The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-26
Jusr ROME rRoM rAMrA.
A Hsbe's HANDY Nstebsok ana the Prosperity
THAT Game with ~.

Ennt game WIFE hs
WARRINGTON. June ga hobo. who ac-
knowledges that no 10 q hobo. and has no ex-
cuses whatsoever to offer for 1t, arrived In
Washington about ten days ago from Tampa
over the Southern Railway. He came on a
freight car. He hit q run Of luck hcre. and no
thinks this war is a pretty good thing. HO calls
himself Richard Locklin.
Hobo Locklin put in some good time while he
was in Tampa. He mingled with the soldiers.
He is a rough.nnd.rcady sort of n pilgrim. with
an insinuatinE way about him., He has a husky
whiskoy voice, all of the latest phrases OF the
road. and wouldn't take q considerable sum for
the greasy notebook that he filled full Of names
and remarks while he was mingling with the
soldiers down in Tampa. Locklin conceived
tho idea down there that tho folks at the homes
Of the soldier boys would like to hear at first
hand some gossip about them. lie modi.
tated a journey up North anyhow for tho
warm months. He put In a full month at the
camp, doing little chores for the officers when
the opportunities presented themselves. so that
they gradually got used to him and refrained
from having him run out of tho camp by the
provost guard. He ate after the men in tho
various mess tents, and was tent pegging or
policing with tho boys in blue all day long. He
spent his evenings compiling his data, arranging
his names alphabetically, and preparing in gen.
eral lot MS campaign up Nortn, Wnere tno SOL
diers came from.
Locklin made such admirable use Of his time
that he squeezed into his greasy notebook the
names of nearly fifteen hundred of the soldiers,
with remarks opposite each name giving per-
sonal characteristics, little happenings to each
man In camp, whether the appetites OF the men
happened to BIO good or bad, whether they were
getting enough to eat. whether they were be-
having themselves, and other. useful informa;
ton that he knew would be highly appreciated
by the folks at home of the soldiers. Having
made up his book he started for his first scene
of operations, Washington. He got In here in
the morning, broke and hungry. OF, course. and
he hadn't had u drink for three whole days, He
and spent half an hour or so. under tho watch
full eyes of the clerks, in running, over the city
directory and in writing down addresses In his
greasy notebook with his stub OF a lead pencil.
Then he ventured forth.
The first man he struck was the proprietor of
q shoe store on Pennsylvania avenue, whose
son is with the District Guard down in Tampa.
iockiin,s appearance was Against him, and TIE
what he wanted.
Want t see de boss said Locklin.-
The boss just then came forward, and he
asked the hobo what he could do for him.
oh. nothin,, particular" said Locklln. Just
short.horn O your'n down Tampa way"
Who, my boy Jim = inquired the proprietor,
Yep, that's what the boys call him, said
Locklin. Purity husky young un. too. Saw
him slug an. Illinois Teller to q standstill q few
thlo x LUZ 4 ol illI- hulu uib maui mn
boiler enough. Guess he'll take care o himself
all right. Eatin' like n mule. too. Got to eat,
though, to play poker like that young Teller
Why: tell me about this" said the shoe
dealer. Have you been down in Tampa T.
Then Hobo Locklin went on and told tho
father of the boy in blue a lot OF real stuff about
his lad. The shoeman was interested now.
about this, :" said he. In n few minutes the mer.
chants in the nciShborhood, out at luncheon at
sec one Of the most diRnihcd business men Of
Washington conversing at a table with as hard
th LOCKING Mange ereizeh Tb as m ersb more SlI the ,b hns b ! c OF
pretty comfortably. fed him well, bought him an
Sll.9s suit of clothes. a pair OF shoes and q hat.
tlrst:hand gossip about his boy down atthc front.
The hobo may have been IA BIT doubtful about
said that when he saw how this first trial went
through he knew that he had a good thing.
The only other father of a soldier lie that he sep,
newspaper office whose son Is an officer with the
District Guard down in Tampa.
Well. what do you want & asked the cashier
when Hobo Locklin showed up in front OF his
screened, off counter.
oh, l just thought I'd come aroun' and let you
know how that Kid o, your,n wit the shoulder
straps is maxim out down below" said Locklin.
Why; what do you know about him a. in
oh. | just snw him runnin' around and doin'
his work up t. The handle fur a couple o weeks.
that's all, said the hobo. Hes II Adjutant
now. Says he to me when | was workin' aroun'
his tent tn other afternoon-"
GU We just COH1t ITOUl Tampa, Inen IN
CURED the cashier. Just push open that gate
and step in here. How does that fellow OF mine
look, anyhow lunderstand they're not feed.
Hobo Locklin described his man TO a 7. from
the color and length of his hair to the mole on
his left ear, and the cashier was convinced.
Just hold on a minute, and vel go out and
drink occasionally, don't youf
Hobo l.ocklin Just smiled at this from tho
shelter of his left fingers, The cashier took him
around the rnrnAr nllRH him IN nrnttV pnp,-
fortably again. found out the whole situation
down in Tampa in SO far as the soldiers. and In
when Hobo Locklin. late of Tampa. southern
headquarters Of the United States Army, finally
much more so than the cashier. He had a now
s. bill tucked away with his five, several pockets
filled With cigars, and what he knew was a
cinch on life for IA while.
The hobo last from Tampa spent three daysi in
working the downtown district, where ho cor
OF the, soldering District boys with nicely
worked up little incidents of tho camp. The
game proved a moderate mine of wealth. and
After he had finished off the fathers he took In
the residential districts and captured tho ears OF
the widowed mothers whose boys are down at
the camp, the fond sisters, and the women folks
in general. The women didn't pan out so well
hobo. and they made raids on the wardrohes of
the men folks that actually compelled Hobo
10 stow the stuff away. The new arrival from
Tampa certainly showed craftiness in dealing
with the women.
Pm goin' to Pittsburg from here. l got tn
names o seventy or eighty young fellers from
PittshnrG; and I'm next to their ,ways-th'
an ! eXpec' t. do n whole lot O. business in that
town. Then I'm goin' to take in Philadelphia,
and from there all along tn line. I've got I
| strike while tn games hot, but, y see, | kin GO
right on tellin' en- that l only hit their burRs
from Tampa tree days ago. like l did when
such velvet as this since | been on tn road"
SPADEFISH AT ASTL GARDEN,