The Alaska citizen., 1910-08-29
Sass e cs s;s 5 When Romance Catches the Hobo S3 BYBURTON LESSNG
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'Hiith '' Nt'' iihI mum '''' ''i"t'N meut.
 Rut he was a determined wooer That evening he called for her at the woolen mill where she was em- ployed as stenographer. He walked home with her, talking of his love all the way. and recited poetry.
 The next day a relative of Miss Wright. a railroad man himself, came To town and caught glimpse of the wooer.
 Why, that's Buffalo Charlie!" he exclaimed "Many's the time our train crew has kicked him off the trucks"
 Buffalo Charlie persisted in con tinuing his wooing until Miss Wright persuaded the Chambersburg police captain to drive him out of town. She let the matrimonial agencies alone after that
 But there was another tramp who had better success as wooer He was known to half the railroad men of Western New York as the Duke" because of his proud bearing. One day. in 1905, the Duke" turned up al the farm of Mrs. Martha Cald- well. q wealthy widow. near ROChes- ter. and asked for a meal The Duke" was fine looking man in spite of his ragged beard and his rags. and Mrs. Caldwell smiled on him and gave him as fine a dinner as he had had in months.
 Madam" said the Duke" there are moi many women who can cook like yo> I've travelled all my life and know"
 Mrs Caldwell was pleased by the compliment, and she sat down on the doorstep and talked with him. He was a fine talker, was the Duke" He could talk of all sorts of inter estiug things He told her of how he had run away from home when boy, and how ever since he had been knocking around the country. beating his way on trains and living from hand 10 mouth He chalted away over his experiences for more than an hour. holding his hostess determined to offer him a job on the farm. The Duke admitted that he was not very fond of work, but he accepted the offer on her account. he said
 A week went by and all that time the new hand was so busy talking To the widow that he didn't have much time to give 10 his job. But il didn't matter 50 much after all, for he proposed at the end of the week. and 10 the surprise of the neighbors. the widow accepted him. On the honeymoon the Duke" road in a sleeping ear for the first time in his life
 How NJ LcrouX would have enjoy ed the birthday dinner that was given to Albert Martin. of Brooklyn. on November 25. I90G, to celebrate his 44th anniversary. The dinner was given by his business partners in one of Brooklyn's most fashionable res taurants There were to be A guests, one for each year of MT Martins life.
 When the party sat down at the table there was a vacant chair. One of the men invited had sent word that he had suddenly been called out of town But it would never do to have that vacant chair. and Ed ward Elkins volunteered to find somebody to fill it. He went out and hunted for somebody he knew, but in vain As he was returning d ragged old fellow asked him for the price of a meal He had walk out food.
 Come with me-" said Elkins. I'll get you a meal"
 He brought the tramp back with him to the assembled guests and sat him in the vacant chair. The rest of the party saw the joke and welcomed the stranger vociferouSly
 That night, the tramp, pulling a 3H cent cigar and slipping champagne, entertained the birthday party with thories of his travels on the ties.
 But in telling of these romanCes of the hoboes. that wonderful tramp who came to the Market street mis- sion, in Newark, N. J.. on the night of January 24, eight years ago, should not be forgotten. At the service that evening it seemed for a time as if there would be no music The regular pianist was sick and Sup erintendent Ironside asked for a vol unteer. There was silence No one stirred, and again he made his ap- peal
 Pm sure no one be critical" he said. If there is any one here who can play just well enough to lead the singing we will overlook any faults"
 There was a shuffling of feet in the