. Strikers, communists, tramps and detectives . or and bravery about him, that I consider reallyworthy of the name. Throughout Pennsylvania, as well as many other Easternstates, there are whole communities of outcasts who, for abetter name, are called tramps. During the great strikes of 77 one of my operatives, in thepursuance of his duty at Wilkesbarre, Pa., suddenly cameupon a bivouac of tramps near a coal-shaft, which had beendeserted by the miners who had struck and were participa-tino^ in the 2:eneral excitement at Wilkesbarre. This grotesque company numbered thirty or forty per-sons, and
. Strikers, communists, tramps and detectives . or and bravery about him, that I consider reallyworthy of the name. Throughout Pennsylvania, as well as many other Easternstates, there are whole communities of outcasts who, for abetter name, are called tramps. During the great strikes of 77 one of my operatives, in thepursuance of his duty at Wilkesbarre, Pa., suddenly cameupon a bivouac of tramps near a coal-shaft, which had beendeserted by the miners who had struck and were participa-tino^ in the 2:eneral excitement at Wilkesbarre. This grotesque company numbered thirty or forty per-sons, and had evidently been gathered at this particularpoint in anticipation of possible opportunities for raids inevery direction while the locality was deserted. They werecooking their supper at the edge of the timber, among therocky bluffs and beneath overarching, protecting moon, rising above the lonesome old breaker, fell acrossthe camp, giving its inmates a weird, witch-like appearanceas they moved about in the lights and shadows. They. 60 TBAMP-PBINTEBS AND TRAMP ENCAMPMENTS. seemed to be a tired, dreary, wretched lot, and had themarks of travel and weary wandering* upon them. Mostof them had fallen upon the ground for rest, and in allsorts of sluggish positions were dozing in a stupid, soddenway that told of brutish instincts and experiences. In thecentre of the encampment a huge kettle was placed over abright fire, and from the longing looks of those around it,it evidently contained some stirabout that would provepalatable on being served. Some were dressing chickenslately foraged from convenient hen-roosts; some werehusking green corn for roasting in the coals; otherswere munching potatoes that had been baked in the ashes;others were making rude toilets with almost toothlesscombs, and old rags for towels ; while some, the most for-tunate of all from the tramp standpoint, were indulging incopious draughts of liquor to drown their sorrows, raisetheir spirits, and whet
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectrailroadstrikeus1877
