The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1909-10-08
FARMERS Hunt HOBO
General Nuisance All Over Agrl.
cultural Portion of State.
Pestiferous Tourists Are Forced to
Hike Through Corn and Grain
Fields to Escape Angry South
Dakota Citizens.

Sioux Falls. 8. D.-Hobo hunting is
becoming a favorite pastime and rec.
reation for the residents of some OF
the towns Of South Dakota.
At this time of the year thousands
Of hobos. drawn to the state with the
great influx of honest harvest hands.
spread all over the agricultural por.
ton Of the state and make themselves
a general nuisance to the people. espe-
cially of the smaller towns. where
there is little police protection
The tourists of the road are I'm
usually bold and think nothing Of vir.
tually taking possession OF freight
trains entering the state and by sheer
force of numbers intimidating train
crews. 1t is nothing uncommon for
as many as 100 hobos to ride on a
| single train coming into South Dakota,
refusing to pay fare or to leave the
train until they reach their destina-
ton
They then take possession of shady
hooks adjacent to the smaller towns
and prove themselves a great annoy
ance to housewives by their frequent
trips in search of Handouts" Con-
venient chicken coops also are raided
by them at night. many residents OF
the outskirts of towns losing practical
ly all their chickens at the hands OF
the tourists.
Patience sometimes ceases to be 3
virtue. and then the angry male resi-
dents of the towns set out on a hobo
chase and clear the disturbers from
the district. At Aberdeen recently $50
tramps were rounded up at one time
and driven from the town.
One of the most exciting chases OF
the season took place at Lesterville. q
small town in Yankton county. Forty
hobos gathered at that place and the
citizens paid little attention to them
until they had robbed several stores
of small articles.
To meet the situation the CONNER
cial club was called in special session
to consider the matter. and after much
discussion as to arresting the strangers
and placing them upon a diet of bread
and water it finally was decided to
arm with heavy clubs all the legal
voters of the precinct and start a hunt
for the undesirables and drive them
out of the community.
AS soon as the word could be
passed around town the forces were
marshaled together and a forward
movement commenced all along the
line. The tramps needed little or no
explanation of what was intended.
Their scouts evidently had carefully
noted the unusual activity among the
toWnspeople, and no sooner had the
skirmishers appeared in the vicinity
Of the hobo retreat than the tramps
emerged from their shady hooks and
started on a dead run for cornfields
surrounding the town.
So enthusiastic were the hunters
and so exciting the sport that the
chase was continued far into the sur
rounding country. and corn and grain
fields for miles around were carefully
traversed in the search for the human
quarry. By nightfall there were no
hobos within miles of L~esterville.
During the hunt those who were un-
fortunate enough to come within
reach of the hunters we're severely
beaten, and for many days will carry
the marks inflicted by the heavy
clubs in the hands of their pursuers.
The man hunt was so successful
that it has been decided by the male
residents of Lesterville to repeat it
twice a week during the remainder Of
the season. or until all tramps have
learned to give their town a wide
berth. Other towns which are afaict-
ed with the tramp nuisance may
adopt similar stringent measures tc
rid the towns of the undesirables.