The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1907-06-22
HOBOS AT A BANQUET
KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD "FEED'
At SWELL CHICAGO HOTEL.
Over One Hundred Attend Represent
alive Observation-Disclosures Flat
Fails to Appear as Toastmas-
ter, Owing to Police.

. ter, Owing to Police.
Chicago.-The hobos' banquet. gtveI
by the Brotherhood Welfare assoc!a
ton at the Windsor-Clifford hotel the
other night, was huge success de
spite several little drawbacks, such as
the nonattendance OF Washington Flat.
the POSTMASTER. who was driven out
of town early in the afternoon by the
police, and the departure OF Philade!-
phia Jack and The Dancing Kid for
San Francisco before the beer was
served. They explained that they had
20 catch the HIS "a" freight.
Dr. Ben L. Reitman and his aids
in the new organization had searched
the highways and byways OF the city
for representative gathering or
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, why was down for speech on
Why I 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. pan
handler. scandalized his fellows when
he was found improving the golden &C.
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
not representative.
why. they don't know the din be-
tween hobo and bum" said A. No.
One. Il wouldn't associate with
snide that carries the banner. Why
don't they let a smart man TALK
htleV ~ 90 kppu 40 - osOup
OF bankers or merchants could want.
the long program began. Bum Mitt
big chews OF tobacco. and Fred the
Bum insisted on singing Where Is
NY Wandering Boy Tonight"
The regular program began with =
poem by Chicago Tommy. entitled
The Face on the Barroom Floor" II
was long poem. recited with deep
gravity. and WAS the story OF q hobo.
Ostler Joe, who told 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. II had mighty
effect.
Fred the Bum was called on. but
could not respond. 80 his chum. the
Rocky Mountain Lemon. got up to re-
spond. He started of 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" 30 the
Lemon sat down.
John Smith. a hard faced young
man with collar on. told why the
has u hard face. He said
he had spent II years In peniten-
tiaries. besinnin. his frst term at
the age OF II. lie said II WAS worry
that made the lines.
Old Man Steers. 76 years Of age,
told a pitiful story OF seeking work In
and how he was turned down
My father told mo
never to be afraid OF work" he said.
and l attribute my failure to the
fact that followed Horace Greclcy's
advice and came west"
Willie. the OK society man. told how
10 reform society. lie wore gen.
tecl brown beard. n collar. and held
his cigar according 10 the best Gus.
Tom. The Louisville Kid recitcd q
poem called THE Scale"
German Fritz and Ohio Skip. down
ON the program. left word they Ind
COMO to New York on the bumpers.
Before tho Dancing Kid lcf, for Frisco
he sang u song about There's always
. Mother Waiting at Home for You"