The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-10-28

- was also something more than
n tramp. He was philoso-
pher and n poet. Not that he
ever wrote poetry. Instead, he lived
1t. He wandered aimlessly from place
to place. studying each city and seek
ing to strike it's keynote and to get
its own particular local color.
For example. Pittsburgh made him
think of "Othello." played In Russian
by a minstrel troupe.
Boston made him feel as IL he was
drinking cold tea. with wet white
cloth tied about his head.
Chicago seemed to him mixture of
breeze. glittering promises and po-
tato salad.
And SO, at last, in his wandering
he came to Manhattan Island. II was
his first visit to Americas greatest
city. He had saved the best for the
last. He wanted especially to. grasp
the secret of New York's individ-
uality.
But for the first hour or two this
seemed a hopeless task. The hard
ness, the hustle, the heartlessness of
the city smote him. And that was
all.
He stood at last on a corner of
Broadway trying hopelessly to solve
the bewildering place. He stared at
the passers-by.
Along came. a pink-faced. steel
eyed. white-halred. tailormodeled
old gentleman. Then tall. goddess
like woman. icy and equisite. Next
sullenly stalwart. broad jowled
youth. with cigar stub in his iron
mouth corner.
Raggles noted these three types
among the crowds. Then he started to
cross the street. And a whizzing auto
mobile hit him, sending his body fly
Ing eighteen feet through space and
landed him senseless In the gutter.
Very slowly the injured Raggles re-
covered consciousness. Before he
opened his eyes he was aware OF n won
derful odor, as of crushed violets. Some
one was bathing his muddy brow.
Raggles looked up and saw the beau
crowd few minutes earlier. She was
kneeling beside him bathing his fore
head with her perfumed handkerchief
Her priceless furs were heaped as a
pillow between Raggles' frowsy head
and the dirt of the sidewalk.
The pink-faced. stcel-eyed old gentle
man was haranguing the newly gath
cred crowd on tho sin of reckless driv-
ing and was passing the hat for col
lection In behalf of the hurt tramp.
From an adjoining bar suddenly ap-
peared the broad Jowled youth. In one
hand he bore n trimming glass OF
whisky. HOldlng the glass TO RaEgles'
eager lips. the youth said, invitingly:
Drink dis. SPORT"
How do you feel. old man." asked n
white jacketed ambulance surgeon
pushing through the sympathetic
crowd.
"Me?" grinned Raggles. 1T feel fine"
And he did. He had found thus early
the keynote-and the heart-of New
York.
Three days later in the convalescent
ward of the hospital Raggles fell upon
another convalescent tramp and beat
him almost to death. The attendants
had to pry him away by main force
from the bowling victim.
When order was ut last restored, the
head nurse undertook to act as war
correspondent and TO find the reason
for the strange combat.
whats this all about?" she sternly
demanded of the victor.
Raggles pointed "A scornful thumb at
his battered opponent and growled:
"He was runnin' down me town.
"What town." asked the head nurse,
wondering at such display of civic
loyalty, What town."
MOO York;" promptly replied Rag
glcs
Copyright. 1850