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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 29, 1895)
THE oarAITA DAILY BEE : SUNDAY , DECEMBER 20 , 1S95. i ifr LIFE AMONG THE HOBOES. * * _ ' * ! , ftc- An Otnnltn fltnn's Trnttip Tltroujth Arkansas , Texns , I tut Inn Territory nml Missouri. OT T T 75 ? ? 5 J4r'SJf ' ? ra it has boon ruld upoa vvliDt Is suppo l to lie excellent authority that one-half the poo- jilo In the norld do not know how the other half get along , It Is wltliln the bounds of truth to ay that not one person In fifty ha a fair Ideal of the Bufferings and hardships which the man/ endures who finds himself nt the b'KlnnliiK of winter out of money and out of work. Yet there Is not a city or town In thn United States that drei not odd one or jnoro names to the Iht of needy who must look to charity to lido them oxer until the re turn of Hiring , when work can bo found. That the number of men and women who n lt rcllff from the charitable orgfliilratlons lo on the Inrrcaea Is evident fiom the Increased amount of supplies annually distributed among the unfortunate. Still there la a targe num ber of men la every city who ha\e neither money nor work , but who , nevertheless , do not ecck alms from the relief committees , and yet It la a blustering day when they get left. They nro a clars luioun as hubocu , and It la with them thin nrtlclo has to deal. In October , 1834 , I was removed from my position an government tagger at South Omaha for reasons which It Is not nccc'unry to rtpoaC here. Klndlng , like IJuvy Crockett , my occupation gene , I resolved to leave this part of the country and seek employment elsewhere With this purpose In view I begin reading the want ads In the papers. At that tlmo there was a standing advertisement In The Doe which , as mar as I can remember , read oomcthlrg Ilko this- \VANTUD , 1 DOO M12N POrt MEMPHIS. All- knni-n City , Helena nnil l.ouUlnna Hood VVIIKM Ship IdtilKht. Krnmcr & O'11 earn , I.abar Agency , corner llth nnd 1'nriinm streets I answered this ad In person at the- little olHco 1n the old frame building at the corner of Hleventh and Farnam stieets , and was confronted by a young mm , who , for frigid dignity , was head , shoulders and body abo\o anything that It had ev r been my fortune to come acroBi. Indeed , so important was he that I could not get ji civil answer to the questions I asked him , and was obliged to go clsonhero to get the Information I vvaa sack ing There was another oneof those agencies close by , under the management of a Mr , Hubert ; , who had a similar place of business In Kansas City. A woman was In charge of the Omaha end , and to my Inquhlcs as to what a ticket to Memphis would cost was politely Informed $1050 As that was more money than I had In my poursslon I told her I would bo back next day and buy a ticket In order to do this I had to pawn my wntch , which I did , securing enough to purchase the ticket nnd have left $ J SG. BOUND POR MEMPHIS. , - The next day I went back to the offlce and paid In the { 10 GO , for which J got a receipt , and was told that the train would leave the Webster Street depot that night at 0:20. : There were nine of us bound for the uamo place , and as there was but the one ticket for the nlno we hid to stay together. We left Omaha the llth of December for Memphis , from which place1 we took boat up the river fifty miles and were landed at 1 a. m. In a dense forest. We camped In the woods for the night and the next morning started for the levco cimp , which wo found to bo two miles distant. It was my first experlenco In , a place of this kind , and In truth the ( list tlmo I had ever seen an > thing of the like. Wo were to receive $1.25 per day , with a proviso that we would bo dis counted 25 per cent If we left or were dls- charg'ed before we had worked twenty-six days. This proviso proved to be a financial success In two ways It enabled the con tractors to pay off their men at starvation wages , besides keeping them on the move , thereby making room for the new contingents ivhlch were arriving every day from the different employment agencies up the country. Tbero was one thing I noticed among the men nt the camp and which impressed me not a little. It was the utter Inability of the men to remain still , cither standing or sitting , for the shortest space of time. I could not Imagine the cause , and not wishIng - Ing to show my Ignorance by making In quiries , I resolved to smother my curiosity until the secret would bo out. I had not long to wait , as the third day after my ar rival I found myself shifting about In my Beat bcforo the evening flro. Somehow I had caught onto the custom of the camp , and was as uneasy as the rest of them. Indeed , so restless had I become that sleep was out of the question. In order to be satisfied In regard to my