Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22

paratively simple. The real test lies in
getting money or in getting clothes, which
can always be converted into money. ana
so the ''boes'' have their present Idols
and their past heroes-other hoboes whose
panhandling talents they revere anu
In dusty, bare hallway which
serves as the "office" of one of the poor
est of the citys scores of cheap lodging
houses The Star man found tramp
who has been following the road for SO
many years that his fellow" boes' call
him dad He would not say how old he
was. Neither would he say whence he
originally came. Il been bummin' it for
some forty years. come Christmas. said
he in answer to those questions, AN L
left a pretty good home when l started.
That's enough about my personal history
except this. 1t wasn't any hard luck or
anything of that sort that made me start
out.
II was workin'. had a pretty fair job, an
was layin' a little money by every week.
But ever since can remember I've always
wanted to be somewhere else from where
l was at. So, finally, 1 couldn't stand it
no longer an l just naturally drew the
money l had out of bank and beat it for
another town. I went to work there. but
/ didn't like the town much, SO l only
stayed a couple Of weeks. The next town
I went to 1 couldn't find any work. so
loafed around about week, and then
left. Then l struck another job. but the
second day | got in a row with my boss
and got fired. I'd had enough of that
town. anyhow, so I moved on again.
''All this time / was paying my car fare.
just like anybody else-I was just begin
min, see, an l didn't know any bett r.
Dad chuckled contemptuously at his own
early ignorance. Il was spendin' my
money, too he finally continued, IAN
SO, in due course of time, it just naturally
give out an l was broke, an in a strange
town at that. tried a couple of days to
find work. 1t was warm, an slept out in
a park. There wasn't any work for me-
Maybe 1 didn't try very hard.
up to that time 1 hadn't done any
panhandlin', but the evenin' of the sec
ond day 1 got so hungry 1 just had to
have somethin to eat. I hunted up a
side street, picked out a nice-lookin'
house, rung the bell an told the lady
that come to the door my story I've
forgot just what / told her, but I think
it was that 1 had a wife an children
in another city, where the men of my
trade was on a strike; that I'd come
there lookin' for work an had walked the
streets for five days. an that for the
last three days l hadn't had bite in
my mouth.
Il don't exactly know what made me
put lot of trimmn's my story like
that Maybe it was because I was
ashamed to tell her the truth-how l was
like l was just because l didn't want to
hold a job any place more than a week
or SO. Maybe, again. it was because L
was just natura,-born 'bo,' with the
natural instinct for putin it over. l
don't know.
Anyhow, the story worked slick as a
new whistle. She was a NICE kind heart
ed old soul. She takes me into the kitch-
an even cooks some eggs. An when
I'm done she slips me a ace-Spot an
tells me that will get me place to sleep
an sOmethin' to eat for a day or so. an
that maybe by that time I'll find some
thin to do.
That money come so easy it set me
thinkin. l guess I'd better say l started
thinkin' while 1 was spendin' the ace,
which I started doin' about twenty min
utes after I'd left her house. Yep, / was
a little bit ashamed, but not much. l
told you / guess l was just a natural
born DO
Il spent all that coin that night except
two bits before / was ready to hit the
hay. Then 1 started lookin round for a
place that would give me bed an leave
me a nickel or so for some coffee in the
mornin. 1 found one. all right-a place a
whole lot like this here hotel I'm gracin'
with my presence now. Also / found q
lot Of professional 'boes' there. One of