The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-05-31

work would be found for him until he
could learn it. Men out of employ.
ment fiocked to him and many of his
former hobo friends came and took
regular employment to his great joy,
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 irreclaimable
hobo. who had no intention of doing
regular work, could find shelter there
for two days and nights conditional
upon his doing certain amount OF
work in cutting wood or cleaning ur
about the place. Three meals Of coffee
and bread were given to him each day
while he was there. II 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 81 cottages were rented at low
rates.
Regarding his community as a city
of itself Terradcll decided to name il.
\ geographically learned hobo sug'
gested "Terradel Fuego" as appropri.
ate. The founder accepted part of the
suggestion and named his community
"Terradelphia." For a time Terradel'
phia fourished. Merchants and man
ufacturers who were interested in Ter.
radcn gave him orders and the output
of the place found good sales. The
cottages were filed and apparently the
community fourshed. Terradell pro
Iected 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 1t
could maintain itself Workmen out
OF employment poured in, but there
was no market In the stagnation of
'gj for the products of the factory.
The cottages ceased to pay rent. for
Terradcll 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-
| pha through that year and into 1876.
But it was hopeless fight. The
| friends of the institution saw that il
| must 90 under. The mortgage was
! forccloscd and Glad Hand Tom" as
| Tcrradcll 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 n
! little wooden structure almost under
the walls of the main building of Ter
radclphia. There he sits, an eager,
restless man, bowed with sickness and
hard work, but bright of eye and still
| possessed of that strenuous energy
|
of his life, characteristic of y
whom we call n crank or genim ac-
cording TO the measure of his success
Occasionally some hobo who has been
out of the tidc-drift of tramp life for
n long time, in Jail, or hospital, or for.
eign parts, and has lost track of the
news of hobodom. apples at the fac,
tory for nights LODGING. They direct
him to Terradell, and Glad Hand
Tom" gives him greeting and help il
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 proiec,
Terradell believes still, with death
less faith, in his mission to prove the
worth of those who have been branded
as worthless, and their right to place
in the economic world.-N. Y. Sun.