The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21
F1oboes Hold Convention in New York

methods that the railroads out Of New
York put in operation have to be known
by us all
Now don't get us mixed up with The
amateur DO. There's a bunch of fol-
lows who take one trip and can't stand
the hardship. They get scared and they
resign themselves to their fate and work
the rest OF their lives. They're not
regulars. You know men In our line
who are old hands at the business get q
reputation.
"You can't get the reputation unless
you have travelled and travelled over .
term OF years. There's no oath to he
taken, but practically ALI OF those who
have gained reputation have sworn
never to do manual labor. 1t Isn't so
much the work as II IL the free born
right of a man to roam the world with.
out "a boss.
"Our crowd that will meet here to-
day will swap all they know and wen
get chock full of information to DO
given to the hobo of reputation wher-
ever we meet him. There's fellows
meeting in Chicago. Denver and san
Francisco about this time and they'll
exchange what they learn for what
the others learn.
NO. tho game isn't what it was.
The county officers have considered the
question too Systematically. You can
get passed on from one county to
| another in certain districts so as 10
avoid the expense Of maintenance IL
an arrest IL made, but there's other
places where they jump at the chance
| Of taking you in and making you help
on road construction. Some or these
places are a great deal fercer than
| others. We swap news about these a.
a warning to our fellows.
Ignorant and uneducated? Don't
YOU believe that tho 'boes are as .
class. Far from 1t. Common school
education IL too easily obtained and has
been for a generation. Ignorance don't
make a tramp any more than education
makes an industrious man.
THE hobo of to-day has a smatterins
| Of schooling always. Educated and I'M
educated, those with the wanderlust and
the aversion to the boss are in the one
class. Two heard that almost every
man has a moment when no dreams of
breaking away for time and taking
the road, to sleep anywhere night finds
him and chance what food he can ask.
| lis II any harder to travel than In
former years?" the reporter asked.
mot much for the wise one" said
the hobo with peculiarly droll smile.
IAN experienced man wouldn't tackle
certain trains on general principles and
so he wouldn't be thrown Off. You see.
| if a DO Is found around fruit car or
| one carrying stealablc or eatabe stun
4 he's mighty apt to get shooed ana
booted of. Maybe he'll be arrested.
But in the case Of cars that carry
lumber or hay or stone or coal you can
get through. The trainmen arc not SO
bad as a class. I've had a snack from
a brakeman more than once. II he'll
give me a chance to tell him my story
stand a first rate chance OF riding with
out being molested and maybe getting
a little feed"
your story--do you always tell them
the true story
Certainly not. I tell EN- tho KIND OF
story that think they expect to hear
from an unfortunate man. There may
not be a bit Of truth in 1t. But It's
entertaining 'em and helps me-"
what about the story you told me
was all this stuff you related truey'
"Surc. got the match and the
change from you, saying / needed
shave and some food. So / do--from
your viewpoint. After got the money
from you and 30 long as this spot Is not
a freight car and you are not brake
man there was no reason why
shouldn't tell the truth
The four tramps went into convention
almost Immediately after the fashion or
Indian powwos. All started WIN
pull at the pipe