The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-07-13
HOBOS At A BANQUET
KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD "FEEU
AT SWELL CHICAGO HOTEL.
Over One Hundred Attend Represent
ative ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS rias
Fails to Appear as Toastmas-
ter, Owing to Police.

cbicago.-The hobos' banquet, given
nv the Brotherhood Welfare associa-
ton at the Windsor-C Clifford hotel the
other night, was huge success oe-
snite several little drawbacks, such as
the nonartendance of Washington Fiat,
the POSTMASTER, who was driven out
of town early in the afternoon oy tne
nolice. and the departure Of Philade!-
phia Jack and The Dancing hid ior
San Francisco before the beer was
served. They explained that they had
To catch the 11:15 a." freight
DIR. 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 ana they
found them. There were more tnan
a hundred present-some from the
Bridewell, others from the municipai
lodging house, Hogan's Flop, the New
York house. and the barrel houses VI
West Madison street
Several incidents marred the occa-
sion. but no one minded. FREQ the
Rum. wh2 was down for a speech on
..Why I Hang Around Barrel Houses
picked up two many drinks before ne
came to the banquet and was iouno
under the table when his name was
called. "Shoestring Chase, pan
handler. scandalized his fellows wnen
no was found improving the golden &C.
casion by passing his hat among the
hotel guests during lull In the pan
quet-
A No. One. known as the Absent
Member fsand never blamed the
booze, boys"), whose name Is written
ON every water tank between New
York and Boston, and Yoken-Wnitey
| 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 am De
tween a hobo and a bum" said A. NO
One. 81 wouldn't associate with
snide that carries the banner. Wn!
don't they let a smart man tan!
After a dinner as good as groul
of bankers or merchants could want
the long program began Bum MIL
Casey interspersed the course wit
big chews of tobacco, and Fred TN
Bum insisted on singing Where
NV Wandering Boy Tonight?
| The regular program began with
noon, NV Chicago Tommy, entitle
sThe Face on the Barroom Floor.
was a long poem. recited with zee
gravity, and was the story OF a noD'
Ostler Joe. who told crowd OF saioo
,oafers how he had fallen, illustratin
his story by drawing the face OF n
lost angel wife In chalk on the moo
and then falling dead. 1t had a mgn'
effect. - :,
Fred the Bum was called on, b.
could not respond. so his chum, u
Rocky Mountain Lemon, got up 10 !
, spond. He started on nobly. sayinl
| "They do not love who do not sno
+ their love- but A. No. One yelled:
) "Sit down. You're no hobo. Z.
( work. You amt respectable" SO Z
+ | Lemon sat down.
John Smith. hard faced you
: Nm with a collar on, told why I
Ell criminal has a hard face. he 50
d he had spent IA years IN penits
tiaries, beginning his first term
Q the age of IA. He said 1t was woi
a that made the lines.
y Old Man Steers, rs years OF q
n told a pitiful story of seeking WORK
3 Chicago, and how he was turned DO
h everywhere. my father told
70 never to be afraid Of work." he 50
1t "and / attribute my failure to
t. fact that / followed Horace Creole
$. advice and came west"
n Willie, the ex-society man, told D
OF m reform society. He wore a g
IS teel brown beard. a collar. and a
H. his cigar according to the best
n tom. The Louisville Kid recited
e. poem called The Scale"
es German Fritz and Ohio Skip, DC
on the program. left word they
gone to New York on the Dump
BEFORE the Dancing Kid left for Fri
ne he sang a Song about There's aiw