TRAMP. The American equivalent of the English 'sturdy beggar' and 'vagrant.' 1Iis first statutory appearance was in 1876, in New Jersey, and he was soon recognized legally in 21 States. Ile is commonly defined as an able bodied man without visible means of support. wandering aimlessly. begging. and refusing work, camping and kindling fires on highways and pri vate property, and terrorizing women and chil dren. What really distinguishes him from the prosaic vagrant of other countries is his exten sive use of the railways—stealing rides, or. in his argot, 'jumping trains.' The number of tramps in the 'United States cannot be accurately given. The closest estimate is one based upon the re sults of a statistical inquiry made in 1890-91, covering 1349 tramps in 14 cities, and the semi annual lodging-house census of the Board of Charity. This showed 45,845 tramps in the United States. The highest mark was reached in 1895, when Massachusetts showed a mean daily tramp population of 791, as against 451.4 in 1S90. implying a total for the State of 2832. as against 1616 before. and of 79.427 for the United States. The mean has fallen, with but two slight intermissions. since, and in 1902 03 was 369.6, suggesting 1323 for Massachusetts and 38.636 for the United States. This estimate assumes much, but may be accepted as a fair ap proximation. The average cost of the tramp to the community is about $4.40 a week. independent of his possible depredations: and although S3.5 per cent. of tramps say their health is good, 10 per cent. of them admit having, had a dangerous contagious disease.
There are no national repressive laws. Those of the various States have been characterized by a severity horn of panic, a not uncommon penalty being twelve months' imprisonment. and in two States sale at public auction for a designated period. Contrary to the common impression, the tramp generally has learned and frequently prac ticed a trade or profession-57.4 per cent, of the 1349 mentioned above. The proportion of 'pro fessionals,' or those who never work, is extremely small, their real weakness being chronic tendency to intermittency in work. This is fostered by their habits and marital condition. 63 per cent. of them being admitted drunkards, and 93 per cent. unmarried: and again by the conditions of industrial activity, the drunkard being employed only when he is indispensable and discharged. along with the unmarried man, when business slackens, witness the great rise in tramp popu lation after 1S73 and the fall after 1901. The statistics seem to show that the surest way of correction lies in prevention.
In England the ancient penalties against. what we call tramping were very severe. In the reign of Edward Vl. the punishment was branding on the breast with a V and two years' slavery. In 1572 it was whipping for the first offense. boring the ear with a hot iron for the second. and death for the third. A fine of ten times the dole was imposed on the person helping the va grant. The vagrant may now be lodged in the casual ward of the "Union (almshouse), where he must break stone or pick tow in payment.
In Germany the most drastic modern measure against the prime vice of tramping, open men dicancy, was that taken in Bavaria in 1790-95, under Count Rumford, where in four years 10. 000 vagabonds were arrested. It proved effective. The number of tramps in Germany is unknown, but is sometimes set at 100.000. The tramp there is the lineal descendant of the old artisan wandering abroad to complete his knowledge of his craft. Beginning in 1854, when Professor Perthes, of Bonn, founded a cheap tavern for them, where no drink stronger than beer could be had, the number of these home refuges, Het- bet-gen cur Heimat, increased in 1901-02 to 462, a gain of 72 from 1892 to 1902. with an aggregate of paying guests for the year of 1.931.575 and of non-paying guests or those rendering an equiv alent in work of 759.057. For 108,505 of these situations were found. Tn more or less direct communication with the Herbergen, in 240 in stances under the same roof, is, on one hand, a great network of local establishments, Tcrpfleg ungstationen, where lodging and a meal is fur nished in exchange for work, generally wood chopping; or, if there is no separate building. an order is given for cheap entertainment at a local tavern.
On the other hand is a chain of labor colonies, Arheitcrkolonien, the first of which was estab lished in 1882 at Wilhelmsdorf. in Westphalia. by Pastor von Bodelsehwingh. There are now 33 colonies, with a thirty-fourth allied branch, for Germans, in East London. It is noticeable that 26 of them were established between 1882 awl 1892. a decade of especial industrial depression. The thirty-three colonies have accommodations ranging from 35 to 275. with a total of 3865. for men only, and with 3055 occupants (Octoher 31, 1902), and an aggregate attendance from the be ginning of 138,392. These work at their trades or otherwise until permanent places are found for them, or they resume their travels. Four of them are under Roman Catholic, one under Evan gelical control: the rest are non-denominational. The English branch has room for S3 persons and has had 630 inmates since its establishment in 1900. The efficiency of the German system, which depends on private initiative, has been much contested even in its own home. It seems to be, however, an earnest and intelligent at tempt to do a difficult task that cannot. safely be neglected.
The French have experimented. under T'aris municipal control, along the lines of the labor colony, at La Chalmelle, in the Department of Marne.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Josiah Flynt, Trumping with Bibliography. Josiah Flynt, Trumping with Tramps (New York. 1899) : Wyckoff, The Work ers (New York, 1897-98) : McCook, "A Tramp Census and Its Revelations." in the Porata (Au gust. 1893) ; id., "The Tramp Problem." in Pro ceedings of the Conference. of Charities and Cor rections ( 1895 ) and Lend a Hand ( Sept ember, 1895) ; id,. "Tramps," a lecture, in the Boston Herald (1895) ; id.. "Pauperism and Whisky." in Journal of the Social Science Association (1894) : id., "Leaves from a Tramp's Diary," in The Independent (1901-02).