The Alaska daily empire., 1922-07-18
HOBO LIFE IS DEP|CTED; MAN
 INVESTIGATOR
Study of Homeless and Mi- gratory Men Is Made
 Under University Plan.

CHICAGO, H., July IS.-(By the Associated Press )-Men are living on West Madison Street on 40 and 50 cents day, according to Nels Anderson, who is making study of homeless and migratory men under the direction of Prof. Ernest w. Burgess of the University of Chicago for the United Charities and the Juvenile Protective Society.
 Mir Anderson became a wanderer himself as a boy, he said today. but happened to find work on a ranch where the family took an interest in him. At the age of 21 he entered high school. Eventually he was con- tronted by the problom of selecting finding, according to his statement, that no study had been made pre- viously of the hobo. he began to write on that subject on the basis )f his early experience. After he had written 25O pages he felt de- ire to strengthen his preparation 'or the task lby renewed investiga- ions. Accordingly he has been ningling with tramps as one of them at their 'jungles" on summer camps, on the road, in the city streets, and in jail.
 ""The average student who hasn't been. on the road himself" said MT. Anderson, lis apt to find himself un- able to approach a tramp and get his true story. Not only are tramps chock-full of suspicious and preju- dices, and likely either to exagger- ate or to keep still if they suspect their questioncr, but they have a slang of their own.
 Fraternity Slang
 For example, a man who works ternity of working stiffs' as a muck err; the man who drives a team is ! skinner; one who tamps ties on the railroad is a 'gandy-dancer'
 "In the winter the tramps flock to the big cities. They manage in yome cases to make $50 last long while, for they know where they can get three doughnuts and a cup of coffee for cents and lodging for 10 cents, if in the morning they will weep off the floor they slept on. You will find 300 men on the floor of one of the popular Chicago flop houses in the winter, though in the summer the same place will be near ly empty.
 Summer Wanderings
 Where are the men in the sum- mer? Many, of course, are engaged in seasonal occupations. The idle ones are often gathered at the jungles, which is an institution in Hobohemia like the fashionable club in another stratum of society. The men select for their camps a shady place near enough to town for an occasional handout and far enough from town to seem secure from the bulls or constables. They build slacks of wood or roofing-tin or whatever material they find handy; have seen very good shacks built or ripped-off oil cans.
 'Last summer I tramped through Idaho, Nevada. Utah and Wyoming, covering 5000 miles. I talked to some 1000 wanderers. and tabulated 402 cases. I had slasbed my vest to carry my index cards; only one man noticed the slashes and the slight bulges; he asked me if was an or ganizer for the 'Wobblies.' said no and that was all"
 self-Respect
 No man ever sinks too low "to re- tain some spark of self-respect." ac- cording to MT, Anderson. 'T knew an elderly blanket stiff of the pros pector type who refused to go to an institution for treatment though he was a victim of miners consumption He gave two characteristic reasons First. he didn't want his relatives to find out about him. Second, he felt that to go to an institution would be equivalent to a surrender. and it would only be a question of time before he would give up the ghost. He declared vehemently that he could never think of going home. for he had failed to communicate with his family when he was well and had money. and he would not communi. cate with them after he had became iii and indigent.
 Many take to the road or the city streets because they are physi .caliy incapacitated and therefore de.