The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1903-05-14
BoBGRIFEIN, HoBo.
The Prince of Am sricAn Hoboes Was In
- Greepville Recently.


taking in the sights of the city and
enjoying the delightful summer
breezes of this portion Of the Sunny
South.
Travel-stained, dirt-begrimec
and wearing all old gray Confed'
crate war coat and helmet, another
relic OF the conflict between the
states, which he picked up et the
Dallas reunion, this wanderer and
inveterate nomad trudged into
town bringing along with him his
accustomed amount Of good cheer
and his time hnnnred and truly
vagabond adherence Of all useful
and Industrious employment.
Robert E. Griffin, the Prince Of
American Hoboes, is no stranger
in Greenyille. In fact, it would be
difficult to find a village, town or
city in this country where he is
regarded as one. Wherever rail.
roads penetrate there Bob has been.
From the kleak, wind.swept coast
of Maine to the evergreen hills of
the Golden Gate state, and from
he stony waters of the Great
Lakes to the sun.klssed shores OF
the Mexican gulf old Bob is. loved
by the little children, humoreo by
the women and pus up with by the
men. Eaimless peregrinations
hag5i led him into every nook and
corner of Uncle Sans territory and
any old place where he can hang
his hat is home, sweet home, to
him.
Bob is now scarcely as spry and
active as he was a half century ago
and for that reason he has within
comparatively recent years ccn-
fined his travels chiefly to the South
and more particularly to South
Carolina and Georgia, along the
line of the Southern Railway, from
Atlanta to Charlotte, with an oc.
casional peep into the lower section
of this State.
Every LOW and then. however,
be takes all overland leap and
fetches up in some far western
land, in order to renew acquain-
tances of old gay days, now dead
and gone. When the reveille
sounded for the last gathering Of
the wearers of the gray at the Texas
town Bob was there.
He is distinctly a lover Of nature,
this veteran hobo, by general in.
,lination, by hered.ty and By en-
vircnment, and he loves to browse
the clover and tho bees.
Lots of times he fcrsakes the dust
and din and roar of the perilous
bumpers and cuts through the fields
and meadows to commune with the
birds aud the flowers, and to lie
down among the daffodlls and the
daisies. And when he is sated
with the sweet breath Of the earth
he will rush back among his fellow
tramps, that vast army Of unem-
ployed, ragged idlers and dream.
ers.
Upon reaching Greenville the
other day B, b ste led TO, friend s
hou-e and there RECALLED his inner
man with many tempting things.
Then he took stroll down Main
street to the postofice, calling up.
on a number Of the merchants
whom he knew aud had hobnobbed
with years ago.
Twenty-Five years ago Griffin
might have assumed thu danger
of landing himself in the county
poor house, but this day has long
since passed away. He is safe now
The police know him and the rail-
road men, for the most part, are
disposed to feign ignorance Of his
presence when he crawls on q
blind baggage OF ensconces himself
iu an empty box Car.
This remarkable of rem .rkable
tramps never lets trouble trouble
him; be is too much of practical
philosopher for that. He is just
as high above the petty annoyance
If this vain old world as hawk
on the wing. He is charter mem
ber of the "Broke Brigade" And
everyone knows that when the la-'
string snaps and q man goes broke
he turns to the woods Or the sea.
That's what Bob did two score O.
years since, and even now the
woods and the waves will make