condition I went out Into the woods and examined mjself. I was forced to admit when the evidence was nil in that I had "got 'cm. " The m > stery was explained. The vermin weie GO thick in the camp that to a now beginner Ufa was made miserable until his cuticle KOt toughened by friction nnd ho by degrees cot used to It. Another thing about thosa comps , which was made clear If strong circumstantial evidence can make anything cleir was the understanding between the employment ngencles and the contractor to fleece the laboring man. I hive seen good men dis charged upon one pretext or another In order that the new men sent out by the different ngents , and who were guaranteed work , could bo given employment for a few days After working in this camp for two weeks I left In company with a joung man who vas also from Omnlm. Wo had coma to the camp together and had earned after the 25 psr cent discount had been deducted $7. Two dollars of this sum was given to reach Mem phis , In which place we expected to llnd something to do. Wo were not successful , Jiowovcr , and our funds getting low , we came to the conclusion to strike out on foot across the country. This we- did , nnd after two days walking without finding work of any Ictnd , wo reached a little town called Wynn. We had walked thirty miles that day , nnd were tired and hungry , but our money was BO nearly exhausted that a sandwich V\OB all that wo could allow ourselves for supper. This wo duplicated for breakfast and left the town that day In a drizzling rain and had Jiad walked twelve miles when night came on. Wo had but 3r cents In our possession , and as wo could not put up at a hotel for that amount , had to ask the privilege of oloen'ni ' ; In the pchool liousj for the night , vhlch was readily granted. We bought 20 cents' worth of checso and crackers for our supper , built a nro In the stove , and made ourselves as comfortable as clrcumBtances would permit. The , next morning we > started toward Helena , fifty miles distant. On this morning we had no breakfast , nnd about 0 o'clock wo parted with our last 15 cents for three cups of coffeo. On that same day Sumln > I gave my overcoat to a negro for two meals , the first we had to cat since our si eal of checso and crackers the night before In the school house. When night overtook us vvo built a flro In the woods nnd lay down to get Homo rest. How long I slept I ilo not know , for wo were- awakened by lirgo drops of rain spattering through the branches overhead. There was not a house within half n mlle , and the only shelter to bo had were the , trunks of the huge trees. Never before ImiJ I witnessed so grand a sight , Dash uftcr flash of lightning followed so close upon no another that each crag nnd limb looked Ilka an electric light. When the etorm was ovar wo restarted our firs , dried ourselves and slept until morning. That morning my companion gave away his over coat for our breakfast. Ho also sold his mackintosh for $1 to a section foreman. That afternoon It began raining again and about 4 o'clock wo went up to a planter's house and luXed to bo 'aken In for the night. The owner , n joung man of 30 , and single , said that wo wcra welcome If we could put up Nltli what he had to offer. This was not hard to do , considering that we- had had only one Ineal n day for the two days previous. This plantation was eight miles north of Il'lenu , and like all other places of Its kind , ouulda the sugar Elates , was on the retro- erado. Indeed , there Is nothing In the couth , wlicit will Impress the observer more than ( hog ? old plantations which are rapidly drift ing Into decay. Tiny no longer constitute the orbit of society , round which.tho sat ellites of fashion IrrlJIate. but are , on the contrary , deserted by ttiHr former owners , j\ho have left the country for the town. THi : OniOINAb 1101)0 ) , After suppir , Mr. Lowry , the gentleman Jvho owned the plantation , gave us a short history of Sandy Rowland , the original Ar kansas Tiavcller. Sandy , It scemi , wa qujta a tiobo In his day , but ho traveled on horse back Instead of oa foot and In box car * . All the world b * beard of him since the tvenlng he rode up to the cabin of Mr Jorcs and Inquired cotcrrnlng , the lay of th country. The conversation which took plac Is familiar to every school boy. "The mon arch of n shed" was sitting before his dee saw'ng ' on an old violin and was so busily engaged that he would not take time to answer Ho\vland's question * . To the Inqu'ry ' "Whero does this road go to' " was recelvei the reply , "It don't go ( fiddling ) nowhere It Is alwavs here In the morning when get up" Finally becoming exasperated a his non-siicc'ss In obtaining Information Sfndy asked with some asperity , "Why don' you play the other part of that tun1 Jpres , who had not stopped playing upon the one part