East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-11-13
TOR0BRED HOBO"
PANAMA KID" A
PENDLEToN VISITOR
Exchanges Views on Live Topics
Travelled More Than Bill Taft, Eat
GrasshOppers With the IgorOtes,
Tried to Shine the Shoes of the
King of Siam and Bummed Jim
Hill for a DOllar-Leaves His Mark
Wherever He Goes.

"Say, me monogram is on every
water tank from Delaware to Pasco.
It's on a tree in Nagasika where
General Grant cut his name, and
have travelled more already than Bill
Taft can ever do. I've eat grasshop-
pers with the Irrogotes, tried to shine
the shoes of the king of Siam and
have ,bummed James ]. Hill for
dollar and made it woik."
Thus spoke Panama Kid" today
in recounting some of his experiences
for the purpose of securing funds
with which to try the grade of beer
carried by the saloons of Pendleton.
I'm a tcrobred hobo" says Pana-
ma, land I've always followed that
business. But I'm decent. l leaves
me mark wherever 1 go, but l don't
try to cut the house down when 1
register me monogram on a water
house. 1 do it gently and quietly,
but l leaves me mark wherever l
CO."
According to the tale of the Pana-
ma Kid he was born in st. Joe, Mo-,
but he has since become more IA
miliar with Chez Foo and Nagasika
than he is with his birthplace city.
He says he was in the navy and has
discharge, but it is a small one,
the rush" method, so he does not
consider it greatly to his credit.
That he has continuously and con-
sistently lived off his nerve is the
open declaration of Panama and he
is proud of his wide experience and
his talents as a "touch"artist.
"Theyse don't turn me down." he
says. 1 have touched more big guns
than any other man alive. I've been
a stowaway and a beach comber,'
dats a hobo man when he's in for
eign country, and I've seen the in
side of jails, all over the ball 1t
was me ambition to shine the shoes
of all the kings in Asha, but found
that some of them did not have the
foot apparel and when 1 called on
the mikado he was not in. So had
to give dat up. But 1 have worked
American consuls to a fare you we'll.
| have made them give me transpor-
tation or bothered de life out of
them. 1 have more nerve than the
muel Maud and dey generally come
trough when 1 come round"
To fully and properly relate all the
things that the Panama Kid will tell
you for the price of a meal and a
few drinks would require the genius
of George AIDE and an entire Sunday
edition of a metropolitan daily He
mas associated with the people OF
Rio de Janiero, Mogi, Kamchatki,
where ii is cold, and in Buenos Ayres,
where 1t is hot. He has had pals
who were Frenchies, Dutchies and
"Limejulcers" (Engishmen). as well
as those from his own land of the
free.
He has been in society, too, so he
says, and his name at such times is
William r. Nell, U. S. A. 1t is easy
to be society man, says Panama, II
you have the front" In his vo-
cabulary front" means the clothes
one has on, white shirt, tie, etc
While in Japan at one time he pros
pered for a time through some
things which he au1 Liverpool Jer-
ry'' Secured" from a Russian who
was put In prison where they were.
Adorned in proper attire for a tour
ist he mixed to some extent with
some japanese of the better class
and "won out" with the ladies as
we'll as the men. But he objects to
the Nippon custom which requires
that a visitor remove his shoes be-
fore entering a drawing room.
mo, I never woik," says Panama.
at is too easy to get money without
that. Yes, that's all I want just
enough to pay me hotel bill with"