thcv are physically
incapaoita'ed and therefore dcpcn-
dent, and they feel they are unwcl-
come membranes upon their fam
lilies
MANY are the lodges employed 10
get means OF subsistence. One man
addresses a street corner crowd thus
I am different from the rest Of
yousc atiffs. want to get enough
for flop tonight; | want 70 cat to-
day tomorrow and the day after
I'll talk 70 YOU on any subject you
choose Then he makes his speech
and hands around the hat, Anybody
can get up a crowd on West MaAl-
son street, for there are always IDLE
men who are glad OF listen.