The morning times., 1895-10-28
HAVtk FOR THE HoB0[s
Washington is the FavOrife Stop.
ping Place of Weary Whites.
CARING FOB WAYFARERS
They Can Stop Limited Time at the
Municipal Lodg dging House or Central
Union Mission by Saving Wood.
Regular Boarders Are Scarce-Rsp
tirtng Scenes in the House.

tirtng Scenes in the House.
Washington is one Of the favorite cities
in the country for that species Of migrating
humanity known in unvarnished twentieth
century dialect as "hobos," and at this
season of the year, when their bewhIskered
faces are pointing southwark searching
for clinic more genial than prevails north
OF Mason and Dixon's line, their familiar
figures and oft-repeated stories are seen
and heard on every side.
Everything combines to make the Capital
City haven OF refuge for the tramp during
the winter months. The residents are gooc-
natured and indiscriminately generous.
Charity is the hobby OF an VINO can afford
ii, and 1t frequently runs wild. Besides
this tendency towards recklessness on the
part of its inhabitants, the city itself has
a number OF Institutions. public and prf-
yate, that are calculated to make the sojourn
OF footsore wayfarer pleasant.
THEY CAN SAW WOOD.
Any one disposed to indulge in the health
ful exercise or saving wood for few hours
each day can have plenty TO eat, a good,
warm bed to sleep in, aud soap and water
III lndD ut wants. as q
rule or course there is a necessary limit
to the duration of this soft snap, but by
going from one place to another the hobo
who is really proud OF his profession can
put in a lew weeks OF cold weather in q
fairly comfortable manner.
The genuine hobo has about him the un-
mistakabIe stamp OF his profession, ouIy
| acquired after long familiarity with the se-
| crets OF his trade Amateurs can be de-
! tected- They viii turn aside with a weary
sigh when u proposed victim shows evil
dences OF marble heart and look for a
fresh .'muce," but not SO with the
rounder. He is used to rebuff. Even the
double cross. that thing OF horror to most
wanderers, fails to turn him down. He
rarely fails to make at lesst one or two
touches during night, sufficient TO enabls
HIM to keep wed ii4leu with warming bev-
| erages.
With the facilities Washington has for
I the care Of tramps, however street charity
is absolutely idle. There is no necessity
| for anyone to beg on the streets, when
upon application either at the Central
Union Mission building OF the municipal
| lodging house he Will. for a compare
| lively small return in labor, be provides
| With bed and board
FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Money given to applicants on the street
is almost sure to be used for other pur-
( poses than the giver intends it
The municipal lodging house, on Twelfth
/ street opposite the lew city post office.
has cots for the accommodation OF seventy
four guests 1t is provided for by a yearly
| appropriation from Congress, and is under
/ the direction OF Mr.. w. 81. Dunn, who has
been in charge ever since its inception,
| about four years ago. The labor performed
there by the men consists entirely Of saw
ing wood for different wood yards IN the
| city. each man being required to saw one
| sixteenth of q cord for each meal or
| lodging.
The rules of the place sre very simple. :
but are vigorously enforced The house IL
open from 6 o'clock in the morning to 10 at
night, and during that time all who apply
for work can get it. Breakfast is served
from s to 8 o'clock in the morning. and
dinner from o to p. m. No drinking,
smoking, or swearing will be allowed On
| the premises, and no person under the m
| fluence OF liquor is even admitted
The first thing the homeless one ts re-
quired to do on entering the lodging house
] is to take a bath. The bathroom is provided
with several tubs. and soap and water 70
used in unlimited quantities.
OVER THE CANDLES.
While the applicant is scrubbing himself
his clothing is hung up in the fumigating
IOOm, WucIc sulphur CdhdACo oAo OSAA8
burned all the time and thoroughly rid
of any germs or impurities their owner may
have collected.
When man and apparel have been made
as clean as soap and water will he is taken
into the woodward In the rear or the build
ing provided with buck and saw and
started to work on his first sixteenth OF o
cord.
At night again each man is given
-. IL ~
ing the day are again put through the
fumigating process, being left locked in
the sulphur room all night. Should any
of the inmates desire to start out during
the night the only thing they could find
to wear would be their cold, white night
robes.
Those getting in late in the evening are
given their bath, supper, lod lying and break
fast on the strength of their doing double
hustling next day, and they rarely fail to
perform the required amount of labor
Only once recently has any one attempted
to evade this work, and he was promptly
hauled before the police court and sem
fenced to serve sixty days in the work.
house. The lesson was salutary, and 10
has not been necessary to repeat it.
REGULAR BoARDERS.
The time limit at the municipal lodging
house is three days every quarter. There
are fully a dozen regular boGrders who
neYer fail to show up regularly In the
beginning of each quarter and stay the
three days. When this time is up there
they can switch over to the Central Union
Mission, where, by dint of industry and
regularity in attending divine service.
they can manage to worry out the rest of
the season.
There are a great many cbaritably dis
posed people in this city, who, having
clothing and other articles for which they
have no need, give them to the first
conner. The chances are that, instead of
being put to the use intended b the donor.
ond-hand clothing store and the money
spent for drink.
On The other hand If such garments were
sent directly to the Central Union Mission
or some other charitable organization.
they are almost certain to reach some de-
serving and needy person.
The Central Union Mission lodging rooms
are conducted very much as the municipal
lodging house, although, of course, the
facilities are greater, and a larger num-
ber of people can be accommodated. Then,
too, the mission does not stop with merely
furnishing temporary relief. If the appli-
can't for relief proves sober and Indus
trious, he Is allowed to remain at the
mission building until some position can
be secured for him, or be desires to change
his quarters.
Altogether, washington fs . city Tor
which that vast secret society. composed
of men without homes and ties, should bs
eternally thankful