The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-20
BY Henry.

there is a popular rendezvous called
the Hobo College,"
In the language of Madison street
and of all the world of itinerant la
Dor, a hobo" is not bum" not one
of those wrecks who can no longer
work and who drift from bootleg
joint to bootleg joint until drugstore
booze and the city dead wagon gets
them. Hobo" in the sense in which
use 1t means working stiff. That
is a harvest hand, railroad construc-
ton laborer, or any kind of seasonal
worker. And so it is to be expected
that anyone claiming to establish an
institution of higher learning on Madi-
son street should call it a Hobo Col
lege."
The Hobo College" is under the
supervision of Ben Reitman, who
passes as a doctor, and is known as
an ex-bum, one-time balihoo man to
Emma Goldman, now reformed
christian. When the war started and
his associates began going to jail
Ben Reitman FASTENED to Jesus. And
now we find him and Jesus running
the Hobo College"
Preachers of all churches and de-
nominations, sects and creeds, come
to the college to display their wares
to hoboes. 1t is very interesting to
observe how all attempts on the part
} of Reitman and the rest of the takers
that come to Hobo College, to force
religion upon the hoboes, is spent in
vain.
For instance Reitman invited groups
of students from the Moody Bible In
stitute to deliver talks in the college,
Sunday afternoon, February z. The
whole soul saving expedition came
with bibles, singing sister and breth-
erens, ex-convicts, ex-sinners, the Off
cial testimony-giVers who were saved
from sin and now repose safe in the
arms Of Jesus.
)ca 1frt ur CcfUu teofs
At p. m. the show began with
the gospel jockeys singing to the tune
of jazz music, "Jesus Satisfies Me-"
Then the usual testimony givers came
forth and told the 'boes how they
were saved. while Reitman walked up
and down the isle and repeatedly
warned the 'boes that any attempt to
disrupt the meeting would be quickly
dealt with. Keep quiet" Keep
quiet" Numbered Reitman time and
again, in the stentorian voice that
once peddled books for Emma.
The official bible-pounder mounted
the platform. The audience sat silent
expecting to hear something new from
the speaker. For fully two hours the
evangelist tore the hair off his head,
trying to convince the three hundred
men who crowded the hall that the
bible is the most wonderful book Of
all books in the world. It was a very
interesting experience to observe how
the men behaved during the evangel-
lists talk. They sat motionless and
expressionless all the while the evan
gelist raved about his wonderful book.
Not even one man applauded when
the raving evangelist gave away the
platform to Reitman.
On mounting the platform, Reitman
expressed his great Joy and satisfac
ton at having the students from the
Moody Bible Institute come to the
Hobo College, inviting them to come
again.
Next on the program was taking
the collection to defray the expenses
Of maintaining this college. Reitman
appealed to the three hundred men
that they should assume the respon-
sibility of financing this educational
institution; that they should pay for
their education, etc. The men remain
ed as silent as during the first part
OF the meeting.
The Official pan-handler went thru
the crowd with "the pam" while Reit-
man urged Kick in boys, kick in"