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Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Bummers in San Francisco
Bummers in San Francisco ... San Francisco has a ...full ... of bummers. Nowhere else can a worthless fellow too lazy to work, too cowardly to steal, get on so well. The climate befriends him, for he can sleep out of doors 4/5 of the year, and the free lunch opens to him boundless vistas of carnal delights. He can gorge himself daily, for a nominal sum get a dinner that a king would envy for 50 cents.
There are two classes of saloons where the midday repasts are furnished - two-bit places and one-bit places. In the first he gets a drink and a meal. In the second he gets a drink and a meal of inferior quality. He pays for the drink, 25 or 15 cents, according to the grade of the place, and gets his meal for nothing.
This consists of,in the better class of establishment, soup, boiled salmon, roast beef of the best quality, bread and butter, potatoes, tomatoes, crackers, and cheese.
Many of these places are fitted up in a style of Oriental grandeur. A stragner entering one of them casually might be under the delusion that he had found his way by mistake to the salon of a San Francisco millionaire.
He would find mirrors reaching from floor to ceiling, carpets of the finest texture and most appropriate patterns, massive tables covered with papers and periodicals, the walls embellished with expensive paintings. A large picture which had adorned a famous drink bar and free lunch house was sold the other day for $12,500. Some of the keepers are men of education and culture. One is an art critic of high local repute, who has written ...very readable...San Francisco. Scribner’s.
[After struggling to read this, I found it to be an excerpt of Scribner’s Monthly, July 1875, "The city of the Golden Gate", by Samuel Williams, p. 274].
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 20, 1875
Wendell
Wendell - There are growing signs of an upward tendency, all things included. A new hearse house has just been completed, and a new hearse is, we are assured, under way, and it is time, for the old one had become so frightful that no one would consent to be put into it on any condition.
The remark has often been made that there has been a decided improvement within the last few years in the expectation of men regarding the near future of these old hills, and in the actual effort that is being made to restore the place to its former relations, so far as that may be done. Although our population is the lowest that it has reached for 6 decades, yet there is a future for these hills and valleys that but few dream of at the present day of trial and tramps.
In the mercantile line a new change has occurred. J.N. Beach, successor of Danforth Putnam and the company he represented, as the legitimate successors of O.H.H. Powers, himself the successor of Messrs. Oatman & Fisk, who succeeded Mr. Creagh after the fire, who came in after M.M. Stebbins made the mistake in leaving the place and O. Leach, his immediate successor in quitting the business when it was prospering in his hands.
There is no trouble in trade here except the scarcity of paying, ready paying customers, and this seems to be the general complaint all around. There is one item in this matter which the welfare of the place requires to be stated. It is this: Orange and elsewhere have completely succeeded in deluding a large class of the people with the notion that they are, in coming to them with their trade, doing first rate when they just fleece them, with the expectation that they are getting things cheap.
But there is the other side to this matter. Where did the money come from to build up those fine blocks and shops and sich [sic]? Now quite a large slice of it came off from these hills. But Orange and elsewhere don’t pay any taxes to keep things up here moving; don’t build up anything here and don’t propose to do it.
What these greedy places evidently want is to have us get what we can and run down and bring it to them at the price they think best to give, and take their truck and dicker at their own price.Don’t suppose they feel any pangs of guilt in the matter; but this past and present state of things up here shows that there is a screw loose somewhere.But things will change sometime, if not sooner, when the valleys will be obliged to conform to the old hills, or go without potatoes.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
Conway
Conway - A tramp attempted to enter the house of one of our citizens, through the window, 2 or 3 days since, while the parents of the girls left alone were absent attending a relative's funeral. Instead of the croquet mallet and ball our young ladies must learn the use of fire arms, for their own protection, in these perilous times where the law is found insufficient.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
Heath
Heath - We are called upon to record another fire in the town of Heath, of the barn of Henry Barker, which was burned about 9 o'clock on the night of Sept. 1., it being the 4th fire which we have had within the space of 2 years, with all its contents, consisting of some 23 tons of hay, some 75 bushels of barley and oats, 3 wagons, mowing machine, and all his farming tools.
It was with great difficulty that the house was saved, it being about 12 ft. from the corner of the barn, the wind being favorable, and the timely aid of the neighbors served in saving it. It caught fire several times upon the roof, but was extinguished before much damage was done. The house was cleared of most of its contents, and many things were somewhat injured in their haste to remove them.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but was without doubt set by tramps who were seen lurking about the premises the previous eve. Mr. Barker and family have our sincere sympathy, and hope that he may receive timely aid in this time of trouble. We appeal to the authorities, and ask what shall be done with tramps who are infesting our lands, burning our buildings, injuring our property, insulting our families, heaping insult upon insult upon all they meet?
We again ask, what shall be done with tramps? S.B.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 13, 1875
Erving
Erving - We learn from good authority that men are here and there purchasing revolvers for their wives to frighten tramps with. One of our citizens has provided his house with one. Strange that women always have to "faint away" after the enemy has been conquered.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 6, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
(Greenfield) Pat Finn and James Lynch, who had been enjoying the privileges of the license law, were fined by Justice Brainard, the former $7.75 and the latter $12.50, while John Bunting, brought before the same magistrate for vagrancy, had his case continued for sentence.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, September 6, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
(Greenfield) There was a murderous assault yesterday upon Miss S.P. Willey, the clairvoyant physician, who lives in Mrs. Mary B. Coombs' house, West Main Street. A tramp entered a room where she was alone and stooping over, and struck her upon the back with a stake. Her lower limbs are now paralyzed. The villain is at large.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
A plucky widow
A plucky young widow living near Williamsport, Pa. named Mrs. Margaret Calvert, found a tramp in her house one afternoon last week, but instead of going into hysterics, she went up stairs, got a loaded revolver and then went for that tramp. He met her with a severe blow in the face as she opened the door, but recovering herself she countered on him with the revolver, when he hastily "made tracks"; she fired two shots at him, mortally wounding him, and then as he begged for aid she carefully arranged him in a comfortable position and started for a doctor.
