The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-12-22
THE HOBO.
VERNACuLAR IN USE AMONG
THE TRAMPS.
Explanation of a Few Ter1as that Pro-
f~essional Beggars Use-some of Them
Are Slang and Other the Exclusive
Property of Their Profession.

A Slim young man who was lettering
llong 42d street a day or two ago, kill
ing a half hour before train time, was
accosted at Madison avenue by a big,
ourly, healthy-looking chap.
Say, gentleman the big mar said,
In a bucksaw voice, I'm wantin' q
lump or suthin' better right smart, an
4 big one, too. I'm wantin' to lap like
wise, an If we've got a bone in yer
pocket yer wanter divvy with me, I'm
yer friend. See?'
The young man faced the other curl
ously.
Il think l understand what you mean
by a BONE" he said, land l suppose
you desire to say you are willing to
drink when you nnoun that you're
wanting a lap but I'm not onto a
lump"
The big mans face expanded into a
grin of good-fellowship.
wy" he said, "a Jumps a bit o.
suthin' cold to eat. l druther have
suthin' hot, of course, but l didn't want
to brace you too strong"
Times hard with your queried the
other.
Say, you wouldn't tink so, SEEM
I'm so fat an happy lookin' In de face,
would yer? But, honest, things is on
lie ding wild me. l got a poke out dis
mornin', all right, but me bread basket
Is all holler ag'in, now, an l amt had
any Stops all day"
WELL" said the young man, looking
at his watch, 'if you'll"
"Ye needn't say no more, young fell
ler," the big man broke in. Il see by de
looks o yer mug ye're goin' to say yen
put up a chew fer me. An I'm goin' to
say 1t goes. Gee! Wot er graft! Then
we're goin' to ask about me vocabulary,
see? I'm a fly 'bo, l am, an at first l
took you for a fly bull-anyway, fer a
plug. But Wen l got a good look at
yer seen yer was all right. Lead me
ter de can and watch me stuffv'
A cam where quantities Of food
may be bought for a quarter, was
speedily found, and the fly 'bo," as the
intelligent tramp described himself,
was soon noisily ''stutfing'' ~corned-beef
hash and bread and butter, which he
washed down with liberal "laps'' of
coffee. When he stopped to take breath
the young man assured the hobo that
he was right in assuming that a few
words about his vocabulary would be
welcome.
"Er fly bull" the hobo paused to say,
lis er detective. Err plug is err Teller
that's ag'in de hobo push. Stops is
strong drink which is er ragin'. AS
I'm gittin' to know you better, l see
you're a getherup, an that's wy yer
vas eXercisin' yer lockers so sharp
while yer was .er mopin' along. No
body but fly bulls and getherups does
that. Gee, but amt this punk good!'
What in heavens name is a 'gether-
lpF And what is 'punk?'
The hobo stopped a bowl of coffee
midway between the table and his lips
and gasped.
Say" he said. 81 guess l must er
been off me nut, but l fought you was
one O. dem fellers dat gethers up de
news and writes it up in pieces for de
pape. l begs yer pardon humble if I
was off. Punk is wot you calls Bread
The young man admitted that he
might with more or less propriety be
termed a "getherup."
Wal, we've got a getherup's ally
scopes all right enough" said the
other, a now l s'pose We wanter hear
me memwars. I'll give EN- to you on
de level, too.
I'm de first place, Pm on de bum all
de while, an OATS no fake. l amt
kipped in a ~pad-wots dat? wy, slep'
in a bed, of course-fer l dunno how
long, till de cold weather m on.
Most of me winters has lately been
spent in de balmy South. An 1 amt
had er chew as good as dis since l got
er Mulligan. Hay? Oh, er Mulligan's
an Irish stew-an' | had one in Cleye-
land last fall.
"Dey amt no romance-in-real-life In
my hist'ry. Me folks want never
much. On de level, / don't know who
dey was. An 1 amt never seen better
days dan dis one, now dat I'm gettin'
a whole chew, hot. l t'ink I'm lucky
WIN l gifts a muck ter shove tro' me
face-oh, yes-er muck's er stew up of
any old ting yer a pick up, SIGH as
hoboes makes WIN dey's on de tramp
iru' de kentry. But l amt never nipped
no clocks, nor nothin'. Hay? l amt
been err ~pickpocket, nor l amt cracked
no cribs.
"De worst ting l eve done was ter
lift suthin' fer err chew a few times, but
[ amt had ter do dat often, fer you kin
get %pokeouts most anywhere, an l amt
never worked none, only wen I've been
pinched an had to.