Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-06-28
A TRAMP AND HIS PAL
THE TRAIL. THAT ONE MADE TO GUIDE
THE OTHER.

1t Enabled appetite BILL" After His
Term In GAIL Was Done, to Unerr-
fngIy Follow His Partner From
Cincinnati to Houston.
eve have good many tramps up in
our part Of the country" said 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 nom
sense, of course, but have known sew
eral instances In 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.
1.-THE first case of that kind l ever
encountered was rather amusing.
was riding, one spring day, down q
road that passes through my place,
when l noticed a typical hobo indus
triously carving a sort Of hieroglyphic
on big post standing near the fence.
The mark consisted of a square and
triangle side by side, and he was lust
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 a
little vigorous bluffing he 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 he had passed and was going In
the direction Of the point Of the TRAN
gle.
Ills partner, according to the story
which I dragged out of him piecemeal,
was doing six months Jail sentence
for smuggling policeman in Cincinnati
and when he got out on Sept. l would
strike south, following a trail Of carv-
ings on water tanks. depots, barns and
fenceposts When the first tramp
struck good place to loaf, he proposed
to stop and wait for the other to catch
up.
"'What's your partners name? l
asked
"Tt's by rights William Sparks said
the hobo, but everybody calls him
appetite Bill'' on account of his al
ways being hungry. He carries a sack
to pack grub in and has red whiskers
and a funny looking wart on one side
Of his nose
81 was satisfied from my prisoners
manner that he was telling me the
truth, so took him up to the house.
gave him q good dinner and sent him
on his way rejoicing.
"Now for the sequel" continued the
planter. zone afternoon in the fall
was driving home from the station
when passed a very dilapidated hobo
with red stubble on his chin and a gun
ny sack under his arm, and some in
stinct told me that Mr.. Sparks, alias
Appetite Bill had at last arrived.
He seemed to be looking for land
marks, and when he reached the big
post I saw him stop, scrutinize the
carving and then start off with a new
and confident step. That settled it,
and drove ahead and intercepted him
at the house, half a mile farther on
"'Hello, Billp I said. 'How's your
appetite this EVENING"
"'Appetite2' he stammered and gave
such a violent start that he dropped
his gunny sack.
"'yVhy, yes said 1. Perhaps they
didn't feed you very well at Cincin-
natl
"At the word Cincinnati he turned
livid and glared around with such evil
dent intention of boiling that I made
haste to explain.
Don't be alarmed l said I met
yoU7 side partner a few months ago
and he told me to look out for YOU II
took me some time to dissipate Bills
suspicious, but when finally succeed
ed in convincing him that it was all
right he told me a 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 / gave him an ad
dressed postal card and got him tc
promise me he would put 1t in the mail
at whatever point he caught up with
his partner. Less than a month later
received the card, bearing a Houston
CTex.) date mark; SO presume 1t was
there they met.
"Both of these tramps could read and
write, and | asked Sparks particularly
why his friend didn't use some brief
message In place of the hieroglyph
He replied that 1t would attract toe
much attention, and other hoboes
would be likely to add misleading
words, while the little square and tri
angle passed unnoticed.
"Since then | have encountered two
other nearly similar cases, In each OF
which a tramp was leaving a cipher
trail for crony to follow when he got
out Of Jail. and infer that the prac
tice is tolerably common. At any rate
it Is a curious feature Of tramp life
which have never seen mentioned II
any Of the numerous papers and maya
zine articles that have appeared on the
subject during recent years. New Or
leans Times-Democrat.
Easily Fixed.
"a wful affair ot' orr hotel this after