Evening star., 1915-09-18
SEATS|N THE CARS,
NOT ON BUMPERS
Hoboes Believe Government
Should Afford Them Comfort
able Transportation.
PLAN ALSO TO GUARANTEE
JOBS FOR JOBLESS MEN
Their Millionaire Leader Confers
With Department Head-'Belgian
Bob" Tells Narrowing Story.

Bob" Tells narrowing Story.
James Eads How, ''the millionaire hobo"
today conferred with officials of the in
terstate commerce commission and with
Secretary Wilson Of the Department of
Labor upon two propositions brought up
at the conference Of the unemployed" !"
held last night at Su d street north
west.
Tramp! Trampi Tramp! the Boys Are
Marching" might have been the music
which welcomed the unemployed, most
Of whom came to Washington yesterday
and day before via "side-door pullmans,'
when they met at socialist headquarters
last night; but instead 1t was the wind
Of the gathering storm. But 'thoboes'
are used to storms and rains. so not a
man stayed away from the meeting.
Mr.. How brought up the propositions
last night which he today laid before the
officials. One is plan to have "hoboes"
ride in trains instead of on the bump
ers. ii the seats are unoccupied, and
If the hobo" desiring inside accommo-
dations will present proof that he is en-
route to a real job.
Mr.. How visited the Labor Depart
Secretary ways and means for bringing
the 'hoboless Job and the jobless hobo"
together, which was the other leading
question discussed last night. At 1880
port on his visits to the government OFF,
Gals.
"Belgian Bob" q Participant.
vieing in interest with How last night
was Belgian Bob." mysterious hobo"
whom none Of the other men seemed to
know much about. AS The Star reporter
left the hall. after the meeting, Belgian
Bob" accosted him.
Say, pard, gimme a cigarette"
He was a tall. massive fellow. wear
ing an old coat and patched, thread
bare trousers. AS he asked for a
smoke" he jauntily touched his old
black hat with one hand. while with
the other he pushed out the remnants
of vest that revealed rather than
clothed his massive chest
The reporter produced some cigar
cites.
Have a smoke" Belgian Bob was
told. You look like you came a long
way"
Sort O. romantic lookin', amt it?'
gT1nned the tramp. after the first swirl
Of blue smoke had curled into the air.
We'll. I've been in romantic situations
L
young man"
He snuffed the aromatic smoke crit
ically. as II unwilling that the fresh
wind should blow a bit of 1t away be-
fore he had taken 1t all In himself.
These are pertlous times" he con
great war going on over In Europe"
He pronounced it you're up" but that
made no difference.
Some war;" he reiterated. emphasiz-
ing his statement with great cloud
of smoke that eddied like the smoke
from a miniature cannon-wtth a rattsr
good stretch Of the Imagination.
"Poor Old Belgium"
But what has the war to do with
your asking any one for a dgarette?"
II don't exactly see." put in the re-
porter.
Didn't exactly expect you would. It's
a long. long way to poor old Belgium.
young feller."
Belgium! When were you in Bel
II was there when the Germans in
vaded the country. Seem things ripe
for little excitement, I thought I'd
stay. l bummed along the roads and
got my livin' from the farmers-they
call 'em peasants over there-now they
ain't got as much as they gave away
to me. guess.
THE only trouble with me was I
couldn't get any cigarettes. Peasants
don't use 'em, l guess. I'd gone for
days without whiffin' the good old to-
bac. Seemed to me I'd rather have q
cigarette than somethin' to eat.
"One day l was settin' by the road
and they've got fine roads over there
when / saw em comm in the dis
tance. 1t was the Germans! thought
it was the whole German army. at first,
but l soon saw it was only sort O.
scoutin party. So 1 stayed right there
in the road, waitin' for 'em.
Accosted by the Invaders.
pretty soon they came marehin'
along, with a feller wearin' a regular
war mustaehe prancin' along in front.
He waved his sword-he had It out
yes-an' the gang stopped and looked
at me.
berspieldertungen! the CAP
tain said to me. or somethin' like that
I amt no German scholar. didn't have
no idea what to say to him. so 1 thought
I'd try an be pleasant
"'CigaryetteT / asked, pleasaatlike,
Tranzosisch| yelled th' captain-or
somethin like that-jumpin' right
straight UP In the air.
Tranzosisohr yelled the whole
bunch.
"Yer q liAr" yslls back, esttin'
mad. 7 asked You for cigarette. Can't
you understand English7
"'Englischi Donnerundblitsenr
With them words the whole crowd
raised their guns. They didn't seem to
walt for no word from the captain.
They Just raised their guns on me. I
thought since I was goin' to croak I
might as we'll make a loud noise goin',
80 without waitin' to say farewell 1
dives over a hedge by th' side of tn
road and beat it down the hill for all I
was worth.
Some Lively sprinting.
Believe me. bo. you never saw run
MIN unless you saw me runnin' then.
There I was over the hedge sprintin'
doun the hill with then, Carron.