of the tune , now arose , walked eve to his visitor , und said"Strang r , toke the fiddle and iilav It jours If" There , sit ting astride his horse , according to my In fotmnnt , was first played the other part o the tune , Known far and wide as the Arkan sas Traveller. It Is needless to Kay that thor was nothing too good for Sandy In the Jon rabln that night. Mr. I.owry stated till his father was personally acquainted vvltl Jones and that the facts ale , substantially as herein narrated. All over Arkansas cat bo found ImltnttiM of Mi Jones and I Is a vtryi pool family Indeed , where jou will not find n violin hanging on one of th four walls of the cabin. I have stood befor thOEo cabins on an evening , watching th master of the house , his body swaying to nnd fro , as though In mortal agony , th perspliatlon oozing from every pore , saw Ing awny a If his llfo depended on th > num her nnd variety of motions he could make These would-bo Ole Hulls are not conllnct to any ono locality , but nro found In th rural districts In nil pirts of the state Wh'n I was n boy I used to hear It said tin when a fiddler died he went neither to hel nor to heaven , but to a place called I'ldillT' Green , three miles below had s. If thn can be true , It Is evident to those who wlsl to Investigate that Tiddler's Green Is located within the borders of Aikansas. STRIKING THi : HOAD. After fating our breakfast next morning wo bid Mr. Lowry good by and started fo Helena , eight miles distant. Wo searched for employment the whole day after getting there , and , as usual , were unsuccessful Ou last GO cents , which remained from the sale of the mackintosh , was given for a bed. The next morning 1 asked a con ductor to carry us to Clarlndon , which he did It may not be out of place to state her1 , by the way of parenthesis , that sev eral yeirs of my life were spent as a rail road brakeman and switchman. I lm < work d as a switchman In the Union Pn clfic yards at Omaha In the spring of ' 93 and before leaving Omaha I called upoi Superintendent Sutherland and r celved a letter , duly stamped , certifying that my work while there was satisfactory and tha I had loft the service of mv own accord My government commission and remova servfd as a clearance In the great strike. After arriving In Clarlndon our first though was for something to eat. It was already noon nnd we bad not yet tasted food tha day. I had a watch chain which cost m $350 nnd which I tried to sail , but couU not get an offer on it. Wo had to hav something to cat , and to get It I gave th chain to a hotel keeper for our dinner After eating n hearty meal we went to th Cotton Belt depot. There was a frelgh train standing on the track headed In th direction wo wanted to go. I asked th conductor for a rldo to Jonesboro , show In ; at the same timemy letter and strike clear ance. After looking them over he told m to go back to the cabboso and get on. then told him about my companion , and wa told he could not ride unless he couh "show up" as I had done. I then aske. the conductor If wo could get Into an empty box car , and ho replied that If I rodewiti him I would have to ride In the caboose That sittled It , and we started up the trad on foot toward Brlnkley , which wo reachec nt 7 o'clock. That night we asked the mar shal to let us sleep In the Jail and give u our suppers , but be refused both requests Wo stayeJ in a saloon until 12 o'clock , when a train came along. We determined to rid this train , If possible , Into Jonesboro. My companion was to take our bundle , consist Ing of three or four shirts , some underclothing and a book , which I valued so much that : brought It along from Omaha. He was to got Into an empty box car , If there were any on the train , and rids to Jonesboro. was to rldo In the caboose and trust to 1115 letters to carry me through. If It happened that ono of us was put off the train , the one who was successful was to await In Jones bore the arrival of the other. I had no trouble In convincing the conductor that 1 was a railroad man in good standing , and was told that I could ride. We had gone about thirty miles when the train stopped at a siding to let another ono pass. My companion , not finding an empty box car that he could get Into , had got upon a fiat car. When the train came to a stand the head brakeman started over the train from tbo engine toward the caboose. My partner , who was still on the flat car , saw the light coming and endeavored to let himself down by reaching to the ladder on the side of the adjoining box car , but the night was so cold that bis hands had become benumbed and In trying to catch the rounds ho fel backward. In his fall he threw his arms behind him to , protect himself , and striking the palm of his hand against the frozen ground , ho broke his arm at the wrist. NO CASH , NO CURE. When