The Washington herald., 1914-05-31
TRAMP ELEGRAPHERS
ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
Boomers" Are Usuk Expert Key Men, with the Love Of
WANDERING N Their Souls Know Men Of Own Craft
1t Every Hamlet and Water Tank Fit IN
Anywhere on Moments Notice.

| He wore . heavy winter suit and
there were cinder holes in his hat
His shoes apparently. had never beeI
in the hands of . "shine artist. His
collar. turned inside out to give on the
appearance Of having At one time or
another gone through the laundry. was
soiled In spots. His trousers bagged
at the knees, but one forgot that when
glancine at q tie Of old rose hue. In
deed. from the tie up. Ne was cieaniy
and his eyes CLEANED. As he passed
q hand across his mouth. one could
see that Il was minus hard spots.
sized nm by a detective, the man might
have been failed on suspicion OF being
a member Of the light-nngered brigade.
True. the detective might be right
an he of -busted" looks was bunting
the banking district. Now and then
he would scan the face of q man who
left the telegraph company's building.
A halting step-and he would falter.
The .boomer" had lost his nerve.
The boomer" is race to himself.
IL IT may be SO put He Is to be found
in every city in the country, and in
many little telegraph stations along
the railroads. Spring and summer
brings him out In numbers too large
to count A telegraph operator by
profession, usually an expert. the
'poomer" nits from job to job. from the
20 81 stations in the Rocky Mountain
to the cotton fields Of the South.
From the suburbs about "Bawsting
to the stock yards and broker offices
of Chicago is but stop. Distance
means little, just 10 long as trains
run across the continent and as long
% In RfQfinn9
holding down Q Job and standing
ready to help the boomer" over the
road.
No ia. Too Big.
No lob is to heavy for the boomer"
to hold Take him into q commercial
ONCE, place him at "boaus' wire.
press wire or ."on cable and code" and
he will make good. He can tell the
''chief' how to patch the switch board,
thus helping to straighten out many kinks
and reduce wire trouble to minimum.
He can pull down" from 500 to $50 a
month, can be placed In Q brokers' ONCE
and make good, Or he can be trusted TO
cover the Inauguration OF President
with ease and cleverness- fet-he VIII
not stay put"
No Job can hold the boomer" even
though he could hold the Jobs offered. IT
Is MS lie, DtB NcIy CAASechSc ~ eoohs
across the country where glittering rails
of steel make q pathway for limited
trains. II is also a part of his life to sit I
in a box car station along the Santa Fe
in Arizona, where two streaks o rust
fairly ring as crack trains go laundering
BY. The smell OF gasoline and the "chug-
chue' OF the water tank pump are music
at times as welcome as the best The
Great White Way offers in its cafes.
Getting over the road in a caboose.
jerked along behind a string Of hats and
box cars, the boomer enjoys the
scenery and seldom ever misses a meal
He is one man who has no respect for
laws forbidding free transportation-andl
the one man who easily says: I'm going
TO drop down to New Orleans" when he
has but S215 In his pockets Being cool.
and q traveller who seeks fields anew at
all times, he has been dubbed the
boomer"
wa.hirEtea Gets share.
washington gets its share Of boomers
each spring. A convention city. and
noted because q Job 10 easily obtained.
he boomer comes here In numbers.
One of him" was found yesterday in
front Of the Postal ONCE. Busted" In
pocketbook. clothes in need Of repair
DR. better still, Of being cast on. the
B0OfneT was "8ICnluB INC opciotoiS
On their way from the building.
A dozer. or more "regulars'' had passed |
BY the boomer To none of these did |
he appeal. True, he stepped forward |
once when one man addressed another |
Is chief" but he faltered and drew |
back into q doorway. His wait was soon |
rewarded. for three operators. cocky in |
walk. and alert as to appearance, started |
10 pass him by.
Meets Old "side Kick"
Hello, Jimmy" sang out the boomer !
Is he rushed forward with hand out
stretched
"Hello-well I'll be d" returned
Jimmy with good grace. why, Billy.
" man. I have not seen you since we
20 s'ed' IT down on the Rio Grande-
,ow's old man Stevers?''
Fine" beamed the Boomer" as he
the introduction to Hank"
md Tom
Con" said Jimmy. linking arms with
he boomer" I'VE are going to grab
II tn eats. Y en- get a chair when L
We get back-th' chief was just sayin'
his mornin' that he wish't some BOOM
r. would come along-he needs a speed Il
emon on q to "PG."
Assured Of eats and a Job on the
wire to Pittsburgh. the boomer and the
hree nattfly dressed friends headed to
unchroom. Like himself the three men
rere boomers Of the first-water, but
heir pay for the last months work had
zone for ''front'-in other words, for
lothes.
"Boomer' Was Staked.
Before the dinner hour was past. the
boomer was ''staked'' to a room and
meal ticket for the week. His boom
r. friends saw to this. A change Of 4
lnen also was provided. and it was with
omplete assurance that the boomer ,
pproached the wire chief at headquar-
ers. Ii
I'm Billy Smith," announced the
oomer. en- handle whatever y'e got
do I get placed?' ID
One look was enough for the chief {
'hirty years an operator, saved from
booming by reason Of matrimony. he
oon had his man placed.
Take 42-work with Pc" commanded 4
he chief, pointing to q vacant chair. II
"OK-SM-Detroit," clicked the boom. '
r." at the end Of his first message from 4
C
s. fr D. and R. G.. questioned the
ian at 'PG." IL
'Yes" shot back the boomer" who !
70 your q