The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-10-26


hot, tarry boards.
"a chilly town. That's what. Even
In the summer time" said HI. Pember-
ton Wilson as he threw a stray nail
into the muddy slip and lazily watched
the rings enlarge and lose themselves
in faintest ripples "You take any train,
and it lands you here, and tho only
comfort of being here is that there's so
many trains out. s'pose my stomach
thinks I'm tryin to go without any
thing for week just on a bet The
country lanes must be sighin for me.
wonder if turnips are getting large
enough?"
To designate Fl. Pemberton Wilson
as hobo would simply corroborate his
opinion of himself
He has carved "Hobo Wilson" ON
many section shanty and milepost
between Scranton, Pa, and Council
Bluffs, Ia, and there were friends who
knew him as Rooster.
On one Indiana trip he had earned
the title of Come Again Wilson because
he had persistent way of getting ON
train after once being put off.
Like many another of his class he
was not devoid of sentiment or philoso.
ply. He carried in his breast pocket a
speckled volume Of Burns' poems He
had forgotten to return it to a public
library in southern Illinois The hook
opened of itself at the lines, "a mans
q man for a that" Hobo Wilson read
the poem as he lay with his back against
the warm boards of warehouse f, and
then he put the book back into the pock-
ct of his coat, which he had thrown
down beside him.
At the bend in the river q coal vessel
was being unloaded. The click Of the
machinery and the noisy dumping Of
the big buckets at the regular intervals
became rather soothing when the rhythm
was understood. Hobo Wilson tapped
with his thumb, keeping time, and LOCK-
ed through the rigging Of lumber
schooner in tho second slip beyond at
the coughing smokestack which reached
up from small planning mill. The mill
was buzzing in changeable tones, like
nest of discordant bumbiebees.
The smoke rolling from tho stack
drifted through the rigging, where the
yards and netted lines seemed to cut
into irregular shapes Hobo Wilson
watched drowsily until to his blurred
vision there were many fantastic forms
floating in the foggy maze. And he was
not greatly surprised when one of these
forms took on the outline of dwarfish
human being and floated slowly toward
4 ahn n
hawser timber and shook itself, a shower
of SCOT falling from it. Then it settled
into comfortable sitting attitude and
looked at him.
"Well, Rooster, feoH-' everything?"
The voice was ratAls s1aall and shrill
Hobo Wilson could - snswer at once.
He was marveling at - appearance of
his strange visitor. r. nktle man was
hardly three feet hD Under the
SLOUGH hat was goo0 HAtured and
wrinkled face, decorated OH the chin
with tuft of beard, which might have
been gray at one time, but which was
now blackened and dusty, the same as
his face and clothes. The latter were Of
rough quality-a hickory shirt, shod
dy pair Of trousers fringed at the bot
toms and held up by one suspender, and
pair of worn shoes much too large and
laced with hemp Irvine.
care you down on your luck, Roost-
err" asked the little man.
"I'm Twin ON the air" said Hobo,
"but where did you come from?'
II just dropped in with the smoke
Don't know me, eh?''
''That's what; don't"
Listen, Hobo Wilson. Do you re-
member last Saturday morning when
you were at Hammond and divided
your handout with a brother who alight-
ed from box car day out from Louis
vile and very hungry"
II do "A mans man for a that. j"
"True enough, Rooster. That was a
good deed. More than once I've seen
you give comrade good place on the
truck. |"
'Where was you?
II dare say you didn't look up into
the rolling cloud of smoke to see the
good fairy of the hoboes."
"Fairyp'
Cert. You didn't expect the guard
ian fairy Of the hoboes to tear around
the country in all kinds Of weather with
a little white robe and some ostrich
feather wings?"
II s'pose not. -
Hobo Wilson, I've watched you. l
never saw you do pard any dirt. The
good things of this world must not all
be given to brakemen and farmers and
people who work. Are you hungry"
"Surei''
''Then feel in the pockets Of that coat
beside you and believe me when l tell
you that every man must live before he
dies
'Sufferin brake beams" gasped
Rooster as he drew from one pocket
after another crumpled rolls of bank
bills. Ho heaped them up ON the faded
check cloth, and his tears fell ON them.
"No more drillin in the snow; no
souphouses; never again in n bucket
Pard, you've done'--
But when he looked up again tho one
gallused fairy had disappeared, and the