The Portland daily press., 1901-02-19
HE WASN'T SCOTT.
nut He Was a Good TaIi<er ana .
Fast sprinter.

Fast sprinter.
Professor Walter A. Wyckoff, the so
ciologist who made a tramp tour OF the
country for the purpose of studying the
laboring classes at short range" said a
Florida hotel man visiting in this city,
sis no doubt responsible for the luxurious
entertainment Of many an ingenious
hobo. / got caught myself last winter"
the boniface went on, laughing, so 1
know exactly what / am taxing about.
1t happened Ia this way; | was running
the same place ! have now, and one day
at the height of the season gaunt. ca
daverous looking hobo dropped down out
OF space and struck me for job. He
had whiskers that would have made his
fortune on the variety stage, Juttng
Roman beak and all the traditional out
fit down to the empty tomato can.
told him TO go back to the kitchen and
hang around until / could find something
for him to do.
you SEQ. we have very few tramps in
that part of the state, and | make 1t a
rule never to turn away white man
who saws he is hungry. Well, | was pret-
ty busy Just then with houseful of peo-
pie and thought no more of this particu-
lar wanderer until one evening when my
wife came to me in great excitement and
said;
John, hsfe you any idea who that
tramp really Isl?
"'IIe may be Dom Paul or the en-
press of China for all l know l replied
calmly.
Nonsense said she; he is Professor
Scott of some college up in Iowa or Hi
nois, and he is making the same kind Of
study that Professor Wyckof made last
year.
II was at first disposed TO laugh, Of
course, but my wife is a woman not easi-
ly fooled, and her earnestness was i'm
pressive.
AZ suspected something from the FIRST, ;
she said, and little while ago pinned
him down, and he admitted the whole
thing. l want you TO go out and have a
talk with him right away
81 hunted up our disguised educational
list and found him in the barn.
"'Yes, 1t is true he said. 4 am Pro-
fessor Scott. OF whom you have probably
heard, and I'm studying labor conditions
along about the same lines followed by
my friend Wyckoff.'
"He then went on in sketchy and
graphic fashion to relate his adventures
since starting out in the spring, and be-
lore L knew II Ibuuu my otil utGHil dD-
sorbed in the narrative. He was a capi-
tai talker, and the subject is one that has
always interested me profoundly, so
presume he had no trouble In getting me
thoroughly hypnotized. At any rate, that
is the only way / can account for the
fact that begged him to loaf around the
premises collecting data as long as he de-
sired and TO consider himself my guest
My wife, who is sociological enthusiast,
seconded my invitation and urged him
not 10 think of doing any work while he
was with us. He promised her earnestly
that he would abstain. AS nearly as
remember, the distinguished investigator
had honored us with his presence for
about three weeks when a tourist from
Baltimore happened to see him prowling
around the back yard one evening and
asked me where l had lassoed Glad
stone Jones'
Hes a picturesque, educated hobo,
known TO police courts all along the south
Atlantic ham sandwich route said the
tourist, and gets his nickname "Glad-
stone" from the extent and variety of his
information. or course he added, the
old humbug could never impose on any
body of education but he can make the
average farmer open his mouth like a
bear trap
Gladstone Jones, alias Professor
Scott. had about ten yards start when 1
came out Of the back door with a club"
said the hotel man sadly, "and l regret
TO state that | was unable TO close the
gap. Going up the railroad track he de-
veloped sprinting powers that were really
phenomenal | have never seen him
since. New Orleans Times-Democrat.