we arrived nt Jonesboro we went straight to the railroad company's physician who wanted $10 for reducing the fracture Wo did not have 10 cents and made him aware of this fact. Ho was obdurate to our appeals and we left the olllce feeling very blue. Wo went to another physician , but when he found wo had no money he was as hardened und Inflexible as the first. Somewhat discouraged with our pad plight we made up our minds to seek the major and make known our unfortunate condition. Wo found the -mayor In his office , and after making our business known asked him It he could give us an order to the city phy slclau. He Bald that the city did not cm- ploy a physician. Then wo asked him If ho could not send us to some doctor and have him lire-suit the bill to the council for payment , to which he answered that there was no ordinance for anything of that kind and furthermore * that the city was not compelled to take care of every tramp that came along. As1 wo turned to leave , ho asked us with a leer that would have done credit to Mr , Hyde , If there was any fur ther Information that we would llko to have , to which wo simply answered "nothing , " and walked out. U was now 11 o'clock and we 1 ad had nothing to cat since the day before at noon. Something hail to be done to get out of the predicament wo were In. With a determination born of our sad situation wo came to the conclusion to go over tea a drug store near by , ask for bandages as though wo Intended to buy them , and when they were wrapped up take them , walk out , stand the consequences , whatever they might be , and sat the fracture as well as wo word able. To the drug ctore wo went und were Informed that they did not keep an > thing of the kind , but that there was a doctor's olllce next door where wo could gft them. With some misgivings wo entered the place and made our mission known. It was our last chance , as liq wag the only physician In town on whom wo had not called. Ho proved to ba a gentleman whoic humanity was not measured by dollars or cents , After setting the limb he stipulated to the patient that If he over found himself financially abU he would forward $10. This ho promised to do. Twenty-four hours bad now elapsed since our bit meal , and to say that we were bungry doe's not half express It. There were a number of brakemen standing In front of the hotel * of the town , and to ono of them I showed my railroad letters , ex plaining at the same time our present cir cumstances , and asked him If he could not Elvo us omethlnc to oat. Without ca > lng a. word he took us Into the hotel and ordered our dinner. When , our wants were mtls- Hed we had time to reflect upon the situa tion In which wo found ourselves. Whether to go back to Memphis where there was a hospital , or send t } Orpaba for money with which to return was th6 aubject of an hour's lebate. The Utter pan was preferred , end that afternoon my companion telegraphed borne fqr money. Hi secured a placa to joard oa bl promlss to pay > noon at tbe money nrrlVfd from home. I Mayed with him that night and next morning we bid etch other Rooiltiy and purled , A I'OI'tn AH UKSOrtT. We were going to 1'oplir Illuffs , Mo. , with the expectation of obtaining work as switch men , when the accident tvirratod above be fell us. I now started alone toward that point , which was about seventy-five mll-a from Jonesboro I reached Poplar Dluffs tometlmo during the night and was told by one of the braktmen that I could tiny In the switch shanty for the night. To the shanty I went , and found It to be a build ing obout fourteen feet square , and there were , by actual count , twenty-three hoboes , all In a wor t > fix than mjsclf , sleeping there that night nvcrv train that pulled Into the yards from either direction brought a number1 of theae poor wretches , and , strange as It may appear , they were all famll'ar ' with the location of the sw tc'i hou e I could not find nnv thing to do In I'cplar lllfffs and departed for Little Hock , which was 1S5 miles south. I ask'd a conductor for a ride , but was refused. His refusal did not cut much figure , however , as I got Into the. Ice box of a refrigerator car , which was In his train , and rode to l.lttlo llock without b'lng observed. Things seemc-d to be going from bad to wor e There was nothing to b3 had In the way of work at Little Hock nnd my appearance was commencing to look rather seedy. I had given nwoy my surplus clothing , and every little article that I poses9od , for something to eat. Now I had arrived at the end of the rope , soto speak and must approach back doors nnd depend upon charity like every other so- celled tramp. Another thing which 1 noticed was the fact that a man with n ragged coit and no monfy In bis pocket had on enemy In every policeman he chanced to meet. II n hoboe happened to se'k the