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

had remaining after paying for the
old poles, Terradell hired help to take
them over to the swamp and there
plant them. The corner stone OF the es
adjustment, IL a corner stone can be
made of wood, was laid when the first
pole was firmly planted upright on the
edge of the swamp. A circle OF poles
was formed, and in the middle Terra
dell set barrel and seat. That was
the office, and the hotel was declared
formally open.
The next thing was to find lod2ers
The founder went out to the railroad
track and sat down TO wait. He didn't
have long so wait. Three tramps pres
emily appeared, and one of them was
recognized by Terradell, who pos
sessed that quality invaluable in an
organizer-a tenacious and accurate
memory. lie hailed his former ac
quaintance.
"IIello Hardy! Don't you remember
nc? gave You lift from Bristo'
once when YOU were padding on bum
stump" (Walking with an injured
lc"O
"lt's tine engineer" said the tramp
Lost your job? Are You on the pad
too? Come along with us. | madc n
good touch back on the path and I'll
stake Won to half my pile"
"You come along with me-" said the
other; "you and your friends. and III
put Won up for the night. I've started
Il lodging for the boys"
"What's the hold-up?" asked one OF
the trio.
"Nothinr unless You want TO. Eat ]
want little help"
Come along. boys" said Hardy
lies on the level" so the party set ont
for the swamp. With some old nails
which Tcrradcll had picked M and
stones for hammers the four soon had
n sort of shelter built across small
segment of the circle in which they
slept that night. Two of the tramps
took the road again early in the morn
ina. promising TO tell any of IN" guild
whom they might meet of the new hos.
tclrv. Hardy stayed several days help.
ing Tcrradcll about the place, and
when he left he contributed n pair ot
GOOD secondhand blankets which he
had bought i'm town II wasn't long be.
fore the hotel was known on every high
road in this part Of the country. and
lodgrrs came in rapidly. None was
turned away by the proprietor. but
each man who wa. able was expected
10 do AN hour or two of work about the
place. with the result that il was soon
completed and strangcr-looliina
building was probably never raised
since the day when every man was his
own architect.
The place was orderly. for the pro
rrictor while liberal in his allowances
for hobo nature would tolerate no riot
business. lie was an unwisc hobo who
attempted to disregard orders, for Ter
radell had too many friends among
the tramps who were ready mt any
minute to take up his cause. A case in
point is that of tramp who was found
unconscious beside n roadway neal
Railway several years ago. The police
thought they had n murder mystery
on their hands, but the man recovered
after long stay in the hospital and
finally left, refusing TO tell how he
came by his injuries, Two years later
n vagrant who was jailed revealed the
secret. The injured man had fallen in
with some of his fellow hoboes and
being drunk, had boosted of having
robbed Tcrradcll's till of half dollar
whcrcupon the whole party set upon
| him and beat him into inscnsibility
! That was the only time the till was
ever robbed, indeed, most of the time
il would not have paid anyone to rol
! It,
Work was found for Terradcll's
tramps when they wanted it. He sci
up wOod-cutting industry and made
Il little money that way which he usc'
in improving his place. Trenton peo
pie. who had become interested in the
experiment, found jobs for the lodg
crs. and though by far the greatcs'
part Of the hotels clicntagc was of the
strictly transient order, some few from
time to time would express desire Il
| stay and make Il regular living. II wa
for this class that Tcrradell was labor
ing and for them he set out to cstab
lish permanent plant. by what SLOW
and painful steps, with what patience
| irrcsistihlv surmounting all reversal
and disappointmcnts he achieved hi
ends he alone knows.
Unrcmitting toll and devotion
brought about, in the course of years
| the wonderful transformation wrough
by the pcnniless and unemployed Ter
radcll. In the swamp land where hi
curious structure of telegraph pole
and boards had sheltered his hob
friends rose the four-story building q
vitriiicd brick with brownstonc trim
mings. and around it small cottage
were put up. - in all, for such familic
as might join the new community
Where and how did Tcrradcll get tn
money for such an establishment
People asked this question with wor
| dor hut nobody ever answered /