The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-04-28
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had. II he didn't know th
work. would be found for him until he
could learn it. Men at of employ,
inent hocked to him 1 many 81 his
former hobo friends came and took
regular emplOymenf to his great 10y,
though he never felt sure Of them for
they would work through a winter
Faithfully, but the first sounds and
scents of spring would set them back
on the road again. The irreeIaimable
hobo, who had no intention of doine
regular work, could find shelter there
for two days and nights conditional
upon his doing a certain amount Of
work in cutting wood or cleaning up
about the place. Three meals of coffee
and bread were given to him each day
while he was there. If a sick tramp
came there he was cared for and med
icine that the establishment could i'll
afford was given to him until he was
able to proceed or had qualified for
hospital treatment. Terradell held
religious services and tried, with vary
ing success, to convert his associates.
The 27 cottages were rented at low
rates.
Regarding his community as a city
of itself TerradeH decided to name it.
A geographically learned hobo
gested ''Terradell Fuego" as %appronri
late. The founder accepted part of
Il suggestion and named his community
"ferradelphia." For a time Terradel-
pphia fourished. Merchants and mans
ufacturers who were interested in Ter
radel gave him orders and the OUTPUT
of the place found good sales. The
cottages were filed and apparently the
community fo~urished. Terraden pro-
jected another factory building, and
the future of the community seemed
assured, when hard times began to be
felt in '94. A year later there was no
question about extending Terradel-
phia; the question was whether it
could maintain itself. Workmen out
of employment poured in, but there
was no market in the stagnation Of
'95 for the products of the factory
The cottages ceased to pay rent, for
Terradell had not the heart to turn
the occupants out. Sometimes he went
hungry himself that others might have
food, and throughout he worked with
undertaking courage and faith. Moth
ing else could have carried Terradel-
phia through that year and into 1856.
But it was a hopeless fight. TIE
friends of the institution saw thar It
must go under. The mortgage was
foreclosed and "Glad Hand Tom," as
Terradell had come to be known by
the hobo fraternity, took up his hat
and went out into the world again.
At first he intended to lecture here
and abroad in the hope of raising
funds for a new Terradelphia, but
found no encouragement. An agency
in the lumber business was open to him
and he took it, fixing his Office in a
little wooden structure almost under
the walls of the main building Of Ter
r%adelphia. There he sits, an eageI,
restless man, bowed with sickness and
hard work, but bright of eye and stidl
possessed of that strenuous energy
and enthusiasm for the one devotion
of his life, characteristic of the man
whom we call a crank or a genius ac-
%cording to the measure of his success.
Occasionally some hobo who has been
out of the tide-drift of tramp life for
a long time, in Jail, or hospital, or for
eign parts, and has lost track of the
news of hObOdom, applies at the fac
tory for a nights lodging. They direct
him to Terradell, and "GIad Hand
Tom" gives him greeting and help if
he needs it, and Godspeed, and tells him
that some day there will be built n
new Terradelphia with bed and food
and work and play for all. For despite
the wreck and ruin of his great project
Terradell believes still, with a death
less faith, in his mission to prove the
worth of those who have been branded,
as worthless, and their right to a place
IN the economic world.-N. Y. Sun.