The Truro Daily Newspaper shared a letter from Karl’s journey from Fargo to Grand Forks, North Dakota, but prefaced the information with the following statement:
“In almost its entirety, we have seized the following most interesting letter from our Globe Trotter that was only intended for private perusal. It is too interesting to keep. It will be seen that our G.T (Globe Trotter) was then at North Dakota, and we do wish we could urge upon him to give us his future address, as far as possible as so many friends in Truro and elsewhere want to write to him”.
“Minnesota and North Dakota - are infested with *tramps, every train that passed me was loaded down with them. In empty cars, on the bumpers, under trucks, on brake beams, everywhere, and it is time wasted for conductors and brakemen to try and keep them off.
I counted 125 on a freight train the other day. They go in gangs and think nothing of killing a person. There have been three men killed on my route since I left Minneapolis, which is nothing unusual, the people say.
In the Autumn, they work their way to the harvest fields and rob the poor harvesters after they have been paid off. These tramps go in scores and are undesirable fellows to meet, as they want money and are not a bit particular how they obtain it, and when they see a cyclist, they think it’s a good chance.
Two young Lawyers from Winnipeg went on a vacation down into the United States on a holiday on their wheels, but when near St. Paul, they were set up by these tramps, who took their money, boots and socks, then exchanged coats with them. Fortunately, they preferred riding on the bumpers of a freight train to a bicycle, consequently left the wheels with the poor lawyers who at once walked into a small town and obtained money enough (by pawning their machines) to get a new outfit of clothing and a ticket to Winnipeg.
I struck a train station on Friday and found a man in his bare feet. Some tramps had taken his boots and socks and pitched pennies on who should keep the booty. It is not safe to travel at night so I have tried to get a place to stay before dark.
I will give you my experience of Saturday (last).
I got over about 35 miles, all on the railway ties, and it gave me such a shake that I felt “broke” I started out at seven a.m., and after travelling about six miles, I met three tramps who had to know my whole history etc. I got by, however, and got a few miles farther when I found four more lots shaving and cutting each others’ face, they invited me down, and they would “give me a shave” they said. I hated to refuse but told them their water was not hot enough: then started on again.
Later, when I met some tramps to save myself from being robbed, I asked them if they could spare a nickel. I didn’t not get the coin but I saved my own money from being stolen.
I was pretty thirsty all day and when about five miles from any station, almost dying for a drink, I came to a well, right near the travel, of good looking water. I hunted up an old can but could not find any rope or pole to reach the water; finally I took my shoe string, neck tie, string and strap in my possession and tied them together but still I could not reach it, so I had to go without my drink of water until I reached the next station. There is only one pump at each station.
About dark I came to a junction and then I did not know which track to take, and as there was no one around to ask I had to guess. I started in one direction and shortly after dark, after going over a bridge I came suddenly upon eight tramps, sitting four on each side of the track with their legs out towards the centre of the track. I put on speed, whistled and then yelled for them to get out of my way that my wheel was running away with me, I got past alright and wheeled along through the dark with a thunder and lightning storm beginning to get fierce and the rain falling and one thing or another.
I passed a few more tramps and did not know what minute I might get held up. I saw some light in the distance through the darkness and fog and kept on till I came to what proved to be Grand Forks, so I was all right for a day at least. I will be back in Canada by tonight and I will not be exactly sorry either.
*The word Tramp is not common to us today, for obvious reasons. But in keeping with being true to the times and documenting Karl’s journey, it was in fact a common term in 1899. Generally referring to a person who travels from place to place on foot in search of work or as a vagrant or beggar.