The Washington bee., 1907-06-15
.HOBOS At A BANQUET
KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD "FEED"
AT SWELL CHICAGO HOTEL.
Over One Hundred Attend Represent
atiVe Gathering-Washington Flat
Fails 70 HPrsEr as Toastmas-
ter, Giving 70 Police.


c. ,.-c.---e ECb-s' banquet, given
by the Brotherhood Welfare associa-
tiCr at the Windsor Clifford hotel the
other night. was a huge success de-
spite several little drawbacks, such as
the nonattendance of Washington Flat,
the toastmaster, who was driven out
of town early in tie afternoon by the
police. and the departure of Philadel-
phia JACK and The Dancing Kid for
San Francisco before the beer was
served They explained that they had
to catch the 11:15 o." freight.
DR.. Ben L. Reitman and his aids
in the new organization had searched
the highways and byways of the city
for a representative gathering Of
hObos and buns and beggars and they
found them. There were more than
a hundred present-sOme from the
Bridewell, others from the municipal
lodging house. Hogan's Flop, the New
York house, and the barrel houses Of
West Madison street.
Several incidents marred the occa
sion, but no one minded. Fred the
Bum, whS was down for a speech on
Why | Hang Around Barrel Houses, "
picked up two many drinks before he
came to the banquet and was found
under the table when his name was
called. "ShOestring Chase" a pan
handler, scandalized his fellows when
he was found improving the golden oc-
casion by passing his hat among the
hotel guests during a lull in the ban
quet
A No. One, known as the Absent
Member C'and never blamed the
booze, boys'D, whose name is written
on every water tank between New
York and Boston, and Yoken-Whitey.
another professional hobo, threatened
to depart at one stage of the speech
making, because the speakers were
mot representative"
why, they don't know the diff be-
tween a hobo and bum" said A. M.
One. Il wouldn't associate with a
snide that carries the banner. Why
don't they let a smart man talk?"
After q dinner as good as a group
of bankers or merchants could want,
the long program began. Bum Mitt
Casey interspersed the course with
big chews of tobacco, and Fred the
Bum insisted on singing where Is
NY Wandering Boy Tonight"
The regular program began with a
poem by Chicago Tommy, entitled
The Face on the BarroOm Floor" 1t
was a long poem, recited with deep
gravity, and was the story of a hobo,
Ostler Joe, who told a crowd of saloon
! loafers how he had fallen, illustrating
his story by drawing the face Of his
lost angel wife in chalk on the floor,
and then falling dead. 1t had mighty
effect
Fred the Bum was called on, but
could not respond, so his chum, the
| Rocky Mountain Lemon, got up to re-
spond. He started off nobly, saying:
/ They do not love who do not show
! their love-" but A No. One yelled:
sit down. You're no hobo. You
work. You amt respectable" So the
Lemon sat down.
John Smith, a hard faced young
man with a collar on, told why the
criminal has a hard face. He said
he had spent IA years in peniten-
tiaries, beginning his first term at
the age of IA He said it was worry
| that made the lines.
Old Man Steers, rs years of age
told a pitiful story of seeking work in
Chicago, and how he was turned down
| everywhere. My father told me
never to be afraid of work" he said
and I attribute my failure to the
fact that I followed Horace Greeley's
| advice and came west"
Willie, the ex-society man, told how
to reform society. He wore a gen
teel brown beard, a collar, and held
his cigar according to the best Gus
tom. The Louisville Kid recited q
poem called The Scale"
German Fritz and Ohio Skip, dowI
on the program, left word they had
gone to New York on the bumpers
Before the Dancing Kid left for Frisco
he sang a song about There's always
a Mother Waiting at Home for You
CLERK WINS A FORTUNE.