SPECIAL NOTES FOR SPECIAL READERS.

Southland Times, Issue 19264, 30 January 1904, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPECIAL NOTES FOR SPECIAL READERS.

The Secret Signs of Tramps. It is sometimes stated that the Chinese vegetable hawker in Australia has the means of writing the character of the house on tha gate without letting any but another hawker know of its existence. Whether this is true of John or not, it is certain that various classes of callers have signs, the most notorious being the fraternity of professional tramps. In the old country these signs amount to quite a " language," in regard to which the following in the "Pictorial" will be read with interest : — The average housoholder, unless he happens to live in the heart of London or some other great town, will be surprised to learn that a very considerable and undesirable section of the Community take great interest in his personal character, and by means of an unobtrusive cypher code contrive to keep all members of their fraternity informed of his disposition. The individuals who interest themselves in this manner are commonly known as "tramps," although they always refer to eaoh other as "travellers," and whenever they make a business call at a house they, with inborn courtesy, leave a record of their reception by chalking on the gate or garden fence one of the many signs, whioh we reproduce, for the information of the next vagrant that comes that way. Some of tho markings these objectionable individuals make resemble well-known masonic signs very closely, and many scientists consider that these mendicants' marks are relics of the old letters of the forgotten languages of remote civilisations, which the D<J<>V?X A few secret signs of tramps. The orosa means that the inhabitants of the house are no good for charity ; the reap-hook, that they will buy but not give ; the" fork, go in the direction the prongs point ; and the triangle, that the charitable nature of the householders has been spoilt by too many callers. Gipsy wanderers brought with them from the East. Somo of the signs, however, are obviously of more recent origin. A few weeks ago we had the good fortune to encounter a typical knight of the road '• working" a respectable suburban street, nnd the time and energy he was saved by the thotightfulness of his predecessor was remarkable. Instead of having to walk up long front gardens to knock at the door, and take his chance of his reception, he merely attentively regarded the gates or fences, and immediately knew whether it was worth his while to go up to the door and appeal for charity, and also the kind of tale it was advisable to tell. Suddenly we saw him, after glancing at a gate, hurriedly knock the ashes out of his pipe and assume a woe-begone aspect. Slowly, as if unwillingly, he slouched up to the house, and in his absence we photographed the sign which caused him to alter his demeanour and abandon his cherished pipe. It was a rude circle, containing a cross, and it meant that the people of the house whose gate it adorned were very good but religiously inclined, and that the best way to obtain money from them was to pretend to bo a total abstainer, brought to destitution "through sickness or loss of sight." A fence that was decorated with a circle with a spot in the centre made him pause thoughtfully for some moments. It signified that the master of the house would give lavishly to anyone who was genuinely in want, but that he had a nasty habit of making investigations into the truth of the caller's story, and of giving him into custody as an imposter if he discovered it to be untrue. After mature consideration our tramp resolved to take no risks, and moved on, to be confronted by a

Two signs : Goon PEOPLE live HEBE ; BETTER OO AWAY, ILLTEMPERED FOLKS. small diamond on the adjoining pallisade. This inoffensive looking cube he regarded with profound contempt, and walked rapidly from the vicinity, for the sign meant, " Very bad ; they will give you in charge if you beg!" A rough drawing of a square next attracted his attention, and caused him to rub his hands gleefully, for the square is the hallmark which tramps use to designate benevolent but silly people who give away charity indiscriminitely. It would take too much space to describe all the operations of our tramp the day we had him under observation, so, for tho benefit of householders who may read this, wc will explain the meaning of the other niark. ' ings we have reproduced. Tho "X" in the photograph below means "No good; it's only waste of time to call." The rude sketch of what appears to be ft two-pronged fork is used to guide vagrants in their wanderings. Whenever a tramp approaches a guide post in his travels he examines it for this sign, and always goes m the direction the prongs point, for they inform him that the people along that route are good-natured and charitable.