THE BORDER LAND OF TRAMPDOM. 257 



lie traveled lie always spoke to the cook In some hotel at meal 

 times and received a good meal gratis, a favor which he would 

 repay some time if chance offered. 



The greater part of this class perform no economic function 

 whatever. Printers do not travel of necessity, but simply because 

 it has become a custom with their trade. Agents of various 

 sorts, of course, do perform a function, yet their work could be 

 done as well if left to the retail stores. They make more profit on 

 their goods than does the average retailer. 



All of these classes have one thing in common a roving dispo- 

 sition and are divided by the possession or lack of other quali- 

 ties. If the character we are discussing has the tramp instinct, but 

 lacks both in mental ability and moral stamina, he will be a mere 

 tramp ; grant him some degree of mental ability, and he takes up 

 a graft. If we give him a moral stamina without mental ability, 

 we have the man temporarily tramping to see the country, while 

 if we give him both intelligence and moral fiber he becomes a can- 

 vasser or roadster proper. 



II. The class ivho travel from necessity is one of the most in- 

 teresting spectacles in the border land of trampdom. Here we 

 see the real tramp in the process of formation. When a young 

 unmarried laborer is thrown out of employment and finds none 

 where he is, he generally stays until his money is exhausted and 

 then goes on the road in search of work. His case is genuine, but 

 he is brought into disrepute because all tramps pretend to belong 

 to this class. If he finds work within a short time, his experience 

 will not result very badly for him, but if he is forced to remain a 

 tramp for a month or so he is quite likely to lose his independ- 

 ence and join the ranks for good. In any case it is easier for him 

 to take to the road in event of another lack of employment, and 

 each time he does so he is more liable to become a permanent 

 tramp. 



It is surprising how large a number of men have belonged to 

 this class at one period or another. Many laboring men when 

 traveling prefer to go by freight in order to save expense. They 

 do not think it a disgrace at all. Indeed, they rather regard 

 ability to make one's way rapidly over the country without ex- 

 pense as an important part of their education, and the more I 

 know of the vicissitudes in the lives of our workingmen, the more 

 I am inclined to agree with them. 



In dealing with the tramp question we must consider the dis- 

 tinctions just noted. The man who travels simply because he 

 wants to, wastes his energy and ought to be suppressed, both for 

 his own good and the good of society in general. But with the 

 man who travels because he has to things are very different. He 

 must travel. It is a critical time in his life. Forces are acting on 



TOL. L. 21 



