The record-union., 1891-07-25
TWO HOBOS OF SEDRO.

AT short intervals during the past sum-
mer L was called from Fairhaven, on
Bellingham Bay, to Hamilton, on the
Skaget River. Both places are in Wash
ington. had frequently to stay in Sedro,
at which point the railroad then termi-
mated, for from four to twelve hours, and
several times I remained there over
night. To kill time / added two hobos
to the list of my acquaintance, Hobo
Jack and Hobo Paddy. The former was
a handsome, well-built, fairly-educeted
rascal from Baltimore; the latter was a
short, stocky, large-headed, merry-eyed
and smiling Irishman. Both men were
thorough hobos. They were professional
thieves. They were never known to be
sober, save on rare occasions when So
briefly was necessary TO execute success
fully some rascality. But drunk or sober
they were shrewd, constituencies scoun-
drels. Hobo Jack affected cleanliness.
lie was dandy among hoboS, A strong
affinity existed between Paddy and dirt
so strong that 1t might properly be char
acterized as an absorbing passion. 4 sin
cere affection existed between the two
hobos. Jack possessed the master mind,
and Paddy not only loved him in hobo
lSh way, but he in addition highly re-
spected him and was dreadfully afraid of
him.
few words about Sedro, so that the
Times readers can understand the straits
travellers were put to to kill time in that
town. 1t was a new town without any
apparent future. It's only industry was
to dig up stumps, to pile logs preparatory
to burning them, to sell mean whisky Y
and almost undrinkable beer TO thirsty
or merry men from Scandinavia, and TO
sell town lots to speculative people. AS I
have written, the town was new there
was no municipal government, no police
officers, no Justice Of the Peace, no court
of any kind. No man had lawful au-
thority TO arrest another. Sedro was a
pleasant haven for hobos. There they
could safely drink to excess and howl
and fight and steal, and no man could say
them nay. Hobos and Scandinayians
and scarlet women merrily danced in
dirty rooms that had threshing- hoor-like
floors, and that were alleged to be music
halls, just as though music could be eX-
tracted from a combination of cracked
fiddle and hurdy-gurdy. The latter is
particularly cruel instrument of torture
out OF which music is ground by turning a
crank, and which has range Of four
tunes. At Sedro the artist who turned
the crank was usually a Scandinavian
just arrived from some nearby logging
camp, and who was more or less under
the influence of liquor, but generally ar
rived at the superlative degree of alco-
holism.
[ have written that the hurdy-gurdy
was built to play four tunes; so it was,
but L have heard a score of tunes-at any
rate they sounded unlike-ground out of
one Of these dreadful machines by one
Scandinavian, as he gradually and joy
ously travelled the alcoholic path that
leads from \. NJ. sobriety to P. NJ. in
todcatlon which was sleep-creating in
. his case. Gamblers, called tin-horn in
scorn, swarmed around the open doors of
the saloons as bees around hive, and
coaxed drunken and -plundered
men to play at their unfair games. There
: were no hotels. Travellers slept wherever
they could-under tables, on floors, in
lofts above barrOoms, in sheds and in
saloons. Such was Sedro when it was
young.
Early one bright summer morning [
: arrived at Sedro from Mount Vernon and
!, missed the up-riyer steamboat and the
} tri-weekly stage. l was in for day and
probably for night at the loathsome
town. walked TO a canvas-coVered
saloon call the Sapp, in which was a
famous hurdy-gurdy that had driven
many powerful and abstemious men to
strong drink, and under the floor OF
which hobos slept the deep sleep of pro-
found intoxication. Waving good morn
ing to the saloon-keeper, passed through
the gambling tables to the rear of the
saloon, and placed my light grip under
lock and key beyond the predatory
: clutch of hobos' hands. Then I walked
to the front of the saloon, and seated my
, self on long bench that stood on the
! sidewalk and which was vacant at so
early an hour. Sedro was asleep. 1t
| habitually kept late honrs. The saloon
keeper joined me, and as I was enjoying
J the glorles Of a summer morning in the
Skaget Valley, he told me descriptive
tales relative to fights and robberies the
sole news of the town. Presently there
was noise under the floor of the saloon
that sounded as though some impatient
man was kicking upward against the
floor. This sound was followed by low,
but exceedingly earnest imprecationS di-
; rected against the architect who had
placed the interior floor sills so low that
1t was difficult TO crawl under them. The
muitled voice sounded familiar. l raised
my eyebrows inquiringly at my comrade
of the bench and said, "Paddy?'
Yes" he replied. Paddy is getting
up. He rolled Swede last night and
got drunk on portion of the money. He
was so drunk that he was afraid to 90
home for fear that Hobo Jack, his part
ner, would heavily fine him or beat
him." The saloon keeper was silent for
a moment; then he added, as he listened
attentively to the denunciation of the
architect, which became more vigorous
and especial directed against the well-be-
ing of important organs that are neces-
sary to healthful life. ''Yes,' he said,
} Paddy is getting up, and he seems to be
getting up wrong leg foremost" Which
} from under the floor. He was very dirty.
His shirt was in rags and his back was
scratched. He was hatless He stag
gered to his feet, caught sight of the
saloon keeper, and instantly began to
, abuse, in terse and vigorous English, the
| M ant hn for iCI, II l.
toners. be felt of his head, and discov-
cred that he had no hat. The only log
ical conclusion was that the saloon
keeper had stolen it, and at that conclu-
sion Paddy arrived instantly, and he de-
nounced the whisky seller ragefully and
offered to fight him for the hat and
drinks, which offer the saloon keeper
promptly declined. Then Paddy recog-
nized me. He thrust his hand into his
pocket and drew ii forth filed with
silver, which he exhibited to me. His
manner was that of an intoxicated con-
queror. In reply TO my question as to
where he had gotten the money. he, with
perfect self-possession and as though he
had performed a praiseworthy act, re-
piled: II swiped it from a Swede last
night. Have drink, ColonelYr he added
Hospitality, as he swayed to and fro be-
fore me. Paddy was possessed of the
} idea that l had commanded regiment
during the late war, which had not, and
invariably addressed me as Colonel
said.
T ''Then will have two," he remarked;
and he did. After this slight refresh
ment he seated himself on the sidewalk
| and engaged in hobo reminiscence, and
sat looking at his repulsive and dirty face
and wondered how long he would live.
AS ] gazed, his face blanched through its
coat of dirt, and he started as though to