Old Specie, the Treasury Detective; or, The Harbor Lights of New York — page 148: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

140 : OLD SPECIE. At this time of year, when the cold waves of win- ter begin to sweep down from that blizzard home, Manitoba, the members of the tramp family forsake the country, and flock to the large cities. As long as the weather is not too inclement they sleep on the park benches, anywhere, in fact, and beg during the day. Finally, when the cold increases, they beg more energetically, so as to hire a bed in some filthy ten- cent lodging-house. Work they only do when in desperate straits. New York harbors thousands of this peculiar American institution, the tramp, each winter. In the early morning they crawl out of the hole where they have passed the night, buy an eye- opener of villainous liquor for a nickel, and then set out on their rounds. Many of these wretches prefer to spend a winter on Blackwell’s Island. They have themselves committed for three months or so, and come out in the spring fat and sleek, ready for a tramp. | If the authorities adopted more energetic meas- ures with these fellows they would change their methods considerably. To look at Old Specie’s work, one would believe John to be a premium tramp. He had the shuffling gait, the hang-dog look, and the sneaking ways of a wretch who eyed every cur he passed suspiciously. Thev were now ready. Separately they issued forth. The tramp went first. A street car helped him on his way. Old Specie took a little more time, (é(0) GEomicbooks aS