The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-02
DIARY OF A HOBO
LAST PAPEn-By A. B. BEALLE

we crawled out at Florence l was dis appointed not to find that brakeman. 1 wanted to shake his hand, give him some money and thank him for keeping faith with us and lying like a gentleman should under the circumstances. He saved us a world of trouble.
 The train people are very clever in South Carolina, l am informed; there aren't such drastic laws against tourists. We are at Mrs. Collins boarding house, in Florence, and a pleasant home-lile place 1t is. Only the wanderlust pos sesses me, and I want to get out-want 1 to be moving. Probably break away this evening if the schedules are satisfac- tory
 May 1s, Williston, S. C.-Well, the gods were kind to us. In the Florence yards we boarded a freight which we were told would carry us through to Augusta. This sounded good. Only the car we found ourselves in was all lined with meal, and yet-and yet-meal thiclkly strewn on a freight car flooring makes a reposeful bed compared with pig iron, or the jagged edges of anthracite coal: it Is even better than the soft sides of crossties that threaten to crush one when the cars go- ing full tilt. Meal is all right, believe me, either for eating or sleeping pur- poses. Then, too, in the event one should | Bet Sedloo up III d car one COulQ lOl SldTN6 as long as his couch lasted. Fast asleep I was when somebody yelled: '1ve got a couplei Get a policeman, quick" And somebody somewhere replied. All right, l in minute. Don't let 'em get away! In the early morning light l saw Strib- ling, lank and tall. literally enveloped in whiteness-meal in his eyes, hair, all | over him. And for my part l felt like | sheep on the way to the shambles. We were in for 1t, I could have sworn We dropped to the ground and faced the conductor. My heart began it's pulsing again when I saw no Dace of a police man. At this moment S--. in his half | asleep, mealy condition, turned to the conductor and said: Twill you brush me off, please?" With the utmost amused indifference the conductor turned his heel and murmured, Hell! What do you know about that?" A bystander told us it was joke about the policeman, and we were allowed to depart.
 May 14.-We logged along 22 miles today from Orangeburg. where we were put off the train, to Denmark Feeling refreshed after our sleep on the car, we were in proper mood to enjoy the pastoral scenery which, though featureleSs, was filled with restful little farms, where good buttermilk could be had, and peaceful prospects. At a little station we bought sausages, crack CTS and pineapple slices, and later stopped at wayside well and luxuriated An old native woman lent us saucers and spoons and in return I filled her pipe with Dukes Mixture tobacco. We reached Denmark at 5 D. m., where we hoped to catch a car for Augusta. This we did at midnight, but were discovered by the conductor at Williston, after riding half of the night. not inside of a car, but standing between two freight cars Rather a hazardous thing to do, but the risks are so well worth it when one is on ones way home-and there's no other way We left the car, or cars just as the east slowly reddened
 We walked 12 miles to Williston, where we took breakfast with Mrs. H--. She was of the opinion that we all worry too much about the servant problem, she having had one servant in 19 years. "Wimmen don't never know how to treat niggers." she said. Certainly this -J- year attachee knew how to build batter cakes, I swear. After eating r of these all generously huttered quit the count. We walked exactly 30 miles today, and only stopped because we reached Aiken, where we previously planned to take the trolley car for Augusta. This we did, and reached this nice town about 9.30 D. m.
 May 17-From Augusta we followed the Georgia railroad by easy stages, seeing Thomson and Charlottesville. At Thom- son we had brush with deputy mar shal, who thought we were deserters from the army, seeing our leggins, felt hats and knapsacks We had no difficulty Tn convincing him that we were Alabamans on a long walk, etc, and soon had him agape listening to our adventures. Tom Is an awful liar, anyhow, when he chooses 10 be. According to his confab we had walked every step of the way from Bir- mingham to Norfolk, and thence through the Carolinas to this good city of Thom- son.
 We called on Tom Watson while in Thomson. He impressed me as being a man of wonderful magnetsm-not ali wind and gush and populism. either He will have to be reckoned with later, l fancy.
 May 18-We reached Charlottesville and spent an hour in Alex Stephens old home. It is situated close to the town, an old fashioned two-story house, with broad yerandas overlooking a handsome statue of the dead statesman. We were conduct cd to the bedroom and study. looked through the books scattered on the table fashioned portraits that lined the walls. It was like a Journey into the past and the reverence struck me.
 May 19-We walked into Conyers this morning Sunday and had a good hot 'breakfast, thence to Iithonia, where we left the railroad and struck out for De- catur 19 miles. Decatur is a sort of su- burb of Atlanta, and we caught car into the city.
 Overword--Our journal stops here. for the following day we reached Birmingham over the Central of Georgia. On the whole I had good time of 1t. There was lots of fun all the way. We were cordial ly received all along the route. and met some good people whom will long re- member. Somehow, the trip gave me newer faith in the human brotherhood faith that we are all kin. in a sense, and that human nature is all pretty much alike. But the sweetest memories I have are of those days and nights that we would spend at small stations or in fami- lies of the poor in the country districts (and I saw some wretchedness at times). Tho poorest were the most gracious in their hospitality and service.