Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-05-21
HOBO "A NO. l."
CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWO

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| suit; is always clean shaved and has a
very prosperous appearance.
| He has a memorandum book full of
cards and letters given him by railroad
officials. Many of these state that he
has prevented the possible loss of
human life and property by telling
train operators when beating his way
of broken car wheels or other dis
arrangements and thus has prevented
serious wrecks and disasters. He has
been in five wrecks but luckily has
never been hurt.
He also has an autograph letter
from Jack London, the author, telling
of their companionship on the road
together in 1894.
During his travels ga No. u has
learned four languages - English,
German. French and Spanish. His
parents were of the French and
German nationalities, but he was born
in San Francisco.
His toilet is complete, though it
takes little room to carry it. 1t con-
sists of toothbrush, soap, comb and
few other necessities; also a pocket
edition of Webster's dictionary,
rather strange book for a tramp to
carry.
There is something about the man.
aside from the distinction which his
remarkable career carries, that is
strangely appealing. 1t is perhaps
the humanity of the man, or the
pathos that lies mutely concealed in
his life that makes him so strangely
attractive. Endowed with all the
| necessary qualities for success in life.
he is yet homeless, friendless, name
| less, by an element in his makeup
| which has gained mastery over all
| other impulses and motives namely,
| the "Wanderlust.
| Whenever GA No. u meets a runa-
way boy upon his journeys, he gives
him a talking to that is almost certain
to make the lad homesick, and glad
when ga No. II purchases a ticket
sending him home to his parents
If the boy is already a confirmed
wanderer, GA No. u teaches him his
own motto: "Never associate with
anyone in whose company you would
be ashamed in broad open daylight to
pass your mothers home"
| He entertained the office for an hour
and half with his instructive stories
of the road and the solution of the
tramp problem.
about $50, 900 minors run away
| from home annually said A No. l.
Of this number over 35, 900 become
confirmed hoboes, 1000 are crippled,
$500 are killed. and the rest can only
stand the hardships of tramp life about
ten years, until they are in poor
house 80 per cent of all present-day
tramps started their wandering when
boys under seventeen. So many
mothers, if they only knew it, are the
cause of many young men living the
hobo life. If regular grown-up
tramp comes to the house and asks for
a meal, she turns him away and tells
him to go to work for it; but when the
young fellow comes along just starting
out to be a tramp she takes him in,
feeds him on the best she has, not
realizing that within few short years
the same youngster will be an exact
prototype of the burly tramp she had
just turned away"
CHOW if she would only get his
name from him and his address. and
talk to him in nice way about his
home and mother and explain to him
how shameful his future will be if
once he becomes confirmed tramp,
humanity, there would be good
chance that he would go back and it
would be help towards reforming a
large number Of the boys.''
A No. l makes his transient ex-
penses by the sale of two books. the
first being, Life and Adventures of
A. No. IT, tells Of his travel among
tramps all over the world. The
second, "Hobo Camp Fire Tales" is a
true story of the pitiful hardships of
the road. Both show the dark side of
tramp life so that any restless boy
will get good idea of it's disgusting
J features. They can be purchased in
any bookstore and on every train for
Is cents, and are worth every cent of
it in keeping boys at home.
ga No. II has proofs in the shape
| of many letters of gratitude and
numerous newspaper clippings men
/ tioning names of men in all walks of
J life whom he has sent lone in the
past. He devotes nearly every cent OF
their homes and future usefulness.
, He was asked why he had not
5 written his books sooner. as they are
| illustrated and highly interesting
stories and he stated that lately, after
2 twenty nine years of rowing, he haG
come to the conclusion that the
4 dangerous, senseless, and pitiful life
! he has led all Of these years has beer
wasted, and that perhaps by telling
d his own experiences he might possibl!
J, prevent others from following hi
. footsteps. He said that to force DO.
to stay at home after he has once
, started to wander is almost impossible
s as the maxim, "once tramp, Away
e a tramp" has been many time
e proven to him by actual experience, a
u he has met many boy of fine famil
and home who never knew of the filth
n misery and dangers a tramp come
e constantly in contact with. yet canno
t. resist the call to wander.
y He has bought tomb in cemeter
ot in Cambridge Springs. Pa. The ep
rs taph will be silent, everlastin
Id warning to others who seem Athlete
IN with this strange longing to roam
very aptly called "Wanderlust'' and
simply:
"a No. u
The Rambler