The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-25
Diary Of 0 Hobo-Third Paper
BY i. n. BEALLE

l
 sumptuous in appointment, and contain
 ing, we were told, about 15o rooms. A l lawn of about five acress in rich spring garb, gave a pleasing spaciousness 10 the l effect. But must l confess 10 sense of
 disappointment at that momentF want
 ed to see children at play and felt
 somehow as if it was all LOO big to be | silent and voiceless through the long
 radiant days. I think the grass would
 have been glad for the feel Of children l feet. l wanted 1t. I wanted 10 give It | to Lifes Fresh Air Fund. At the ieft or I the lawn Is a sunken garden In pure l Italian finish. Words, Nofds' Words' Only east and west were the mountains.
 couldn't get rid of them-didn't wish
 to get rid of them-big symbols ol maj
 esty they were CHoW they would enno- ble the lives of slttm children! Ana wnat
 place to be born in If l am ever porn again, I think, would like to De porn
 here in sight of these mountains9 Such
 knockers they are of our toys ana
 schemes, and successes and failures
 (Afternoon.)-Got some belated mai just now-3 p. m.-from home-neWs as
 cheering as glad heart could Wlsh'
 Feelin' pretty hungry, however.
 April 29.-Slept till about S:So this morn
 ing and after eating quantity ot liam
 burger steak, bakers bread and blaek
 coffee, we sauntered down 10 the statlon
 to see if there were any empty irelsht
 cars outgoing. No trains would leave
 earlier than noon, so We followed the rails to Azaea, about four miles distant, thence to Swannannoa, about five miles further, where we had dinner with an old woman whose son had just been se-
 verely bitten by a hog Of course this is a low. swinish Aggression on my part
 but the chap was really seriously hurt
 about the shin. l had seen along the way some vicious looking porhers, ana to insure sound shins and undarned trousers we must maintain an extra
 vigilance from now on. After dinner we
 walked to Black Rock, A delightful little
 town with one street and two elegant
 hotels for invalids, and with an altitude
 exceeding Asheville of 4o0 feet. After
 writing some postcards, discussing the
 doctrine of Malthus with cadayerous college professor from Missouri; after
 listening to a heated discussion on the proper mode of baptism between down. east Yankee and the local Baptist min ister, in the lobby of a hotel, we climbed onto a Southern railway open flat car. We had got comfortably settled in the bottom of this car, and were alternately discussing the beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains and mildly flirting with blonde young woman in a nearby build ing, when the train pulled out. In mo- ment the conductor appeared. Bribes, pleadings, availed not at all We must Vacate at the next station. It was ter rible pronouncement. Returned to terra frma at the next station, Terrell. two miles distant. Two hours later we boarded a closed empty and rode all night long. Some hay in the car, fortunately, and l slept pretty well all the way to Salisbury, 139 miles southeast of Bilt more, which we reached at o'clock. We decided to gN through to Danyille, Va, as soon as possible. so got a hasty lunch at a Greek cafe and walked out to Spencer eight miles, where we were told freight trains for Danville were made up. Many handsomely appointed passenger cars went westward bound, but no freight cars suitable to our needs went eastbound We waited Micawber fash ion, till o'clock. At that hour we got ensconsed in a closed lumber car. The lumber being loose and irregularly | pa cked, sleeping was hazardous and we had a restless night in the darkness,' and l an eventful one too. When we had traV- | eled perhaps 50 miles the train drew up l at a small station. l began 10 wonder | just how far we were out of Danville, | and my courage growing with my curi | osity, l climbed out of the car and asked | the engineer the question. He replied about 39 miles. | eurtsied, and returned to impart the information to Tom, who awaited the news eagerly. Then torch fared in the open door of the car, and the fireman drawled:
 Hey, son. Guess you boys II have to pull yoursefs over to Danville." Asked what he meant his reply was enigmatic; Come with me" We went in military fashion and were presently shovelinS coal from the heaped tender down within easy reach of him, where il was trans ferred to the furnace. When we had got his fuel in pretty fair shape for handling, he advised us ''as friend' to light shy of the conductor" as he wouldn't stand for the boys riding-that just the sight of a hobo made him see red, and that 1t was the Danvlle rock pile for us if he found us between there and DanVlle. He told us a passenger was due in few minutes, and advised us to get aboard 1t if we had the price, and don't take no chances wid de boss" We took his advice, and in 45 minutes got whisked into the city, got brushed up bit, and got a room at Mrs. Payne's boarding house. At the moment we are In ex- treme negligee-our trousers and coats are with a French dry-cleaning company, and dare say the company is up against the biggest proposition in its experience. When the garments come back We snail pet some Danvile glimpses. By the gods. suppose they aren't brought back! Fancy that. The familiar line, More bangs and fears than wars or women have" describes pretty well the mood of a chap who, ip a strange city, in strange boarding house. has reluctantly sent his only suit of clothes to strange French dry-cleaner's. The poor man who hangs on princes favors is blooming optimist in comparison. We shall see what we shall see.