, 1889-01-17
ROMANCE or A TRAMP.
"ISully the Wizard" Carries n Charm
String as m Emblem of Love.

Ibuuy the "tZard" Carries n Charm
String as an Emblem of Love.
OF all the strange hobbies to which
the mind can become attached none is
more rare than that of a little weazen
faced tramp, who plainly showing the
effects of the compress of years, is
known particularly well throughout
northern Indiana as Bully the Wiz
ard" bis right name is supposed to
be Calvin Morris, but when the now
aged man-for he is Ga years old
took TO tramping he did so to forget
the scenes of childhood and a pretty
feminine face, lighted up with a pair
OF bright eyes, rosy checks and lips Of
carmine hue, that had captivated his
boyish fancy.
But stern parents interfered and
young Morris, in the rage of despair,
forsook his home, parents, acquaint-
ances and even his name to lose him
self in the busy world. Now that the
intervening years have been sailed in
the picking vat of time the old time
sweetheart Is still alive, but feeble OF
mind and body. All his relations ex-
cept his mother are dead, and she
clings TO life with the quarrelsome
grasp of old age in Muncie, Ind. The
boy was IN adept at cards, and natur-
ally he drifted into telling fortunes
and adopted the nam Of "Bully the
Wizard"
Try as he would, he could not for
get his old time love, and occasionally
he would drift always afooD back to
the scenes of his boyhood, hoping for
a glance at the face and figure Of the
woman who had infatuated him. In
time she died, and Bully" now
heartbroken and hopeless, began in
earnest the tramp that has led to every
state in the Union. The girl he wor
SHIPPED had, us a memento of her child
ish days, one of those pretty collec-
tons of buttons and small trinkets on
a string which Is known TO every little
girl as a charm string" to which
every friend is expected to contribute.
Tho last time Bully saw his girl she,
in a caprice, wore about her neck her
little charm string, and this fact be-
came the most prominent thought in
the added mind of the young man as
he babe her farewell forever. Straight
way, as a remembrance of her, Bully
began a charm string for himself. At
first he carried it around his hat; as it
grew In size II was transferred to his
pocket; still increasing, to q small tin
box he carried, and when it became a
serpentine object with coils Like an
anaconda he placed it in a small
trunk and shipped it from place to
place, always adding TO it. He made
money telling fortunes and everybody
humored his within and plea for a but
ton or trinket for his string. In this
way he has travelled the country over
and over.
For n time he was with q band of
gypsies and claims to have been held
by them. He has camped with In
dians, and in his collection is a lot OF
bone and metallic bits given him by
those lovers of the plains. Some of
the young squaws wanted to marry
him for the string, but Bully" was
squaw proof. He was respected as a
medicine man and was known as
Man not afraid of a whole box of
pills" Not long ago Bully drifted
back to Muncie and Eaton, Ind, and
friends took him in charge and have
cared for him. Bully displayed his
treasure. The string is now a mon
ster, POS feet in length and contains
5000 pieces.
There are buttons on It Of every
size, description and color. Bits Of
rare coin, old money, trinkets and
small toys, small relics, bits of china
ware and metal, wen scraps Of cloth;
in fact, everything he could gather to
add to his string. The old man, with
his shock of iron gray hair, weakening
eyes and trembling hands covered
with rings, has placed all his affections
on hat inanimate lot of buttons, etc.
The larger it grew the deeper his af-
lection for it. He caresses and talks
to it as he would to a child, and every
night sleeps with it at his side. About
six months ago he was seized with a
premonition that he would die, and
he carefully buried the string in q
sand bank, confided in a family, and
wanted TO be buried near his collec-
ton.
Bully didn't die, but the family UNI
covered the box, and poor Bully was
crazy until his treasure was restored
to him in a replevin suit. He claims
to have been in Europe, his trip across
the ocean costing him but Is cents,
and shows buttons he gathered in
every civilized country Of the Old
World. He never rode on the cars
until a few weeks ago, and then he
wouldn't take a seat, refusing to 90
until he could sit on tho box contain
ing the charm string. = Cincinnati
Times-Star.