Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-04-07
A TRAMP AND HIS PAL
THE TRAIL THAT ONE MADE TO GUIDE
THE OTHER.
1t Enabled "AppetIte BILL" After His
Term In Jail Was Done, to UHerr-
inKIy Follow His Partner From
Cincinnati to Houston.

Cincinnati to Houston.
1--WE have a good many tramps UP in
our part of the country said Il sugar
planter, land I've made something of a
study of their peculiarities. The old
idea that they carve marks and signs
on fences that can be read by all other
members Of the fraternity is pure non
sense, of course, but have known sew
efal Instances in which one tramp
would leave a trail, so to speak for the
guidance of partner who might not
put in an appearance for months.
THE first case of that kind L ever
encountered was rather amusing. l
was riding. one spring day, down Il
road that passes through my place,
when l noticed n typical hobo indus
triOusly carving Il sort OF hierOglyphic
on a big post standing near the fence.
The mark consisted of n square and
triangle side by side. and he was just
putting on the finishing touches as /
arrived.
my curiosity was at once aroused,
and / determined To find out if possible
exactly what the thing meant, so pro-
ceeded to collar the fellow, and after n
little vigorous blutfing lie told me he
was putting up directions for his part
ner, who would be along some time in
the fall He assured me that the marks
meant nothing in particular, except
that lie had passed and was going in
the direction OF the point of the TRAN
gle.
His partner, according to the story
which l dragged out of him piecemeal,
was doing a six months Jail sentence
for smuggling Il policeman in Cincinnati
and when he got out on Sept. ] would
strike south, following n trail of cary
ings on water tanks, depOts. barns and
fenceposts. When the first tramp
struck n good place to loaf. he proposed
to stop and wait for the other to catch
up.
Whats your partners nameT l
asked.
It's by rights William Sparks said
the hobo. but everybody calls him
Appetite BilI'' on account OF his al
ways being hungry. lie carries n sack
10 pack grub in and has red whiskers
and a funny looking wart on one side
OF his nose
Il was satisfied from my prisoners
manner that he was telling me the
truth, so l took him UP to the house,
gave him n good dinner and sent him
Oh his way rejoicing
Now for the sequel" CONTINUED the
planter. lone afternoon in the fall /
was driving home from the station
when l passed a very dilapidatcd hobo
with red stubblc on his chin and 4 gun
ny sack under his arm. and some in
stinct told me that Mr.. Sparks. alias
appetite BILL had mt last arrived.
He seemed to he looking for land
marks. and when he reached the big
post l saw him stop, scrutinlZe the
carving and then start Off with Il new
and confident step. That settled IL.
and drove ahead and intercepted him
at the house. half n mile farther on.
"'Hello. Bill" 1 said. 'How's your
appetite this evening"
Appetizer he stammered and gave
such n violent start that lie dropped
his gunny sack.
why, yes said 1. Perhaps they
didn't feed you very we'll ut Cincin-
natl
AT the word Cincinnati he turned
livid and glared around with such evil
dent intention of boiling that l made
haste to explain.
Don't be alarmed I said. L met
your side partner Il few mouths ago.
and he told me to look out for YOU 1t
took me some time To dissipate BilIs
suspicious, but when l finally succeed
ed in convincing him that II was all
right he told me n most interesting
story OF his journey across the coun
try.
"a professional hobo will follow the
track of another hobo with an accura-
cy that is curiously suggestive OF wood
craft. All the way down from Cincin-
natl Bill had never once lost the trail.
and before he left l gave him an ad
dressed postal card and got him to
promise me he would put IL in the mail
at whatever point lie caught up with
his partner. Less than Il month later |
received the card, bearing a Houston
Crex) date mark; so | presume it was
there they met.
Both of these tramps could read and
write. and l asked Sparks particularly
why his friend didn't use some brief
message In place OF the hicroGlyph.
He replied that it would attTnct too
much attention. and other hoboes
would be likely to add misleading
words. while the little square and tri-
angle passed unnoticed.
"Slnce then l have encountered two
other nearly similar cases. in each OF
which n tramp was leaving cipher
trail for n crony to follow when he got
out OF Jail. and l infer that the prac-
tice is tolerably common. At any rate
It is n curious feature OF tramp life
which 1 have never seen mentioned in
any OF the numerous papers and maya
zine articles that have appeared on the
subject during recent years."-New Or
leans Times Democrat