The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-13
REST FOR WEARY.
Depots in Smaller Towns Used
for Lodging Houses.
The Hobo's Method Of Getting a
Bed on Cold Night.
WORKS FOR DEPOT MAN
1t Is a Mean Agent Who Will
Deny Shelter.
Other Besides HObOes Sleep i'm
Depot for Many Reasons.
WORKS FOR DEPOT MAN

| This is the season of the depot lodg-
ing house in the small towns in Kan
/ sas. In every small town in which
there is, a railroad a depot is main
tanned. And nearly every small town
has railroad. In these depots sleep
hundreds of men every night of the
winter.
Various classes of men receive deI5ot
hospitality. The largest class. and
| the one which receives most of the
| hospitality is composed of unfortunate
men we call hoboes. Then comes the
countryrnan waiting for a train and tha
commercial traveller who knocks down
| so cents On the house by sleeping in
| the depot and charging his employer
for led at the hotel Last of all
is the trainman whose train is laid
out for some cause.
| The hobo is the. one who most en-
| joys the hospitality of the man in
charge of the depot and he is the most
appreciative. Between this man and
| the man in charge of the depot there is
erfect understanding although not a
word reed be said by either. The
agent" or operator" knows wnen he
sees the hobo that he will not be COM
PEELED to carry coal and water that
| night And he knows the hobo as
quickly as that individual is in sight.
| When a hobo reaches small town at
rear the close OF day the depot is the
fist place he calls. Not a word is
said but he watches the agent or oper-
ator or whoever the man in charge
may be ard he can tell within few
minutes whether or not he can stay in
the waiting room that night. If he be-
lleves this privilege will be granted
linn he VIII probably draw from the
waiting room stove the ashes and car
ryirg them out. return WITH the bucket
filled with coal at the company coal
house. Sometimes the coal house is
kept locked and it is necessary for him
to tell the agent that he must have keys
or he cam not carry ir the coal. Under
no circumstances is such thing as US
ing the waiting room for a lodging
place mentioned.
And by the time the financially en-
harrassed pedestrian returns from his
initial trip to the coal house he finds
all of the available buckets and boxes
waiting outside the door to the office
These are filed with coal and placed
Lear the door. The weary traveller then
looks over the time card posted in the
waiting room in order that he may not
be found loaffng in the waiting room
when travellers to whom he would be Of
fensive arrive or officials of the COM
Tany drop in for a VISIT. Then he goes
way in search Of his supper. As the
evening turns into night, however, he
returns and after replenishfrg the sup
Fly Of coal fills the stove with fuel
and drawing one of the long seats with
which the depots are furnished toward
the stoN he seeks repoSe.
AS often as the coal supply runs low
during the night he is awakened by the
man in charge Of tt e depot who in
forms him CURLY that more fuel is
needed. This is as near to conversation
as is reached during the night. And the
slightest Indication of something want
ed by the man in charge means that
he gets it if the hobo can get it for
him. In the morning the traveller re-
places the long seat in its position near
the, wall of the depot, carefully cleans
away the coal or cinders which have
gathered around the. stove, and goes
his way. The man in charge at the de-
pot has not been compelled to carry
coal and water and he, is satisfied and
the hobo. happy because of a good sleep
in a warm room does not bemoan his
lot
Occasionally there is found a depot
where such dodgers are not taken But
he who. refuses lodging to such an I'M
fortunate is never man who is pop
ular in the town. Not for this reason
particularly, but the man who will not
allow an unfortunate being to thus
earn a nights rest in a warm room is
not the kind of man in other respects
that people like. 1t is doubtful if there
are a score of such men employed by
railroads in the smaller towns in Kan
sas. On the contrary many times the
tired traveller will find cushion or
which a pillow can be formed on his bed
Of boards
Then there is the farmer or stock
man who must take a night train. He
sleeps in the depot. If there is a hobo
to do the work of keeping up the fire
and the supply of fuel all is well and
good. Otherwise the passenger-to-be
or the man in charge of the depot does
this work. But usually there is a
hobo on hand.