The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21

VERY once in a while there is
L. convention held by a distinctive
n not distinguished body of
mon whose sayings and doings are
seldom chronicled. They are of the
rowing fraternity once known as
tramps, now dubbed hoboes. Recently
ono of their stated gatherings was set
for the vicinity of spuyten Duyvil.
The attendance was not as large as
might have been expected. Judged by
the number Of members the organiZa-
ton boasts. But those present under
stood thoroughly the reasons for the
absence OF scores and hundreds who
would have enjoyed being on hand had
not transportation problems and con-
nections been more difficult than those
have supposed.
Just where the New York Central
tracks emerge from the cut along the
Harlem Ship Canal and before they
turn to the Hudson River there is a
retired spot long ago found suitable
FOR conferences by the hobo. This is
where the recent convention was held.
SUNDAY SUN man stumbled on an
early arrival during a morning stroll.
The hobo wanted a match first, and
then a little shave and lunch money"
the request coming with a grin that in
terpreted itself quite plainly: IF you
believe what say. then give me the
money, and II you don't believe 1t, then
look on it as a Joke" Tho match and
the money appearing. the delegate
evidenced that he was In good humor
with his benefactor, and he talked at
length.
Half a dozen Of us reached here dur
Ing the last week." he said. There was
bunch got here the week before. We
always aim TO take look around Coney
Island ut the start of the season. Some
times there's signs of briskness In our
line.
What do I mean by briskness?
Well. when we can get returns for our
style of pushing our calling we call
things brisk. What returns? Why.
when things come easy for the asking.
Did you know this went in waves and
fashions? Sure. Now some years at
Coney Island Vt is very evident II will
be a tightwad year. Folks go there
In great numbers. but they are camped
down to spending only just so much.
Il cant tell you what makes It that
way, it's just So I've seen II a tight
wad season at Coney when the papers
said 1t had been a prosperous year.
And I've seen It Just the other way. a
bad year for business. and you wouldn't
think 30 for minute the way tho
people are spending their money. You
may have noticed the same thing around
Christmas time. Some years the people
spend most when there's been the most
talk about hard times. guess it's be-
cause there's been hard times talk that
we notice how the moneys spent.
"Coney? Why. We look that over be-
cause IL It's an all right year there's
nothing the matter with staying the
season out at the shore. But the kind
OF year may be all right and the police
conditions may be rank for us. Some
newly transferred captain may be a
good scout and look at things that we do
in a broad spirit. Another precinct
manager Is narrow and It's bad to stick
around Coney then.
"When alls right there. though. It's no
trouble to get all the food, tobacco and
change desired during the three months
season. Sleep? On the sand unless II
storms, same as hundreds Of thousands
Of New Workers. do every night. And
when it does storm there's always a
nook or corner for shelter at no ex-
pense.
But we check up on travel generally
apart from Coney. We may be called
the pass the worders for the rest of our
fellows. The new rules and the new