Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-19

FOR WINTER TIME
Daily Letter by Frederic J. 'Haskin

When the New York police made
one of their infrequent but spectac-
ular raids upon street begSars re-
Gently, the city's courts were liter
ally filed with prosperous beSSars
whose weekly income ranged from
sac to SIS. One who aroused great
Indignation in the breast of the
good-natured metropolis, mad oeen
accustomed to drive TO and from his
daily peat in his ~high-priced limoi-
sine. Inasmuch as the attitude oil
the New York police toward street
beggars, except for occasional
bursts Of aggression, is apathet",
and as the New York jails do not
require hard toll from smaa-tlme
prisoners, the city is likely to re-
main a permanent favorite with the
hobo fraternity.
While Manhattan is the best
place for the hobo to make money.
with Newark; N. j. ranking a close
second, it is in Philadelphia a. d
other large cities of Pennsylvania
that the tramp is best ted. Accord
ing to one veteran tramp, there IS
scarcely a town or hamlet in the
keystone state which does not pro-
vide at least a comfortable living"
for yagabonds. The g~ood-natured
hausfraus of the agricultural dis
tricts especially believe that ill lick
will come to them if they refuse
a hungry man food, and so keen is
their desire to avoid calamity that
ia addition to the large dinner set
cut for each tramp, they provide
him with d box of food to take
with him upon his Journey"
Chicago is Unpopular
Chicago, while Lopular with
tramps, especially as a wiLter abode
IS considered slightly dangerous, as
the Chicago police are discomfort
ingly prompt in arresting suspicious
looking beggars. and the Chicago
jails are stern in their treatment
81 Migrants. Thirty days in Bride
welr' is a sentence that no tran'I
is likely to risk twice. Besides, the
city is heavily populated with earn
est students of crime, who are al
ways invading Hobohemia in West
Madison street and making the resi-
dents extremely uncomfortable.
A tramp is by no means an easy
subject of study. Unless the inVts-
t,gator adopts the heroic method o.
joining the hobo fraternity. he is
not likely to obtain much true n
formation of the brotherhoodts
| full of suspicion and p~rejudices ant
apt to ~exaggerate or to keep silent
if they suspect their questiorcr,
but they have clearly drawn caste
lines and a slang of their W al.
together bewildering to the uninitl.
ated.
The lowest type of tramp, one
which has largely dropped out u
sight since the war, is known as
the "tomato-can vag". This type
used to be particularly numerous l..
New York City. where it lived IN
boxes, barrels. cellars and unoei
wharves, where 1t could curl up and
have a ."doss'' (sleep). 1t fed upon
the refuse of garbage cans and MT
quite-empty tin cans recovered
from ash barrels.
The "gay-cat" is another type
srurned and often prosecuted by
| the body of the fraternity, for the
gay-cat is one who cannot depend
entirely upon his wits to support
him but, who, in the face of neces.
sity often accepts work. 1t is this
type which engages in various sea
sonal occupations such as hop and
bSILy PAShAh6s ma ohN VIM
mercial canning.
Almost in the same class with
the gay-cat Is the poke-out, the
tramp who is content to subsist on
cold food poked but to him through
tie household door. 1t Ia this typt
which lives in the cheapest lodg.
ing houses in the cities, sleeping en-
masse on the floor Of one room and
paying only 10 or Is cents for the
chance. 1t is the poke-out, also
who Is most commonly found in the
fre,, bread line, because. according
to his superiors In vagrancy. he IL
too lazy and shiftless to earn
good living"
The high-class tramp, on the
other hand possesses diligence. pa.
tierce, nerve and ~politeness ard
takes great pride In his success
He considers it a duty as well as 3
privilege to eat regularly, and
feels ashamed If he fails to do so
For supper he usually has abon-
what other people have-potatoe.
and beefsteak or some other goet
cut of meat, tea or coffee, breat
and butter. and often dessert. TIL
only difference Is that he obtains s.
without work. This may not Sc len
laudable to the majority Of hard
working mankind, but the tramp Il