The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-06-08
H0B0S At A BANQUET.
KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD "FG&o"
At SWELL CHICAGO HOTEL.
Over One Hundred Attend Represent
alive Gatherin9-WAshing Flat
Fails to Appear ss Tosstmas-
ter. Owing to Police.

Chicago-The hobos' banquet, given
by the Brotherhood Welfare associa-
| ton at the Windsor Clifford hotel the
other night. was a huge success de
spite several little drawbacks. such as
the nonattendance OF Washington Fiat,
the toastmaster who Was dr;"ec Dut
OF town early in the 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 1l:l5 O.. freight
DR.. Ben l.. Reitman and his aids
In the new organization had searched
the highways and byways OF the city
for representative gathering OF
hobos and buns and beggars and they
found them There were more than
hundred present-some from the
Bridewell. others from the municipal
lodging house. Hogans Flop, the New
York house, and the barrel houses oil
West Madison street.
Several incidents marred the occa-
sion, but no one minded. Fred the
Bum, wig was down for a speech on
why | Hang Around Barrel Houses.
ricked nm 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 oc'
casion by passing his hat among the
hotel guests during lull in the ban
quet
A No. One. known as the Absent
Member Cand never blamed the
booze, boys"I, whose mama is written
on every water tank between New
York and Boston, and Yohen Whitley,
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 diff be
tween a hobo and a bum" said A. No.
One. Il wouldn't associate with
snide that carries the banner. Why
don't they let smart man talk?
After dinner as good as group
of bankers or merchants could want
the long program began Bum Mitt
Casey fnterspersed the course with
big chews Of tobacco. and Fred the
Bum Insisted on singing Where Is
My Wandering Boy Tonight
The regular program began with
1oem by Chicago Tommy. entitled
The Face on the Barroom Floor 1t
was a long poem. recited with deep
gravity and was the story of hobo.
Ostler Joe. who told crowd of saloon
Ioafsrs 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, so 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" So the
Lemon sat down.
John Smith. a hard faced young
man with a collar on. told why the
criminal has 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. &c years OF age,
| told pitiful story of seeking work in
| Chicago, and how he was turned down
everywhere, My father told mo
never to be afraid of work" he said.
and | attribute my failure to the
fact that | followed Horace Greeley's 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 a
| poem called The Scale"
| German Fritz and Ohio Skip, down
on the program. left word thay had
gone to New York on the bumpers
| Before the Dancing Kid left for Frisco
he sang song about There's always
a Mother Waiting at Home for You.