New Britain herald., 1930-01-18
COLORFUL HODGES
 VANISHING TRIBE
Absence Recalls Days When
 They Were Numerous

Thsy seldom come 10 town uo~1- dey-. but when they 3o thr} are an attractive lot. these knights of the road. tramps. puns. hoboc> or Wha.- ever else society secs tIt 10 call them. Arlracrvr' Surely not in the awy a pretty girl attracts. nor evcG a smart stepping race horse. but with a sort or appeal that comp.ts on 70 take 4 second looH. and, if ih" street Is not too greatly pcopt"l a he uomc1' eNeu To stop for d chat,
 legion and the good Housewives ot N,w Britain knew them from year tn year. They had their regular route 10 trav.l and II sook them though Connecticut Iom one '.5.I 10 thc other on a schedule that did l:ot vary nor" than day or two o|rr lOue period Of time. Thv.t Was tho old fellow with tll. "rn"I- marics" who NucW every uitchln- post rom south Mau street to I.a- s@llc, and from East street 10 Bur- riu. Ela wanted a hand out" and ncIhnE mor. Ic never asked for uonry or clothes. nor did he cNu,. .i fo be given the hospitality of Ihc kitchen Do him up 9 package of sandwiches and give hju, Il few 4p- plts which h" dropped into his hsGgy pockets, and away he Wru It, has not been in Now Britain in a long time.
 Chalk Mark signals
 Then there Wor.. Ih" palr who made practice Of trailing each other through street after sire. :, never doubling over and angcriu: anyone who might ho willing to feed one but not two. For several ycars they "pIayed' Now Britain and the wonder of If was that they tray,l>l tCGothcr, for they were no more alike in any respect than lion anl a mouse. They had their code of sig uals consisting of chalk marks on curbstones at street intersections Nhich enabled them 10 covsr the entire city in short time anI never lose track O. the trail
 \ few weeks ago. a typical hobo had nights lodging aJ the police station Of course he gave uag,c and address before going 10 his coil, but that is only a formalitN and uo- bCdy cared whether he claimed Tntsficld or Detroit or any oth.r place as his home town. As n ma ter of fact. he probably had been i1 both places and hundreds of others many many times. SO it maUorcd li,- tlc what city Was written bcsid" h;s name.
 still Have Conventions
 II" had Il story to tell if anyone cared 10 hear il, and little question: nI was necessary to draw him ou Do the hoboes still have their con \eutions along the liuc"" "W,l. rather. and what conventions thrt arc." They still turn up in grour- and slngir. carrying their cakes of soap carefully wrapped in uaW@pa- p"rs, and their lazors and knives. buttons and safety pins, urari." tltro". four or half Il dozen coats alI shirts and their three or four pair, O. socks. They know here 10 "hidn i'm when the Ncathcr makes the go mg too rough, and they are nev9r 2t a loss for their three meals q day, although the monu is moi a,- raNs to the .Nact dictates Of th",". taste
 Increased vigilance Of railroad po- I:ce, the geno,Yl use Of automobiles and motorcycles by city. town alI ala,e troopers and the numerous other modern adjuncts Of law cu- forcement bodies have had their .t- feet on hobo life. however. take II from this 'W"arN Willie" Getting out Of q city no longer means 10 take walk down the railroad trac%s for a mile or two, there 10 camp ol the roadside and turn back for aa- other try al The kindness Of the mistress of the kitchen. Fast 1rHv- cling policemen pass by too often. and the penalty for VAGrancy n some places Is too severe for t5c