The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-03
Richard Il. Rengin, superintendent OF
the Institution, Caught in
Reminiscent Mood.
A BOX CAR HOBO DESCRIBED
HE DIFFERS IN MANY RESPECTS
FROM THE OTHER SPECIES.
Men Seeking shelter and Food Must
Pay i'm WOrk-The Theory of
Latter Day Charity.

Richard T Reagin. superintendent OF
the Friendly Inn located on West Market
street, has spent over twenty-five years OF
his life working in what is known TO the
more prosperous people as the other side
! OF life" He started a police officer in
! Terre Haute. was later prison guard at
the Southern Penitentlary at Jenersonvine.
and has for the last year had charge OF the
Friendly Inn. you see" he said TO a rep
resentative OF the Journal the other day.
Il have always been thrown with the
harder side of life. l have seen very little
Of what is known as the bright side. and
if it wasn't that once In a while some fell
low comes back or writes me a letter
thanking me for what have done for him,
1 would get pretty well discouraged. but
don't, and just keep working right along,
doing what good l can"
Mr.. Reagin's past experience has given
him great opportunities for observing that
part of humanity known tramps. and in
| regard to this he said: There is "A wrong
| impression out about the tramp. He IL
! generally sympathized with and every one
pities him. Now, this may be all right icr
one class of tramps. but they are not the
real old box-car hoboes. There is not much
| in the hobo. He IS a tramp from choice
| and not from circumstances. He would
just as leave be sleeping in a box car in
| St Louis : in indianapolis. He has
object in view except that OF escaping
work, and that he is forever trying TO
avoid. This class OF tramp we don't often
! run across here at the Inn. They keep
away from us unless driven here by neces-
sity. Once in a while on a cold night,
if the police have been making raids On
them, they come here and stay over night.
but we are never troubled with them for
any length Of time, for the simple reason
that we require them TO work and battle.
two things that tramp despises most.
| have known any number Of them TO come
into the Friendly Inn and inquire for a
nights lodging and do the amount of work
which is allotted TO them, and then so
away when il came 10 the bath. The box
car tramp breads the bath second only 20
work
SHOULD WORK FOR FOOD.
THE worst thing that people can DO for
tramps is TO feed them without requiring
them to do a certain amount OF labor.
don't care whether person is as rich as
| Vanderbilt poor church mouse.
whenever a man comes TO his house and
asks for something TO eat or a dime to
get him bed. it is everyone's duty 10 make
| independent, and anyone who has a spark
! Of manhood left in him would rather earn
what you give to him than TO beg II. And
then that is the only way find out inn
postor. You offer him work and he will al
ways get out OF the way If he is beat.
| Every fellow that comes in here tells
hard luck story, so / have 10 be fortified
! against these irnpostors. L just turn deaf
ear to all OF their troubles, and when l
see that a man is able-bodied i simply show
him the wood pile. Then If he was telling
me the truth l will soon find il out.
"A great many people, especially women.
! say they give tramps things 10 eat be-
cause they are afraid OF them. There Is
positively no particular danger in the real
tramp. He will put up a strong blun. but
IL he is shown bucket Of water, for this
is the best weapon to fight him with, he
will leave short notice.
Now. that is the box-car tramp who
sleeps in fence corners or in sand pile
and deserves little. The other class OF
tramp is a worthy fellow who is really out
hunting work and Will labor for what he
gets. This is the class OF men we have here
mostly For instance. there was a report
spread out over the country that there is
a great deal Of work being done IN this
that there was a large number OF fac
tories being erected. The consequence is
that great many men come here expect-
ing 10 get work and when they reach the
city they find nothing 10 do. and finally
end here.
lone Of the most serious problems that
confronts us now, and one which has never
been taken up is that OF the aged men,
There are plenty of homes for aged women.
but for the men there is positively no
place TO 20 when they get old There should
be founded in this city such home as
this. so that these old men would not have
TO come here.
''The hospitals Of the city are very ef-
fcient in every respect. but when a man
becomes. .convalescent, OF course. he is dis
charged and he isn't strong enough 10 do
a full days work. SO ne comes here"
LOCAL PEOPLE SEEK SHELTER.
do you have many men from the city
who come TO the Friendly Inn for shelter?'
Mr.. Reagin was asked.
YES. we have a good many from right
here at home. They are men who meet
reverses in various ways and have 10 come
here 10 bridge over their present needs.
The one thing that brings more men 20
the dregs OF poverty than anything else
- drunkenness mat seems TO ht the curse
OF humanity. and yet / feel sorry for the
drunkard. I see men every day who some
time In their lives must have been IN pros
porous circumstances and the craving for
liquor has ruined them. II has taken all
OF the ambition from them and left them
poor degeneratos.
I'm the winter time, which Is our season.
we have from sixty TO seventy men here
every night. Last year. from Sept. ! 10
April 1. we furnished or an average 1890
meals a month and fixed go beds during
that time. You see by that statement that
we take care of good many. The rule is
here that We never turn anyone away who
is willing 20 do his share of the work
This building covers good deal of ground.
and We will put beds IN every corner II IL
becomes necessary
you understand that ! set employment
FOR a great number OF those who stay here
People who have ode jobs that they want