The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-19

But 40 Is To LOUISIANA anu ieAas
that the migration is starting now
train bound south has It's
quota OF tourists" Every day
takes them closer 10 warm weather
and good "nops." for through the
south the cotton gins are the ho-
boes' friends. Seed house and en-
CINE room are always open. and /
have seen as many as 46 men sleep
ing in one cotton seed house, in
southern Oklahoma. Those who
have made the southern trip before
will spend a few days picking cot
ton. a back breaking job for
grown man. but one with which
children seem TO have no trouble
That, parenthetically. is the chief
cause OF the appalling illiteracy Of
the south.
Last year, when the bottom fell
out OF the cotton market, the plant
ers could not AFFORD to pay high
wages to pickers, In other years,
common wages we're 1925 per hun
dred pounds. Last year, however.
with the haS-eEop- at years all that
was offered was go cents per hun
dred AS a result. few OF the itin-
Grant workers went 20 the cotton
fields, although later. many pulled
bollles," that Is. stripped the cotton
bushes OF the small. late pods that
did not burst.
All winter long, the working
stif" Is Stacking up" in one OF
the southern ports, trucking cotton
bales, working In the cotton gins,
or doing general stevedore work at
odd times for just enough on which
to live. But the cotton gins close
early In March, their seasons work
done By that time the cotton is
ready to chop" or thin With the
/ FIRST OF May, Oklahoma starts 10
take in it's first alfalfa crop, and
( there Is work on hundreds OF hay
balers. BY June. the wheat crop in
the southwestern part of the state
is ready. and the workers are in a
week ahead Of time, waiting for
/ the harvest TO start.
Last spring. Oklahoma sent out
call for 10000 more harvest work
ers than ever used in the state be
! fore. The crop al that time justi'
/ fed such a call But hail and tor.
nado destroyed a great measure of
the crop. Thousands OF harvest
! hands, many OF whom left good
/ positions in the east TO make a for
were left without work, or with
merely a few days Continued wet
weather held the harvest back II
was then that the men. after the
"privates" had refused to give any
more handouts" went TO the may.
ors OF various Oklahoma cities and
towns. and demanded that the town
should feed them. Oklahoma rec
ognized its obligations. and the
men were fed.
BY the time the Oklahoma har-
vest Is completed, most OF the men
have drifted on into Kansas. where
they are sure OF good pay and fair
treatment For the brotherhood OF
hos has taught the Kansas farmers
one or two lessons. A. few years
ago, the Kansas legislature sought
to pass a bill prohibiting the riding
OF freight trains in the state. Kan
sas had prohibited almost every
thing else The following year. the
Kansas farmer looked out over his
wheat fields, and said. Gosh durn
II. I wonder why some OF them ho-
boes don't come around" The crop
was largely harvested by home
hands. and as a result. many farm
ers we're late In the harvesting. The
next session OF legislature, the
farmers petItioned for the repeal
of the vagrancy law
Four cities of the Middle west
owe much Of their wealth to the
Kansas harvest and the harvest
hands When the stiff" has made
his stake. providing he successfully
escapes the hundreds OF high.
Jacks" and "stick-up men" that
hold up and rob whole train loads
Of men, and manages to deafen his
ears TO the siren calls OF the men
who are ont each year TO harvest
the harvesters by means OF poker
and crap games, he blows" FOR
Kansas City. st. Joseph, Omaha or
Sioux City. Ia. The bartenders wei.
come him with open arms. He is a
Tive one"
But when he has spent his lack
there is only one thing left, to start
into the Dakotas and earn another
stake South Dakota Is a poor pay.
ing state, and as a result the stiff
does not stay there long.
The Dakotas have so recognized
the importance OF the hobo TO the