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An English Casual

An English Casual image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
July
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Josiah Flynt, who has given interesting studies on tramp life in Germany and in this country, has extended his investigations to England. He writes a paper entitled, "Two Tramps In England" in Century. He and his companion, a Germán student, oompleted a tour through the provinces with an ex perieuce in a "casual" at Notting Hill, London. Mr. Flynt writes : We appeared at the door of the ward about half past 7 in the evening. A little window was raised, and I stepped forward to state my business. Unconsciously I leaned against the sill of the window, which offended the inspector in charge considerably. "What's your name?" he thundered. Still leaning ou the sill, I gave him mj oame honestly enough. He then reniarked to some person inside that we wer not accustomed to such places evidently, and called out, "Stand back, wil you I" Back I stood. He cried out again, "Take off your hat!" My hat oame off instanter. Still again: "You come in here as if you was a meeleeonary. You're not. You're a casual. " I was as meek as couldwell be. Ryborgwas itching te grab the inspector with his long arms. The next question was as to where we had slept the night before. "Straw stack," I replied. "None of your impudence ! You slept out. Why don't you say so? Have you got any money?" "A hap'enny, sir. " "Hand it in. " In i t went. Then 1 had to teil my trade, which was that of a sailor, and naturally the nest question was as to where I was bound. "To Ameriky, sir, if I can ever get there." "You're goin to tramp it, aren 't you?" "Yes, sir; that's my intention. " But for the life of me I could not see how I was to reach America that way. I was go frightened that I would have told him anythiug he wanted. When he was through with ns, a kind hearted attendant took us in hand. gave ns "some gruel and bread, a bath. clean night shirts, and then a cell apiece, in which we slept very well. As there were only four inmates that morning we were needed fór the cleaning up, and so escaped stone breaking, which I dreaded exceedingly, and were put at various light occupations - or rather I was. Byborg was the victim of his strength. Our breakfast consisted of the same dish as our supper of the night bèfore. I was soon busy as general fireman, scrubber, kuife cleaüer, coal carrier, dish washer and helper of my sister sufferer, Mrs. Murphy, as she washed her task of towels and shirts. At noon we had pea soup and bread. I enjoyed it, bnt Ryborg did not. The poor fellow was feeling badly. He had had . to scrub nearly 20 cells, and the bending over incident to such a feat had nearly broken his back. At dinner he said plaintively, "Flynt, I want to go home." "So do I,"I replied, "but I fancy we're wanted here till tomorrow morning. " This proved to be the case, but he feit better in the afternoon and got through comfortably, wheeliug nearly a ton of stone from some of the cells to the general pile. He earned his "keep," if ever any poor prisoner did. I fear I was more shiftless, for abüut the middle of the afternoon the attendant who was with me at the furnace said: "You might as well rest. Just keeD vour eve on the fires, that's all. " bm v r j - - - It was kind of him, and as I had at least earned my pea soup and gruel I took his advice. He was kiuder to me, I think, because I gave him a corncob pipe which he had had to take away from me the night before. During the day he had asked me several questions about it, and I said, "It's a very decent sort of pipe - coolinlike, you know. ' ' "Doesn't Mark Twain always smoke one o' them pipes?" said he. "Biest if I know," said I, "but Ican well think it. " "I'm a great friend of Mark Twain, " he pursued, "an I'm a-thinkin o' gettin one o' them pipes, jest out of respect for him." "Well," said I, "permit me in the name of your respect to present you with my pipe. Resides you've got it any how. ' ' He thanked me profusely, and promised to keep it forever. Later in the day he reported it to be just as I had said, "sort o' coolin like. " Audhe was a good friend to me all the rest of my stay in the Nottiug Hill station. On Wednesday rnorning we were turned loose with our two ha'peunies. We were both so happy that we decid,ed to get off the road that very day. We had been tramps for threo weeks, and had walked most of this time fully 15 miles a day. So we looked up my friend at the Temple, and in a few hours were respectable again. That same day 1 took my tramp clothes out to the casual ward and presented them to my frieud the atteudant. I had told him the day before thatl expected to getnew"togs" sooñ, and he had put in a plea for my old ones. Good luck to him and them.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News