Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-02

veteran RouEhnecks.
Then there Is the genuine ~roughneck
variety. who rs, II anything. dirtier ana
perhaps more ~insolent, but plainly states
his wants without the establishment OF
fiction. This breed is composed of those
who have been in the capital for some
time. He will whistle TO you from the
doorway OF a saloon. and ~ you are foolish
enough to heed him he'll spring something
like this:
Say. amigo, dig up an buy the old
sport a drink, will yer7 Say, commere;
/ wanta talk ter yuh. l betcha you come
from Chicago. Didn't yuh?
"oh, Pittsburg, huh7 Say, youse me
frien'. know the old burg from the Frlck
buildin' tub McKee's Rocks. I ulster have
money when 7 was in that town. Know
Johnny Newell's dump, on FIT av'noo?
Sure thing! Johnny, he's an Of frien' O.
mine. wisht I had the money l spent in
that joint.
well, we'll, from Pittsburg, eh7 Say,
slip II in. OF timer. Seems like home tub
meet a guy from there. Come on in an
buy a drink. ! amt got nuthin' today"
Buy him the drink. he will then endeavor
to hold you in conversation in order that
you may purchase more, and he will re-
mark to the bartender:
Say, Frenchy, this is an ole frien' Of
mine; ulster know me back home In good
Gle Pittsburg. wisht I was walkin' down
Smithfield street right now. 1 wouldn't
want fer nuthin' there. Frenchy, shake
hands with-with-what's you manner Amt
that funnyi Newer could remember names,
but I remember your face, all right, ole
sport"
Tell him you have some business to at
tend to, he will shake hands with you cor
daily and whisper, especially II he has
seen you change a bill:
''Kin yuh lemme have a dollar till ter
morrer2 Been expectin' a letter from
| Johnnie Newell. Might come any day now.
Wrote him the ole sport was all in. down
an out In Mexico"
Generous Men Marked.
II you give him the money forever after
that as long az you remain in the capital
you are a marked man, and he will spot
you on the street, learn your haunts and
poster you to a point beyond endurance.
Had you mentioned any other city than
Pittsburg the result would nave been the
| same, for these hoboes are generally ac-
quainted with the principal th~oroughfares
Of all cities Of any consequence. On the
other hand, had you paid no attention to
his first advances he would probably have
abused you, but you would have been safe
from his pertinacity thereafter.
Many Americans put up with this sort of
tyranny because they have not sufficient
command Of Spanish to invoke the aid OF
a gendarme, and in addition to this when
one makes a complaint to a Mexican po-
liceman he gathers you in along with the
accused and everybody else In sight, and
the whole works goes to the comisaria,
where you must make your complaint in
Spanish or wait for the official interpreter,
who may be two weeks in arriving at the
station. They will tell you to call at 10 in
the manana, and you will probably con-
tinue to call at 10 in the manana, losing
your time and patience, until you are
heartily sick Of the whole affair.
There is still another individual who in
tests the capital in large numbers and is
also a hobo, but his work is a trifle
smoother. He is better dressed and does
not drink mezcal or tequiba. His appear
ance is shabby genteel, and he always has
some important job which he is about to
enter upon next week.
The Hobbies OF the hotels affected by
Americans are his hunting ground, and
he daily scans the register to keep himself
informed of the arrivals. He will see, for
instance, on the register that John Smith
of New York is stopping there. He notes
the number Of the room and watches for
Mr.. Smith to inquire for his key and thus
Indemnity himself.
This preliminary attended to, he bldes
his time until he catches Mr.. Smith up
stage in the bar having his mornings
morning. This is the moment he selects
for his opening attack.
About the time the barkeep has danced
up the bottle he will stroll up and remark
casually:
Excuse me, but are you not Mr.. SMITH"
Mr.. Smith answers in the affirmative
II thought 30. Seems to me 1 met you
in New York at one time. 1 have a very
good memory for names and faces, but a
poor idea OF locality. Seems to me It was
In New York"
Mr.. Smith. with bottle poised in his
hand, thinks II must be so, too, and asks
his interrogation to have something with
him. With great reluctance at first Mr..
Booze CRATER agrees to this proposition,
and when Mr.. Smith, warming to an ap-
p~arently respectable fellow townsman in a
foreign land, proposes another drink Mr..
Booze CRATER regrets that he will not
receive his check until the first of the
month.
Just got in yesterday" confides Mr..
Smith, after the fourth drink. Been work.
ing hard for some years and decided to
take a holiday. Going to be here a week,
though, and see all l car. BY the way,
know the town pretty well2'
Yes, Mr.. Booze CRATER knows the town
all right and would be pleased to afford
Mr.. Smith the benefit OF hts knowledge, TO
protect him from the rapacity Of ignorance
and Incompetent guides. VII Mr.. Booze
CRATER jump in a taxicab and show Mr..
Smith some of the city? Yes, Mr.. Booze
CRATER will, as he has no appointment
until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
After a drive and lunch Mr.. Smith begs
his new found friend, II possible, to forego
his appointment, Mr.. Smith is in a mellow
and receptive mood by this time, 80 Mr..
/ Booze CRATER says:
well. l tell you, old man, you see this
l appointment means a ten-dollar bill to me.
and ten-dollar bills are not so plentiful
nowadays that I can afford to overlook a
bet"
T oh. wall n that In NIL whv Nr Smith