Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-05-22

depot, because they can board
freight trains here while the trains are
taking water.
In our provincial towns il is we'll
known to the boys that there is gen.
orally collection of interesting wan
derers to be found at the watering
tank, and during the long summer
months, when time often drags heav-
lily on their hands, they like to ioin
the hoboes and listen to their tales of
adventure. If one of them appeals to
some member of the gang who is look
ing for a "prushun, the same process
of "petrifying" is gone through
as in the case of city boys, and
it is often possible to get
lad from the country to run
away more quickly than one of the
metropolitan training, because he is
less suspicious.
Once "on the road" the life of
these boys can only belikened to that
of slaves. Their duty is to do exactly
what their lockers" the men who
have enticed them on to "the road"
command, and they are expected, if
necessary, to find their 'jockers' "
meals, clothes and even lodging house
money. Some become expert beg
gars in few weeks, and are much
priced by the men with whom they
travel to the end of their "prushun"
apprenticeship, ind there are others
who require year and more before
they are successful even in finding
their food. Once trained, however,
and if they are carefully exploited,
many of them take in as much as So
day, the money going, of course, to
their ''iockers," and eventually to the
saloon.k keeper. During the process
of getting trained they are kicked,
slapped and generally maltreated, and
on occasions they are loaned, traded
and even sold. 1t avails them very
little to run away from cruel
COCKER" for unless they return home,
which most of them are ashamed to
do, they are sure to be picked up by
some one else before they have gone
far. Not all hoboes travel with boys,
but there are so many who do that
it is useless for runaway ''prushun,"
who remains in the life, to keep free
of them. They are bound to run
across him somewhere, on freight
train or at some popular "hang-out," !"
and they either persuade or compel
him to take up 'prushun's" burden
again.
This burden has to be carried until
the boy is able to defend himself and
come off victorious in fisticuff with
his Cocker" or until he has reached
an age when he is obviously too old
to travel any longer as "kid." The
age limit various in different cases,
bnt it is seldom that one finds boy
in the ''prushun" class after he has
passed his eighteenth year.
Once emancipated, to use the hobo
word, the boy is supposed to so and
look for revenge. Some do this and
some do not, but all are told that the
} revenge when they get it will Offset all
the misery and trouble they have
had to put up with as ''pru-
} shuns." Indeed, this is the
} one reward held out to them.
= From the time they get into tramp
l life, rs boys, until they enter into the
} joys OF the emancipated, they are led
/ W bIiiGNb tuau men tAhullNl llullOil
I comes they can go and "snare" some
Y other boy o? romantic temperament,
3 and make him slave for them as they
= have shaved for others. West of the
: Mississippi River there is q regular
e gang Of these ''ex-Eids," rs they are
y called, aud the bulk OF them are sup
. posed 10 be looking for revenge. In
y certain parts of the country, thanks to
8 the Intelligence OF magistrates and
[ court Judges, who have learned what
= it means when boy is found in the
G company OF hobo, it is very danger
e ous to attempt any "snaring," or to
e be arrested with boy sin tow" be-
n cause very severe sentences are meted
t out to men who travel with young
4 sters, and this is one of the reasons
S why some "ex-Eids," as well as a
/. number Of The hoboes, have given up
e "prushun" companionship. Another
t reason is that some find the business
: heartless and cruel. There are SO
> many, however, who favor the custom
1 that tramp life in the United States is
f; continually being recruited from the
e boys of the country, aud every year a
LulADCl VI llCil luhc lDe I)ldCeS Oh
t those who have finished their APP
:. premiership. Those who come to
e New York generally arrive in winter,
o the time their lockers" travel to the
S large cities to get the benefit of lodg-
s ing house shelter and cheap restaurant
s living, They also put in an appear
[ ance in summer for day or so, but
h at this time of year the bulk of them
are scattered along the different rail
y roads. They are the most difficult
g lads in the world to locate and get hold
e Of. Excepting during the coolest
n months, and even then, if they &c
!, South, they are continually ON the
e move, and it is impossible to keep
e track of them long enough to do them
o much good. When they have cor.-
n mitted crime and are put IL such
/ prisons as the Tombs to await trial,
6 they get the benefit of that very worthy
institution, the Tombs School, aud
= come under the good influence of men