Evening journal., 1900-04-26
A TRAMP AND HIS PAL
THE TRAIL THAT ONE MADE TO GUIDE
THE OTHER.

our part or the country" said a sugar
planter, "and I've made something OF
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.
erai instances ia which one tramp
would leave a trail, so to speak, for the
guidance Of a partner who might not
put In an appearance for months.
"The FIRST case Of that kind / ever
encountered was rather amusing. 1
was riding, one spring day, down a
road that passes through my place.
when 1 noticed a typical hobo indus
triously carving n sort OF hleroglyphic
on big post standing near the fence
The mark consisted Of a square and
triangle side by side. and he was just
putting on the finishing touches as l
arrived.
"Afy curiosity was at once aroused,
and determined 70 find out II possible
: exactly what the thing meant, so pro-
ceeded 90 collar the fellow, and after u
. little vigorous bluhing he told me he
I 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 he had passed aud was going in
the direction Of the point Of the trian-
gle.
Ellis partner. according 20 the story
, which l dragged out Of him plecemeal,
was doing a six months jail sentence
for slugglng a policeman ia Cincinnati
and when he got out on Sept. would
strike south, following a trall Of carv-
ings on wnter tanks, depots barns and
fenceposts When the first tramp
struck good place TO loaf. he proposed
to stop aud wait for the other to catch
up.
whats your partners namer
4 asked.
ats by rights William Sparks, said
!. the hobo but everybody calls him
q Appetite Bill" on account OF his all
!. ways being hungry. lie carries a sack
n TO pack grub in and has red whlskers
and funny looking wart on one side
OF his nose.
II was satisfied from my prisoners
: manner that he was telling me the
A truth. so / took him up to the house,
e gave him a good dinner and sent him
e on his way rejoicing.
" "Now for the sequel" continued the
Y planter. zone afternoon in the fall
b was driving home from the station
r when l passed very dllapidated hobo
p with red stubble on his chin and gun
L ny sack under his arm. and some In
s stlnct told me that Mr.. Sparks. alias
D Appetite BILL had at last arrived.
He seemed to be looking for land
IS marks. and when he reached the big
1t post I saw him stop. scrutlnize the
IA carving and then start of with n new
l. aud confident step. That settled II.
"a and drove ahead aud intercepted him
g at the house. half mile farther on.
:. "'Hello. Billr 1 said 'How's your
% appetite this EVENING"
d. "'AppetiteT he stammered and gave
It such a violent start that he dropped
d his gunny sack.
n "Why. yes said I. Perhaps they
d didn't feed you very well at Cincin-
Ie natl
g at the word Cincinnati he turned
livid and glared around with such evil
dent intention of boiling that 1 made
haste TO explain.
Fl Don't be alarmed I said. I met
a your side partner few months ago.
s. and he told me TO look out for you It
s. took me some time to dissipate Bills
y suspicious. but when l finally succeed
l- ed IN convincing him that it was all
Is right he told me most interesting
D. story Of his journey across the coun-
" try.
b. "a professional hobo viii follow the
Ie track Of another hobo with an accura-
x cy that Is curiously suggestive of wood
x craft All the way down from Cincin-
is natl Bin had never once lost the trail,
e and before he left l gave him an adj
n dressed postal card and got him TO
e. promise me he would put it ia the mail
a at whatever point he caught up with
a his partner. Less than q month later
e. received the card. bearing q Houston
k (Tex.) date mark; SO l presume it was
there they met.
Both Of these tramps could read and
write, and / asked Sparks particularly
a why his friend didn't use some brief
"a message ia place of the hieroglyph.
" He replied that 1t would attract too
g much attention. and other hoboes
~ would be likely 20 add misleading
1r words. while the little square and tri-
b. angle passed unnoticed.
ID "Since then | have encountered two
st other nearly similar cases, in each OF
ID which a tramp was leaving a cipher
g trail for a crony TO follow when be got
s out Of Jail. and infer that the prae-
tice is tolerably common. AT any rate
It Is a curious feature Of tramp life
which l have never seen mentioned IN
IS any Of the numerous papers and maga'
Sc zine articles that have appeared on the
e subject during recent years."-New Or
" leans Tlmes-Democrat.
is ---
is easily Fixed.