The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-11-30
BY TERRY DONOGHUE.

ID LGALAN OA4s
Copyright 1882. by the New York World
Telegram Corporation)
T CLAWED at the door. I was
4 locked in the box car alone.
The man who had helped me into
it at High Hill, Mo, had dropped
off while ] was asleep.
For what seemed hours I tugged
at the door; it did not bulge.
The car was notionless, appar-
emily on a siding.
Sweat formed on my forehead;
I had read of hoboes being found
dead in box cars.
Suddenly I felt the tin1bers
move under my fingers; metal
scraped against rusty metal and
the door opened about two feet.
A cone of light picked me out;
my hands we're appraised, just as
I had pulled them back from the
door.
Come on out" I was ordered.
I jumped to the ground.
The man holding the light
looked me over silently, then
said
"You hoboes are always trying
to kill yourselves. If it wasn't for
us bulls, half of you would be
dead Where are you going?"
kansas City"
"This is Moberly This train is
breaking up and then going to
Omaha. DO you want to go to
Omaha?"
mo, thanks"
Cali right, then head for town.
You ought to be able to get bed
off the night Waterman. You'll
see him up around town.
I thanked him and hurried to-
ward the lights.
I walked quickly through the
cold, deserted streets until came
upon the night policeman. I asked
him if he could give me bed for
the night.
ct guess we can," he said, and
gave me directions to the city
lodging house, located in an alley
near the railroad yard.
THE lodging house was a one
Il story building that had been
built as a garage. I pounded the
door for minutes before a tall
man came, pulling on his pants.
He opened the door and I en-
tered a large room in which thirty
or forty men slept in cots. I was
told to select cot from a pile
in a corner.
The cots were steel, with springs
attached to the frames. I select
ed one and set it up as close as
1 could to pot-bellied stove that
threw off heat in the center of
the room.
placed my coat over the
springs so they would not cut into
me too deeply. In a short while
was asleep.
IN what seemed a few minutes
I was shaken awake. I looked at
the clock near the door 1t was
little after 6; three hours sleep.
looked around. Most of the
men wore overalls.
AS I dressed, I noticed on the
wall near the counter at which
the clerk had registered me a
sign which read: Check In and
Check Out; One Night Only" Be-
low it was placard on which was
printed a complete freight sched-
ule listing trains going in all di-
rections.
Stiff and sore from my sleep
on the springs, I stood beside the
stove. Other men formed in
small groups and discussed towns
and trains.
I heard one Of them say: This
town always has been good. The
back doors will always feed YOU"
Two uniformed policemen en-
tered and stood beside the door.
One of them called: "All right,
boys, on your way" AS we passed
them, they looked at our faces.
+ Il Il
T STOPPED on a nearby corner
Il and watched the men leaving.
Some walked toward the railroad
yards and others walked in the
direction of the nearby residential
district.
A little fellow, foreign, carrying
a small canvas bundle on his back,
walked past me.
"Where're all the fellows go
ing?" I asked.
Some of them who have coffee
are going to the jungles, but most
of them are hitting the restaurants