El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-09

FEW years ago. three OF the com
n monest words IN The American
language were bum. hobo and tramp
II 3 fourth rivaled any Of them. ii
was the term. "handout" In nearly
every typical story that was written
Of American life in those days, men
ton was made Of the Iong-haired,
shambling individuals, who roamed
the country trudging aicng the roads
through farm lands, riding in free,
but almost respected privilege the
trains that hauled the products OF the
nations labor from city 10 city, liV-
ing largely in the open, and begging
their food and other slight necessi-
ties OF their existence from the in
habitants OF the smaller towns and
the rural sections.
Sometimes IL was more than mem
ton more than one author treated
the shiftless, irresponsible character
with a rOantic touch that leaves US
doubling for a moment the RICHNESS
and ultimate benefit Of any change
that could sweep away the class.
Other writers spoke with a Querulous
tolerance like that Of the man who
dsplored the waste Of desert and bad
lands, but could suggest not a single
thing N the direction OF reclamation.
A very few. and they we're practically
unhsard, spoke OF it as the rapidly
growing surplus labor army, an IN
necessarily large safety valve on in
oustry. and proposed doing things to
the immigration laws, starting state
industrial enterprises and in various
ways forcing an expansion Of capital
istic enterprise.
But when the war changed every
thing crushing, by force Of national
necessity and public sentiment. the
la .
OF work, and put America IN a CON-
mercially leading position we said
goodbye 20 the old familiar class, not
romantically, nor even thoughtfully,
but II run along-you're out Of
style" sort Of spirit. We believed II
poet q return-We have no reason
yet. with slightly lowered prizes and
less sky booming conditions in indus
try to expect a return Of the old
situation OF a continuously overbal-
anced labor market. Economically,
We seem o be safe
The Modern Bum-
However, as q millionth repetition
% en- old philosophy applied 70 a new
use, IS long as there are freight
trains. there VIII be buns But What
kind, and how large class, are ques-
lions that began TO interest me re-
Gently IS I read dozens OF articles In
magazines about the re-settling OF
American soldiers back into civilian
life And the real bum, the genuine
old American hobo, I wondered II he
would come back as q class; II the
hobo instinct would ever be really
eradicated- wondered If there
would be any new factors.
Prem speculation 7 turned 10 ny
old clothes It really oughtn't 20 take
more than couple or three days
trip 10 find out all wanted to know. !
To see II the same fellows were still
Just passtn' through was my I
object I knew that In the harvest
field I would find many OF these I
drifting persona who follow no regu- /
lar line Of work bat simply. prefer
70 work At anything that Is "a Little /
farther On" But from the harvest
fields went on TO a long course Of
beating ny way through a half dozen I
states. And in that time-siL week
or Sol have not run across q single /
example Of the old breed-never |
sight Of tho fellow whose hardest I
labor was walking But there were
buns. and they were not scarce
When a BAN Il Not q Bum.
The burning that goes on every
summer in and around the state Of
lands, Is as heavy a free traffic as
ever was borne By the railroads IN
any other section curing the palmiest
days Of the old hobo. AID scattered
among tbs sWarmE VII be found
new variety-the office Teller" the
guy who rolls up his white sleeves !
for two or three weeks streining Of
shoulders and back. and who beats
bis way for no good reason, except
perhaps that 50 many OF the harvest
hands do It.
And during this promiscous free
riding in the wheat states occurs
one Of the most remarkabfe changes |
that may take place In the law" in
a short months time anywhere. In
the latfs = part of June and until well
along IL July, the most ragged, evil (
looking frec-rider Is a harvest hand"
IN spite Of such laws a. one in Kansas
which makes every tralnman q state
policeman A bum rides anywhere I
then. But soon as the major portion
Of the enormous crop Is safe in stack
and shock, be finds himself suddenly
a tramp" subject 70 all the persscu-
Mi1eFhEyT MI