The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1911, 1911-02-17
Edwin Brown, the Man Without
Dime, Tells of His Travels.

Chicago, Feb. 14.-After two years
tour of the United States in which 1c
visited every large city and many Of
the smaller ones dressed as man out
of work, Edwin A. Brown, Of Denver,
Col, known as "the millionaire tramp
arrived in Chicago yesterday.
Mr. Brown has concluded his invcsti.
cation Of sociological conditions that
took him from his wife and home and
he has derived the knowledge that he
sought. The result of his countrywide
investigations will be put in book form
in the hope that municipalities will
awaken to the "crying need of shelter
homes for the friendless and penni-
less.'
''The man without dime,'' as Mr..
Brown is sometimes called, says Chi
cago is in need of four municipal lodg-
ing houses like the institution in New
York. The latter is capable Of shelter
ing 100 men and SO women. The beds
are Of white enamel and the mattresses
are of hair. So are the pillows. Good
satisfying meals are gwen to the men
who see kshelter there. A shower bath
is one Of the best features Of the insti-
tuition, Mr.. Brown says, and two ply
sicians are in attendance to examine
all who apply for lodging. The sick
are isolated from the others and the
dormitories are ventilated with wash
ed air. Every man on going to bed is
given clean nightrobe and stockings
He climbs into spotless bedding and
awakens new man.
Such an institution as described by
Mr.. Barown is needed, he says, in every
city Of the United States. He will
devote his life to the work of better
ing the condition Of the hoboe-the
man without dime.
The old SLOUGH hat, the coarse bro
gans, the bandana 'kerchief, and the
wore in his wanderings have been laid
aside. He says they preach thousand
sermons.
When a young man he went to west
ern Colorado and for several years
was engaged i'll the ranching business
with his cousin, w. G. Brown, presi.
dent of the New York Central lines.
This is the story Of how he became
interested in his fellow men:
Gone night three years ago-it was
bitter cold-I was on my way home
when thinly clad boy stopped me and
asked me for the price Of bed. I was
touched by the youth 8 appeal and was
prompted to investigate sociological
conditions in my home city.
secured some old clothes, which
later wore as a disguise in my travels
over the country. I went out in Den
yer as the man without dime.'
found men sleeping in brick ovens, un
der platforms. in freight cars ant
ronudhouses, ana many Of them carried
the banner-.that is they walked tn,
street all night.
"The hospitals were overcrowded TO
the reason that there were no munici
pal lodging houses. The same condi
ton exists in Chicago today. Chart
able hospitals are overcrowded will
men because they have been made sicl
on account of exposure and the lack o
nourishing food. The best way to kee
a man from getting sick-I mean tn
poor, unfortunate. without home--i
!: to house and feed him properly. Ne,
4 York has solved this problem with it
beautiful municipal emergency homo
six stories in height and a model i
every respect.
"Do you KNOW said Mr.. Brown
"that I think Victor Hugo had tn
municipal lodging house idea in hi
head when he wrote the chapter in lie
Miserables' about Jean Vatican bein
given shelter by the Bishop of I
There was no lock on the door of tn
bishops house. There should be n
lock on the door Of an emergenc
home.''
A white silk brocade waistcoat la
1 on the bed. A dinner hat and plac
top coat of correct style were beside i
In trunk at the foot of the bed wei
| the Oyeralls and hrnv.ns which rn WI