The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-06-09
LAWYER, EDITOR, MINISTER
WAS HOBO STUDENT AND So
CIETY FAVORITE.
Varied Career of Frank w. Barnett,
Editor of the Alabama Baptist.
Still a Young Man.


is Frank Williams Barnett, of Ala
bama, who is attending the Baptist
Convention, and he is still young
man with. many professional and
other occupations still open to him.
says the Baltimore American OF Sat
urday. In his time he has been a
student of hobo life, social favorlte
in Atlanta, pseudo tramp and stu
dent at Yale. In early life he was an
agnostic of a most pronounced and
argumentative type.
Mr.. Barnett is delegate to the
Convention of Southern Baptists now
in session in Baltimore. He is more
than an editor of a religious news
paper. He is that rare religious editor
who owns his newspaper, which he
publishes at Birmingham. His pa
rents started him off on his educa-
tional career when he was very
young. He pursued his studies in
universities in Vienna, Berlin and
Paris, and took a practical course in
sociology at Yale.
Here-are some interesting chapters
from Barnett's life as related by him
SELF,
'rI had picked up agnosticism and
other things to be found in European
universities, said Mr.. Barnett.
"When I came back to my home in
Georgia, I was pretty we'll saturated
with knowledge. 1 had developed in
to sociology and thought 1 would
like to know something about one
phase of the question, the life, habits
and ASPIRATIONS of the hobo. l want
ed to know what the average tramp
thought of more fortunate beings. 1
became a tramp. This means l was
ragged, dirty and ill-kept, with a
shutting gait My toes protruded out
of my shoes.
Experience in New Haven.
II made up my mind to return to
Europe and take up my studies again.
I was studying the hobo at close range
in New Yorw at the. time. I ran up
to New Haven to see some friends
connected with Yale University. I
told them my line of study and was
invited to remain there. I met with
Prof. Farnum, the head of the So
ciology department. He had a
theoretical view of the tramp. He
told me about the United Charities
of New Haven. I asked him what
the recipients of their charity thought
of the enterprise. He said he did not
know. volunteered to find out. He
said if I did I would be detected and
would not be admitted to the home.
I donned my tramp costume, applied
for admission, was admitted and was
sent to the wood pile to saw wood.
It was hard work, but bucked down
to it.
"Great was my relief when a big
mulatto, who had just been admitted.
offered to saw while I chopped the
sawed blocks. Then we were all ad-
mitted to the boiler room, in which
was conspicuously displayed a sign,
NO smoking!' That sign did not
count for much Every fellow who
had a pipe lighted it and went to
putting. Down came the manager,
or boss OF whoever he was, and
threw oaths after us that were not in
keeping with the supposed charac-
ter of the place.
"It was mistake not to let the
men enjoy their. pipe. No sooner had
the manager disappeared than the
pipes were again lighted. 1t was. the
time of the famous Seeley dinner in
New York. Every tramp wanted a
newspaper to read about that dinner,
which appealed strongly to them as
an exhibition of the luxuries OF the
rich. Again the manager appeared.
Again there were more oaths, and
only by threats to put us out in the
cold, for it was a cold night, were the
pipes laid aside. I fingered until the
last and made friends with the mu-
latto and big, good natured colored
man.
A Tramp's Troubles.
We were put through the usual
routine in the place and given some
thing to eat. It was tough fare. l
conveyed the information to my
friends at the university that the
United Charities was pretty tough
proposition. The men who supported
it did not have to go deep into their
pockets to keep it along. That wood
saving and wood chopping pTopo-
sition was paying enterprise. There
was no display of kindness to the un-
fortunates who sought it's shelter.