The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-13
REAL WEARY WILLLE''. TELLS
- ABOUT THE LIFE OF A HOBO

SQOp Ou StAluulhV oSASSS - - - SIS
! have seen men so starved that they
have gone to the end of the line four
times.
AT noon You will see lot more
unfortunates lined up on West Fiji
teenth street for tumbler OF soup
Those who, because they were look
ing for work In the day time, were
unable to partake of the free food
offered during that period. may bel
found at night In Fieischmann's bread
line. This is at midnight, and they
get half a loaf Of bread and a cup Of
coffee. Then, IL not satisfied, they
hurry away to the Bowery mission
bread line at "a. m.
Chicago and Frisco.
1t should be said that the Hebrew
members Of the clan hobo have al
comparatively easy time of 1t either
on the road or In the city. In either
place they are seldom refused meal
by one of their own race. Even the
wife Of the Hebrew farmer who will
sometimes turn away an Irish tramp
will have some sort Of hand out
for the man of her own race who begs
at her back door.
In Chicago they have some very fine
lodging houses and feeding accommo-
dations for the down and out. but in
order to benefit by them man must
look half way respectable; otherwise
he cannot get In. San Francisco up
to the time Of the exposition, was
known as the hoboes' heaven. In Buff
falo. il you cant give a good account
OF yourself they will charge you with
Ivagrancy and give you from sixty to
ninety days at hard labor. The mayor
and commissioner Of charities OF that
city have even gone so far Us to warn
citizens to call a policeman instead OF
feeding those who apply to them for
aid.
Many from New York.
Most OF the real hoboes l have met
come from the state of New York.
They are made up OF two classes
those who love to wander for the sake
Of adventure. and a far larger class
comprising those who have taken to
the road in search Of work and who,
having finished one job, have been
forced to become tramps in order to
reach another working point.
| have come In contact with men
and women of,all grades and classes
on the road. There were poets, law
yers, artists, doctors and representa-
tires OF nearly every profession or
trade. Some failed because they were
insists to their chosen work. Others
frankly admitted that It was either
drink or some misfortune which had
driven them to the gutter.
Take my own case for instance.
Eight years ago was student in a
German theological seminary in Du-
buque. / ran out of funds and had to
leave schools. looked for work and
failed to find 1t. l wanted to be a
social investigator, and started for
New York in the hope Of getting work
Of that sort. l had a touch OF the
free life, and it appealed to me, and
now / am hobo from choice.
| VI
Once on the road, it is usually a
matter of drifting, mostly in the wrong
direction. / am going to be honest
and admit that there are not more than
two out OF every ten hoboes who have
not tendency toward theft. At the
same time hold that these men are
the product OF conditions and that
they should not be held responsible.
The life Of a hobo is one constant
risk. My first genuine hobo exper-
fence was on West Shore express
which left Weehawken early one even
ling. jumped Just behind the en-
CINE, and after the train started,
crawled over on the tender. But l
was afraid the fireman would see me
and had to crawl back.
Suddenly the lid Of the tank was
lifted for the train to take water on
the fly. was drenched to the skin.
Ii thought after that ! was safe for a
time. But no; an hour later the same
thing happened again, and, fireman
Tor no fireman, decided to make for
the engine. BY the time we had
reached Albany at o'clock the next
morning / was so cold and wet ]
could scarcely walk.
1 was wondering how l was going
TO get something to eat when an
lother tramp jumped of the same train.
He knew the ropes and escorted me
to a cheap hotel, where after scrub
bling floors for an hour and doing
lot Of other work We were treated to
a twenty cent meal. Right then and
there the other hobo. whose name
was Lasterbrook, and decided to be-
come "buddies" partners.)
Two Hours 10 Leave Town.
We left that night on the Western
Express for Buffalo and jumped of
at Rochester, having been up to that
time about forty-eight hours without
sleep. Just at this point we had the
good fortune to run into railroad
detective who arrested us for tres
passing. He made a charge Of vag-
rancy against us, and We were sent
to cell, where we got square meal
land some sleep. Then we were given
two hours to get out Of town. This
was the first time had been arrested,
1t shows that an arrest is not always
J dread by a hobo. as by some other
citizens. After that ] got to point
: where l did not mind how fast the
arrests came. 70
) We reached Buffalo again, travelling
J at night. You ask why hoboes ride
at night instead Of In the daytime.
Because passenger trains are so close
) ly watched that one cannot ride them
in the day time. and II you ride on
freight cars between New York dnd
Ohio you are likely to be charged
with breaking the seals Of the cars
, regardless OF whether the cars are
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