eachery to
sailormen.

TRAMPS

The poor tramp is a much-abused person, and I have no doubt that he
often deserves what is said of him, but, in spite of that, his life is
often so hard that he might extort at the least a little sympathy--and
something to eat. All Americans are too ready to confound two distinct
classes of tramps--those who take the road to look for work, and those
(the larger number, I confess) who look for work and pray to heaven that
they may never find it. In this preponderance of the lazy traveller over
the industrious lies the distinction between the state of affairs in
America and Australia, for in the latter country the "sundowner," or
"murrumbidgee whaler," or "hobo" proper, is in the minority.

When I was on the tramp myself in Oregon I was much annoyed by being
taken for one of the truly idle kind. I remember at Roseberg, or a
little to the north of it, I once stopped and had a talk with a farmer
whom I had asked for work. Although he had none to give me he was very
civil, and we talked of tramps and tramping. He looked at me keenly. "I
can see you are not of the regular professionals," said he. "Thank you
for your perspicacity," I answered, and though perspicacity fairly
floored him, he saw it was not an insult, and went on talking. "Now look
here, my boy, they say we're hard on tramps, and perhaps some of us are,
but I reckon we sometimes get enough to make us rough. Last summer I was
in my orchard, picking cherries, I think, and a likely-looking, strong
young fellow comes along the road. Seeing me, he climbs the fence, and
says to me, 'Say, boss, could you give me something to eat? I haven't
had anything to-day.' I looked at him. 'Why, yes,' said I. 'If you'll go
up to the house I'll be up there in a few minutes when I've filled this
pail; and while you're waiting just split a little wood. The axe is on
the wood pile.' Now, look you, what d'ye think he said. 'I don't split
wood. I ain't going to do any work till I get to Washington Territory.'
'Oh!' said I, 'that's it, is it? Then look here, young fellow, don't you
eat anything till you get there either; for I won't give you anything,
and just let me see you climb that fence in a hurry.' So he went off
cursing. Ain't that kind of thing enough to make us rough on
tramps?--let alone that they steal the chickens; and if you look as you
go down the road you'll see feathers by every place they camp." That was
true enough, and south of