Returning she saw another tramp, whom she had turned away from the house earlier in the day, rush out and "make off", and under the great excitement she fell fainting near the road side. Two hours later she was discovered by friends, who listened to her story and went to find the man whom she had wounded. He was lying dead.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
Coleraine
A tramp called at the residence of one of our generous hearted citizens the other day, and after being fed and kept over night left early in the morning, carrying off our friend's best suit of clothes. Look out for them - we mean the tramps!
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 30, 1875
A facetious tramp
A facetious tramp stopped at Widow H's. in Brookfield a few days since, and asked for food. She replied she had none. Mr. Tramp then went across the road to a neighbor's, and asked if they were aware the woman living on the other side was starving. He then requested the loan of a fishing rod lying close by, which was granted to him. With it he went to a pond a short distance off, fished or several hours, catching a good string, returned to the Widow H. and made her a present of them.
Some tramps stole 4 or 5 chickens from Obed Smith and carried them about a mile where they stopped in a corn field and helped themselves to corn and potatoes, built a fire, cooked them, and went into camp.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 23, 1875
Tramps
Tramps took $100 worth of clothing belonging to W.D. Ripley when they robbed the South Royalston railroad station recently. The depots at Templeton and Baldwinsville on the Vermont & Massachusetts road have lately been robbed, as also has that of Waterville on the Ware River road and several on the Cheshire road.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 9, 1875
A tramp
A tramp made himself obnoxious to a lady in Hudson a few days since, by demanding money after she had given him food, and she very quietly shot the scoundrel with a revolver, which her husband had conveniently left loaded in a bureau drawer.
We wish we could say for the honor of our village, liquor did not affect us, only through tramps. Both women and men seem to copy their example set of late, to our shame. Temperance people better not go to sleep again, or they will find something worse to battle than the dreaded "Colorado beetle".
A tramp attempted to enter one of out townsmen's barns recently. His dog, of the St. Bernard breed, sprang suddenly upon the intruder and held him until help came and he was released, when he left in haste, and won't call there again, from his appearance.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 9, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
The "water cure" treatment didn't work on a tramp in front of the American House last week. The boys turned on a full head from a hose, but the fellow was a little too drunk to appreciate the joke, and leaned against the curbstone and took it without winking.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 9, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
The Selectmen have appointed Deputy Sheriffs Kimball and Bryant and Night Police Jones and Carbee, Constables, with special reference to the maintenance of good order in our streets, to look after tramps and the disturbers of the peace generally.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 2, 1875
Bernardston
On Sun. a tramp visited the house of L. Willard Aldrich and stole a quantity of butter from the well. Mr. Aldrich happened to be at home, recovered his butter, and collaring the tramp, shook him until he hardly knew whether his head was on his shoulders or not. That tramp will not visit Mr. Aldrich's premises again.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 2, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
John Wallace was arrested by Officer Kimball last Tues. as a vagrant. He had been from house to house begging, and when refused food or whatever he asked for, made threats, and in one or two instances endeavored to force an entrance to houses where he had called. He was brought before Justice Brainard and it appeared that he was employed on the railroad, had been on a protracted drunk, before commencing which, however, he had paid for a good suit of clothes at Seward & Willard's, which had not been taken away, and had ordered a pair of Western boots, advancing $5. As he could not be committed as a vagrant he wad charged $15 and costs - $27.30.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 2, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
The most efficient method yet tried to rid our village of tramps is an application of Glen water. One of the unwashed vagrants, hanging around Hagar's hotel, received a generous application of water from a well directed hose, and beat a retreat in double-quick time. Another, loafing at the American House, was subjected to the same treatment with similar effect. They can stand anything else.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, August 2, 1875
News of the week
A couple of young men called at the farm house of Emerson Hill in West Berlin, Vt. on Sat., his wife being alone, got some dinner and then called for money and liquor. Mrs. Hill ordered them to leave and dashed most of a pail of hot water in the face of one, who attempted to seize her, scalding him badly, while his companion, coming to the rescue, received the remainder on his arm.
Becoming alarmed, they left the house and set fire to the shed, which was seasonably discovered and extinguished by Mrs. Hill. Mon. forenoon they set fire to some small buildings belonging to Mr. Hill in the woods, which were also extinguished by her and a neighbor. In the aft. she saw a woman approaching the house, but suspecting it was a man in disguise, shut and locked the door on him, when 4 men armed with revolvers appeared and broke the door in with an ax.
Mrs. Hill escaped through a back window, and they pursued and fired two shots at her, one of which grazed her ear. The neighbors were alarmed and several men, armed with guns, have been in pursuit of the rascals, but at latest accounts without success.
Gazette & Courier - Monday, July 26, 1875
News about home: Greenfield items
The tramp nuisance is evidently approaching a crisis. The vagabonds are becoming bolder and more reckless every day in their thieving and rascally operations. The danger of being arrested has no terrors for them; but it is a little singular that when one of them is brought for justice for a breach of the laws, a dozen go free. People are taking the matter into their own hands. There is a lady in this town, who slips a pistol into her pocket every time she answers a call to the door. Any insult to her, or trespass, will be repulsed with cold lead. In this connection we will say that one Sullivan, who is doing a borrowing business around the village, is a "fraud". Don't believe a word that he says.
- Sun, Feb 21, 2010
