Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-07
Return of the Hobo.
BY Frederic ]. Haskin

Washington May AFTER disappear
ing ALMOST completely for several years,
the hobo ia back again. Reports from
all over the country show that the army
uf men which moves acroas the country
MS tho uninvited guests Of the rail-
roads aud the public ia once more
mobilizInR Again la heard the request
IT the back door for a handout. Tho
water tank has again become tho wait
ing room for these non paying pasReu-
Rerp. and It's strange collection of cabal-
iatic writings which are of so much
value To The wandering fraternity. ia
being renewed Theft of freight ~
aRnln mounting 10 on enormous figure,
ialln and warehouses; are filling M.
petty offenaea are on the Increase.
Popular opinion in this country has
always held the tramp 10 be a man who
would not work under any clrcufn-
atancen This theory was dealt a blow
bv The fact that during tho war tho
Army and Industry aeena to have ab-
aorbcd nearly all of tho tramps, and
that thoy have reappoafod only with
tho return ri hard iitncR The tramp
then must be- man who viii and can
work II tho Inducements are strong
enough. but who prefrre wandering
life when employment Us hard 10 get or
HuromtfneratIvo
Tho tramp la large and aiRnincant
problem which has had very little study
The size IF Il YOU can realize when yo1I
| are told that several different estimates
uade hv officials of railways placed the
number of tramps In thia country before
tho war NJ half million This estimate
rs based on tho number Of vaRrapta whn
are killed everv wear stealing rides ON
| tho railroads More vagranta arc Killed
| this WY In = normal voar than train
mon and passengers PIT together IN
ono year II WAS estimated that thcFe
vaEraufa cost the railroads SIS 900 900
| This Included what was paid for pro
| lection from them. and the thofte If
| freight which were attributed 10 them
! For ttamps often Ret food a well a.
| transportation from Tho railroads They
| hfeak into shipments RI fnodstuffs and
| take what thnv cnu eaf ar carry av,-sv
! eften making il Impossible for the rail
| faads 10 deliver a case If canned goods
| for instance although perhaps only =
few eana base been sfo1on
Varieties of VaRrnnts
Tho eetimato ~ half million which
| the railroads piaoo itpop tho norma
franp army RI America doe- not n
| course iueludr nulv fratups pranerly 80
eHlled y Includes aU thaeu eha afea
rides tho railroads Among these #
email number af mon n-aa are ord
paiiiv afeadv workerr hft arc tanna
rarifv oft' II fnndr and rtdc the troal
hestns or ~" hlind baggaFes ~ gof I,
| Sumo now rob Gno Young man for *
ample. who vas . native N ~
| western state and worked h= wa
Through college. enrfuvnd thts uafhos
&c crossing fne continent four nra
Yeaf
such casee arc few Resides N trr
traWps. the greater number of shes
rarrsnts hoiong p the class ~ zoa snna
workers Tho tramps and The 4oasoua
workers arc ~ close kin Many MA
drifts into trsmping - way ~ eoaaona
work and the tramp 1uuv oteHzionaI
hs@nna . sea enual worker
The seasonal workers ara ! l3rgo ar
we'll defined lass Thev make tbei
lI4sng at sa,h work AZ cutting trr All
fslme Hnhrr in the winter and .vart,in
~ take boats and il tha harvest field
% thu summer Whrn nof employ
lies. u.n .onkreKtte u large ltie,
s3eh ae Chicago whore here are grea
numbers If cheap lodging houses ths
z.fer ta them Thnv enau learn 80 liv
for year on the earnings uf = fct
| months and Htl uot take MI fitnc eu
paa8IHeut # they c5n get unless ae
ta4li starving 4 man who S 1s,d
making 4 living auf If the harves
fields in he summrr has be.n known
refuse work A. lse-cutting IN the Niute
uH ha ground mat ne lid not need ia
money ard would bc merely takin
bread o1f of the mouth ii some na
E5taal winter WORKER
Tbs Ilses III these men lack all rom
fort Ard @sab.l.ts but fhet haze naug
adventure and leisure Hence il
o1apreheasible that m.n If eert4.
tyu,. rome - prefer II frer,iou an
wandering arr the things tha we i
dream a. md m nan for whom b
alternative IS 20 hours a day - SON
4nonetoneH+ mee hantea1 fask ann,
perhaps ho altogether blamed
prefers nfe ~ 0hich labor and lejsul
alternate and there Is ehange Of SCR
and occupation
Unfortunately society makes no a
1awanoe for fuen of that temper ~
seasonal Worker ont = Horit Is r,S,tdt
~ = vagrant r." IS hunted ~ ii
pollee and pltied hy eharitH He a.
his poskettuI of SAVINGS are the prop.
prey Of All kinds Of We, and fraud y
place is open - him but The lodgIr
houses. which are dirty and eomtor
less places. breeders u tn. drug haa
aud Of other habits which unfit men {,
normal soeis1 relations Hence T
seasonal worker generally jetsrIoTat
into confirmed tramp bessar.
, thief
Study of Tramps.
There has been much romance Write
about tramps. and also several hone