The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1922-08-22
Denver Dutchy Declares That
Wanderers Bear Brunt of
Many Heavy Tasks.
BEMOANS THE DEAR OLD DAYS
Old Thoroughbred Tramp Has Passed
and Profession Has Petered Out
Only in Comics Do You See
Tried and True Tramp.

dubbed knights of the road" who, in
halcyOn days, were common sight
along stretches of railroad right-Of-
ways, throughout the country. Shift
less, happy-gO-lucky fellows they were
readily identified as wandering
Willies," or members of the rowing
mendicant fraternity, by their make
shift hats, unkempt and usually un-
washed stubble boards, ill-fitting
patched trousers, nondescript coats,
battered and tattered diversified
shoes, but, best of all, by the tools
of their trade" tin can and BAN
dana handkerchief bundle which they
carried on the end of a short stick
over the shoulders.
"Alas, poor Dusty Rhodes! I knew
him well, HOratiO!' mOaned Denver
Dutchy, more or less retired veteran
Of the road, as he gently closed a
grimy paper-bound edition of Emer-
sons Essays, which he had been read
ing for diversion while beating it a
division" several weeks ago in a box
car from Pueblo to Denver, Colo, over
the Colorado & Southern railroad His
travelling companion and confidante
of the last three days, the reporter,
mere novice, whose experience as a
hobo consisted of a trifling $4,000
miles covered at intervals during a pc
Rod of four years, had asked for rem
iniscences of the old days when "box
cars were box cars, and men were
men," stirred by fond memories of the
past, was visibly affected.
Bemoans Dear Old Days.
"Ah, will those dear days ever come
again." he said almost sadly, shifting
his weight as the train took a sharp
curve and rumbled into a long, dark
tunnel in the mountain side. When
daylight again showed through the
open door Dutchy continued: 81 think
not. The old thoroughbred tramp has
passed, and the profession has petered
out. Only in the comics do you see
the tried and true tramp of yesterday.
Tramp life is a different life now
from what it was ten years ago. And
what makes it different is this: The
old-time tramp was on the road to do
as little work as possible. When he
needed a stake to hold him over the
winter in the North there were plenty
of jobs in almost any town where he
could put in a few days work and
come clear with enough money to live
for a few weeks. On the road he
could always tackle a woodpile for
some kind lady and get fed. Then,
again., the jungles in every town were
always full of 'bos' who had plenty of
food they had bummed or had bought.
Getting was easy in those days."
Dutchy went on. But now! There
are several million men on the road
tramps and buns all-but they're not
on the road because they want to be.
Unemployment has put them there.
Homeless, penniless and sometimes
friendless, they are beating it from
one town to another looking for work.
Few Realize Hardships.
people in the city with jobs don't
know what hobo is up against. For
that matter few of them know what
hobo, in the true sense of the word, is.
They don't know that real hobo is
travelling workman who does some of
the hardest and poorest paid labor in
the United States. Who harvests the
grea, grain crops of the Middle West
each year? HobOs who drift in from
all orer the country harvest 1t. They
also build the railroads, irrigation
projects and other construction jobs
cut the timber in the often-lousy log
ging camps, harvest the ice crops,
work in mines and oil fields, and per
form other work that. lasts for only
a short time and which only the drift
ers will tackle. A hobo will only bam
when he is down and out and can't
work out a meal"
Denver Dutchy said many other
things. Subsequent investigation finds
that he is correct. The hobo is a
worker.
Conditions on the road are pitiful.
In parts Of the country where the I'M
employment situation is not critical
Tic Is HUI SO ldIu pul Ia POl lAOho
where it is, as In the entire Southwest,
many hobos are leading a life that is
really worse than that Of a hunted
animal. Railroad detectives and spe-
cial agents chase them off trains and
out Of railroad yards and the local
police order them out, Of towns or
arrest them for vagrancy.
Drastic Laws Against Them.
Many states, especially Texas, have
drastic laws under which a man must
serve from one so eleven months on
road chain gangs If found guilty of
vagrancy. This punishment has made
many men bitter against the police
and citizens of many cities, and agita-
tors and agents Of several radical or
ganisations are using this fact as an
argument toward .enlisting hobos to
their various causes. In the North
west posted at nearly every impor-
tant freight division point, are repre-
sentStiyes of the 1. w. w. who solicit
and often succeed in enrolling hoboe
for "red cards" on the strength of this