New-York tribune., 1921-06-19

wide interest for years, grew out o. the
tramping ncinations Of Roger Tichborne, the
real heir to the Tichborne millions. he was
accustomed to living as tramp in the bushes
of Australia. He disappeared and Wap-
piag butcher, Arthur 0rton, claimed the
estate. He evidently knew the whole life his
.ory Of Leather Jacket which was the name
under which Tchborne travelled as tramp,
wing to his habit Of wearing leather shoot
ing jacket He had often been seen in Orton's
company driving cattle when not putting il
his time tramping the roads. Orton was finai-
y found guilty of perjury and sentenced TO
fourteen years Imprisonment, but no one
knew what became of the genuine Sir Roger
Tichborne
Tramping in Australia IS not always easy.
In feet, if one has to go by railroad in that
country it is much harder than here. The
American railroad cars are just built for
hoboes. They have many attractive places
where one can swing on and secure foot 1old,
ba1 Lot SO in Australia, The freight cars
there are not of the box-car type. Freight is
covered with tarpauIins. The car couplings are
chains, which allow considerable play The
only opportunity of getting a ride shere is to
wait on stiff grade where the train has 20
slow down. Then make your Jump and get
between the cars and unfasten the tarpaulia
and crawl in the car; but you have to work
fast. If the train rounds the hill while you
are working, the cars viii come together with a
crash on the down grade, and then you may
have leg or an arm ground off, if you do
not lose your life outright
have been asked what was the closest cali
l ever had III hoboing. 1t was on the Shasta
Limited, between Portland and Seattle. when
was nearly burned to death. had been
working, firing with pitch pine, and got MP
hands so full of splinters that decided to quit.
got on the side rod of car when the train
was pulling out of the yards, but they saw
me and slowed down and got off Then when
they started up again / made leap and caught
another rod. This time was up close to the
engine, which is dangerous, for every time
they shake up the clinkers you will get hot
cinders all over you.
This time | had a cotton towel sticking out
OF my pocket. l had a comb and razor and
bit of soap wrapped in the towel. The end
Of the towel was hanging free. 1t caught fire
when they shook up the frebox on the engine
and my coat was in flames before I realized
what was wrong. The Shasta Limited stretches
herself, and she was going top speed when
discovered that l was on fire. l had to bal
ance myself on that side rod and beat out the
fire as best could. I bu14.~a my hands badly
before got the fire out, so badly that I havs
the scars to-day.
There is one place where I've never ridden
and that's on the cowcatcher of a fast train.
Tramps who have done that thing tell me
that there Is sort Of vacuum there, created
by the movement of fast train, and that a
man can light pipe there when the engine
IS pounding it out at top speed. I can't an
swer for the truth of that statement, but I'm
going to test it out some day.
Contrary to general opinion, there are few
criminals among the tramp society. There are
men who have done short terms for vagrancv
or for minor ofenses, but mean the big Grim
@HN~-~
the big criminal always travels alone. You
can always tell desperate man on the road.
because he is alone and always in hurry.
He may stop few minutes with a crowd Of
hoboes under bridge or at some other meet
ing place, but it's no more than to take bite
and say word and then he is on his way.
There are all kinds of men among the
hoboes, as in every other class. The worst
class is what is known as the Jungle buz-
zards'-those who will not go out and get
q bit of grub for the bunch They are the
drones in the hive--the parasites But
there are others who are willing to do some
thing for the crowd, and who can get up
tasty meal out of whatever happens to be
at hand
There are no regular meeting places.
There can't be under the scheme of things.
because the authorities are always routing
out the hoboes and making them seek ether
quarters. Now there may be a meeting in
an old, abandoned house, and again under
a brldge-anywhere that the hoboes can
ind immunity from police interference.
got my name from the salt bush Of Aus
Iralia, which is not unlike your sagebrush in
this country, except that cattle thrive on it.