Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1922-08-26
UNIVERSITY man
STUDIES TRAMPS
Becomes One of Them to Get
First-Hand Information About
Their Lives and Habits.
HAVE SLANG or THEIR own
"Hobohemians" DweIt at Ease on 40
Cents a Day In chieago--Lead Mer.
ry Existence in "Juneles" in
Summer and Cities in Winter.

Chicago-Men are living on West
Madison street on 40 and so cents day,
according to Nels Anderson, who is
making a study Of homeless and mi
gratory men under the direction of
Professor Ernest w. Burgess, of the
University of Chicago, for the United
Charities and the Juvenile Protective
society.
Mr.. Anderson became wanderer
himself as Il boy, he explained, but
happened to find work on a ranch,
where the family took on an interest
in him. At the age of twenty-One he
entered the high school. Eventually
he was confronted by the problem of
selecting a topic for his doctors thesis.
and finding, according to his statement,
that no study had been made previous
ly 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 q desire to strengthen
his preparation for the task by re-
newed investigations. Accordingly he
HIS Dctu Will u amps as OAAS
of them at their ''jungles" or summer
camps, on the road, in the city streets,
and In Jail.
Slang Of Their Own.
"The average student who hasn't
been on the road himself" said Mr..
Anderson, as apt to find himself I'M
able to approach tramp and get his
true story. Not only are tramps full OF
suspicion and prejudices, and likely
either to exaggerate or to keep still
If they suspect their questi0ner, but
they have a slang of their own.
For example, man who works
with q shovel is known in the fra
ternity of working stiffs' as muck
skinner; one who tramps ties on the
railroad is a 'gandy:dancer.'
"In the winter the tramps flock to
the big cities. They manage In some
cases to make $50 last long while,
for they know where they can get
three doughnuts and a cup of coffee
for 5 cents and lodging for 10 cents, II
in the morning they will sweep off the
floor they slept on. You will find 300
men on the floor of one of the popular
Chicago flop houses in the winter,
though In the summer the same place
will be nearly empty.
"Where are the men in the summer?
Many, of course, are engaged in sea-
sonal occupations. The idle ones are
often gathered at the 'jungles,' which
is an institution in HobOhemia like
the fashionable club in another stra-
tum of society. The men select for
their camps shady place, near
enough to town for nm occasional
handout and far enough from town
to seem secure from the bulls or
constables. They build shacks of
wood or roofing tin or whatever ma
terial they find handy; have seen
very good shacks built of ripped-up
oil cans.
'' Tabulates 4o2 Cases.
Last summer / tramped through
Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming
covering 800 miles. / talked to some
1000 wanderers, and tabulated 402
cases. l had slashed my vest to carry
my index cards; only one man noticed
the slashes and the slight bulges; he
asked me. If / was an organizer for
the fWobblies.' said no. and that was
ALL"
No man ever sinks too low ITO re-
tain some spark Of self-respect," &C
cordlng to Mr.. Anderson.
"Many take to the road or the city
streets because they are physically
incapacitated and therefore dependent,
and they feel that they are unwelcome
membranes upon their families.
MANY are the lodges employed to
get means of subsistence. One man
addresses a street corner crowd thus,
Il am different from the rest of
youse stiffs. want to get enough
for flop tonight l want to eat today,
tomorrow, and the day after. I'll talk
to you on any subject you choose
Then he makes his speech and hands
round the hat. Anybody can get up
crowd on West Madison street, for
there are always Idle men who are
glad to listen"