Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-21
GREAT ARMY OF AMERICAN
HOBOES READY FOR WINTER


whose weekly income ranged from
| $40 to SIS. One who aroused great
| Indignation in the breast of the good
natured metropolis had been accus-
toned to drive to and from his daily
beat in his high-powered limousine.
Inasmuch as the attitude OF the New
York police toward street beggars,
except for occasional bursts of ag-
gression, Is apathetic, and as the
New York jails do not require hard
toll from small-time prisoners, the
city is likely to remain a permanent
favorite with the hobo fraternity.
While Manhattan is the best place
for the hobo to make money, with
Newark, N. j., ranking close Sec
ond, it is in Philadelphia and other
large cities of Pennsylvania that the
tramp is best fed. According to one
veteran tramp, there is scarcely "A
town or hamlet in the keystone
state which does not provide at least
comfortable living" for vagabonds.
The good-natured hausfraus of the
agricultural districts especially be-
lieve that Ill luck will come to them
If they refuse a hungry man food,
and so keen is their desire to avoid
calamity that in addition to the large
dinner set out for each tramp, they
provide him with a box Of food to
take with him upon his Journey"
Chicago is Unpopular.
Chicago. while popular with
tramps, especially as a winter abode,
is considered slightly dangerous, as
the Chicago police are disconcerting-
ly prompt in arresting suspicious
looking beggars, and the Chicago
jails are stern in their treatment of
Migrants. Thirty days in Bridge
well" is a sentence that no tramp
is likely to risk twice. Besides, the
city is heavily populated with ear
nest students Of crime, who are al
ways invading Hobohenia in West
Madison street and making the resi-
dents extremely uncomfortable.
A tramp is by no means an easy
subject of study. Unless the investt-
gator adopts the heroic method of
joining the hobo fraternity, he is not
likely to obtain much true inforna-
ton of the brotherhood's character.
Not only are tranps full of suspicion
and prejudices and apt either to ex.
aggerate or to keep silent if they
suspect their Questioner, but they
have clearly drawn caste lines and
slang Of their own altogether bewil-
dering to the uninitiated.
The lowest type Of tramp, one
which has largely dropped out of
sight since the war, Is known as the
'tomato-can vag." This type used to
be particularly numerous in New
York City, where it lived in boxes,
barrels, cellars and under wharves,
where it could curl up and have a
"doss" (sleep). 1t fed upon the re-
fuse Of garbage cans and not-Quite.
empty tin cans recovered from ash
barrels.
The "gay-cat" is another typo
spurned and often prosecuted by the
body of the fraternity, for the gay
cat is one who cannot depend entire
ly upon his wits to support him but
who in the face of necessity often
accepts work. 1t is this type which
engages in various seasonal occu-
pations such as hop and berry pick
ing, harvesting, and commercial can
ming.
Almost In the same class with the
gay-cat is the poke-out, the tramp
who is content to subsist on cold
food poked out to him through the
household door. It Is this type which
lives in the cheapest lodging houses
in the cities, sleeping en- masse on
the floor OF one room and paying
only 10 or Is cents for the chance.
1t is the poke-out, also, who is most
commonly found in the free bread
line, because according to his superb
ors in vagrancy, he is too lazy and
shiftless to earn good living"
The high-class tramp, on the other
hand, possesses diligence, patience,
nerve and politness and takes great
pride in his success. He considers
1t q duty as well as q privilege to
eat regularly, and feels ashamed IL
he fails to do so. For supper he
usually has about what other people
have-potatoes and beefsteak or
some other good cut of meat, tea or
coffee, bread and butter. and often
dessert. The only difference is that
he obtains it without work. This
may not seem laudable to the major
ity of hardworking mankind, but the
tramp is proud Of the achievement.