The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-02
EXTERIOR VIEW OF HOTEL DE BUM

Dor, and hence his ownership of the DE
Bum"
Two winters ago Fritz was doing
time" in the county jail and so enam-
ored did he become with the regularity
of the meals and the softness of his
couch that he was loath to leave the
county bastile, and later, when the law
had eXacted it's sweet demands on him
he became a lodger in the central police
station. His stony couch there was
scarcely as allurng as at the jail, but
it was so hugely better than sleeping
in certain delivery wagons, left stand
ing in courts and lanes, that he quite
cheerfully volunteered to shovel the
snow from the sidewalk about the city
hall in consideration of sleeping apart
ments in the station house.
GREW TO DISLIKE WORK.
Succeeding months increased in Fritz
a morbid hatred of work, and instead of
working a few months, scraping to-
gether fifty or a hundred dollars and
then travelling in the realm of cinders
and ties, he sought retreat from the
haraSsing demands made upon his mus
cular and robust manhood by life
midst of the fierce competition of mod
ern civilized life.
Late in the fall of 95 he discovered,
high uD over Nay Aug falls, a narrow
cave, formed by an overhanging ledge
of rocks. Here he assembled battered
pans and pals and prepared to protect
himself from the horrors of the 'swea-
ing of the brow" From time TO time
he was joined by congenial spirits,
who We're taken in on the express stip-
ulations that they furnish the victuals,
the fuel and perform such chores as
Fritz dictated. The winter came on
and many ScrantonianS, as they drove
over the bridge, above the falls, es
pied the shiVerng mortalS up under the
| rock and cOmpassionately besought the
| police to take them to the station house,
| for fear the morrow night might find
| them stiff and cold. In furnishing the
| fuel item Frtz's boarders made such in
| cessant raids on the old dancing pavil-
| ion in Nay Aug park, at the head of the
| street car line, that ON the succeeding
| summer the pavilion had disappeared
Its smoothly planed boards had fed the
| fires under the ledge, and so near to
! which the beneliciaries We're compelled
! to lay that, more than once a Dusty
! Roads" or Weary Willie" was pain
| tully awakened by lre eating ms CLOTH
ing and incidentally scorching his skin
HE BECAME DISSATISFIED.
But Fritz became dissatisfied and af-
| ter considerable nerving up for the or
| deal, he searched about for a better
place, near water, fuel and other neces-
| stiles. 1t was then that last summer
| he took possession of the Hotel De
| Bum" of which an exterior and interior
| view are herewith presented. Jutting
rock partially forms roof of this hos
! telry which is fast becoming famous
! in Hobodom, and it is Immediately on
the bank of Roaring brook, "A few feet
| from water and coal washed down by
| the water from above.
You see Fritz began, as a Tribune
reporter tl5lled into his retreat a few
days ago, I've got de boss place. Ev-
erything's dead easy"
"Of course" suggested the reporter,
| You have to go out to look for food
Nav" was the reply; me boarders
| gets de chuck (eatables) | have sew
| en- boarders some nights" and a re-
! gretful smile oVerspread his face, as