Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12

about four hours a day at that, catching
the suckers among the rich folk of West
Philadelphia as they went down TO business
in the morning and came back again at
night. 1t was the easiest money | ever
made. No questions asked; no doubts ex-
pressed, and no chance for me to get an
abused look on my face the whole time
FINALLY, l got TO feeling that I'd worked
an easy mark long enough, and not wishing
to spend six months in Holmesburg at the
invitation of the police, decided 10 cut out
for Harrisburg-it's a good town for graft
ers of all kinds seeing that its the state
capital. After that | planned to go to Chi
cago-theyre liberal with money there, see
ing they're great buffers. But wasn't
going any further west-its too long be-
tween towns when you cross the Missis-
sippt.
The End of the Game.
However, l didn't get to Harrisburg
even. after parting from my pal, and III
tell YOU why. AS | was loafing about the
railroad yards waiting for a chance to
sneak into a side-door Pulman-Lord, I'd
rather spend a month in jail than have to
ride in a passenger coach again. fell In
with gang of hoboes on their way to the
harvest fields of the northwest. They were
so Gry-they looked withered. ! had some
thing Of a thirst on myself, so | put up the
money for some ointment, we found a bit
of woods nearby and forgot all about
freight trains and brakes in the joys Of
satisfying swallows. 1t was coming
on night when | quit remembering dis
,inctly; il was fun daylight when l woke
up to find myself alone. my brace gone my
letter pasted on shcepskin gone and every
dollar C the $50 | hadn'; spent gone. And
that's how the first year, and half OF my
retirement came suddenly TO an end
What 1t Costs to Live.
Since then I've had many pastimes-
none of them so enjoyable as my first one
H.,
always had fun stomach, decent enough
clothes on my back. a clean bed, and what's
more to a hobo's liking, plenty of swallow.
You see. living isn't costly for a retired
hobo For fifteen cents You can get
sunday dinner of a bowl of soup. bread and
butter, peas or beans, roast chicken or beef
or mutton, a bowl of coffee and rice or
bread or tapioca pudding. Ten cents VIII
buy for breakfast a bowl of coffee bread
and butter. oatmeal and milk. and pork
chops or fried ham or a small steak, and
all the portions are good size. Fifteen
cents viii get clean bed and dollar and
half day will keep YOU and your friends
| in liquor. if your swallow is moderate. A
| hobo never has room for more than two
meals day-he drinks too much-so his
| daily expenses should not be much more
| than 81. The retired hobo who cannot
make 81 in a few hours each day deserves
/ TO be put with the punk buns you see
| loafing on the benches in the squares.
| They're men who are 1T only TO beg enough
| bread to keep body and soul together,
| punk being the hobo's name for bread.
Why, decent. self-respecting hobo
wouldn't want to be caught dead alongside
| a punk bum!
Pocket Peddling.
IT'S wonderful how much coin the old
game of pocket peddling will bring to a
| hobo who is crippled Once in a while,
| when l don't feel exactly like taking to
| the presentation watch game which III tell
you about later, | get card of shirt studs
| imitation diamonds-slip into a small re-
tail store that doesn't have floor walkers,
spot a woman shopper who looks like the
kind who always buys her husband bargain
counter cigars at Christmas time, and tell
her quietly that here's the chance of her
lifetime to get her husband a set of fine
j shirt studs cheap and help out a deserving