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Show UKEKPLOYED M SEBKING SHELTER From ten to twenty-flvo penniless men in search of employment havo been given lodging in tho city prison every night during the past winter, the number being considerably larger than during the winter of '10-11. Tho number per night throughout the present pres-ent year has varied with the weather, though with few cxcoptlons it has not fallen below ten nor exceeded twenty-flvo. Jailer Hagbert Anderson, In speaking speak-ing of the army of wanderers which have found sheltor at tho prison, states that only such men as apply for shelter and are considered to lie of the deserving sort are entered on the books as lodgers. Tramps of the professional sort have a great aversion avers-ion to police stations and never apply to the police for lodging! The aversion aver-sion for police stations Is shared to a lesser extent by all men who are on the road no matter how guiltless they may be or how desirous to secure work. This is a common knowlodgo among all persons who have learned something of the ways of the Industrial Indus-trial wanderers and would indicate that the number of lodgers booked at the police station Is a poor criterion criter-ion by which to judge of the number passing through this city as tramps When a man applies for lodging he is questioned concerning his nationality, nation-ality, his ago, his occupation, wheio he last worked, where he is going, whether he has a family and about other things before he Is admitted tn the meager comforts of a prison cell His replies to the questions asked are written In a register, the pages of -which show that tramping is not confined to the natives of an particular partic-ular country nor to tho workers in any particular trade. A review of the bobk shows that while most of the wandorors reglstor as common laborers labor-ers there are men from every trade Itfany of the men who apply for lodging have walked long distances, their broken shoes attesting to the fact. Few of them havo overcoats and many are clad in rags. It is a common sight to see thorn take off their tattered shoes and find their feet bare, hose havine become only a memory of bettor days when they had steady work. Jailer Anderson sas that he has taken in mon who had been without food for two and three days and appeared wholly exhausted from hunger and fatigue The jailer has resorved a row of cells in the Bouth corridor of' the upper up-per floor of the main prison for lodgers. lodg-ers. In each cell is a small mattress mat-tress and two comforters, which suffices suf-fices for a bed. An effort is made to keep tho beds clean, the bedding being be-ing aired and sprayed with disinfectant disinfec-tant every morning. Before turning the lodgers away in the morning they are fed a bowl of oat-meal and milk and bread and coffee Sometimes when the lodgers do not succeed In finding work in this city or in catching catch-ing a freight out of town they return in the evening again and spend a second sec-ond night in the prison. In Jailer Anderson's An-derson's experience only a few men have ever aBked to be given lodging more than two successive nights. nn |