shelter ol an empty box car to protect himself from the cold of a winter night , he wa ; , In all probability , arrested for trespassing or vag- rai'cy before morning. If ho went to the outtklrts of the city or town to build n fire to keep the blood from becoming chilled In hU half-clad body , It was more than likely that ho would b discovered by the eagle- ejcd Javerts nnd either got thirty dajs or be told to "movo on. " HUNGER'S LAST RRSOHT. From Little Rock I went to Tort Smith. I had read an advertisement In the St. Lculs Globe-D'mocrat to the effect that teamsters were wanted at Huntlngton , and ns It was thirty miles distant , I though' I would stop In Tort Smith until morning , as the saloons of the phcs kept open all night They were ths only places In town where n man without mon'y or friends could stop and not be molested. Delng weak from , JaaJng , I walked Into the country a mile or two to try and get my supper. It was the first tlmo In my llfo that I had ver asked for bread nt a private hous * without being able to pay for what I received. There was a largo house close to the railroad track upon my left , and to It I went. A girl was carrjlng In weed nnd to her I addressed myself. I asked lur If she would not allow mo to do some kind of work for my supper or anj- thlng In the way of edibles. She said they did not have nn > thing1 cooked , nnd that they wwe tired of feeding tramps who were too lazy to work. Try as I might , I could not keep back the- tears after this rebuff , so I sat down on the railroad and had a good cry. Over on the adjoining farm n man was plowing , and to him I went , telling him that I had no money , but was willing to do work of any kind for my supper. Ho said that he did not have any work to do , but that I could go ever to the house and teli his wife that he had sent me , cautioning me , at the same Urn ? , to look out for the dogs I was given a good supper and 5 cants by his wife , after which I returned to the saloon and slept on the floor for the night. The next day I left on foot for Huntington. About 4 o'clock In the evening It began raining Over In the wood there was a log cabin , before which a man was chopping I naked him If he could keep mo over night , telling him where I was going , with the remark that I would not bo able to reach It because of the storm. Ho made answer that his wife was not at home , but would be dliectly , and If I could wait until she ar rived he could let m& know. While ho was talking , bis vvlf ? came home. She had been out to one of the neighbors to- try and borrow some flour. It transplicd , as I leained the next morning upon taking my leave , that if she had been unsuccessful In securing the flour , they would themselves have had to go supperless to bed. He was a miner , but hid been out of work for some months and was In very hard circum stances , jet , with all their poverty , I was welcomed as though their wealth was un limited. Indeed , In my year of wandering through seven states and two teirltorles , I found It was the poor who were the most liberal givers Seldom , If ever , have I been refused a crust of bread at a poor man's home when I nskod for it. I cannot say this of the class that is known as the well-to-do. THE DOUIJLG CINCH. At Huntlneton I was given emplojment and worked thnre nine da > s when , for a trifling ciusec'lghteen ' of us were dlscrmged. I found tha same rule in effect here- that they had upon the levee , with this difference , that If jou left or were dlschaig- l before jou had worked twenty-six days , you were discounted 10 c = nt Instead of per twentj-flve per cent With such a rule in force It was Impossible for an > oue to pJmaln at work any length of time , when men were as plentiful as they were last winter. On leivlng Huntlngto-n I hid $3.95. The 95 csnts was given for rail road fare , the first and last I paid for trans portation until leaving Sioux City for Ne- b-aska , th-p fall following. When I got back to Fort Smith I bought a pilr of shoes for $1 , and after staying two days left the town with 5 cents in my pocket. I walked five miles to Van Bui-en , cronslng the Arkansas river on the Ice ( something unusual ) and left there that night In n box car for McAlIster , In th Indian Territory , 150 miles distant. It was a very cold nUht , the ground being cove-ed with saow and n strong wind blowing from the north. I staid In the box car until wo had gone absut twenty miles , when I came to the conclu'lon that I wouid have to get out or freee I chow thp former course , getting out and going bick to the caboose When the train had started and the con ductor saw me he was somewhit mirprlsed and wanted to know whsro In the d 1 I had coino fiom. I made him acquainted with the facts and told him I was a railroad nun gene to seed and was going over to McAlIster to go to work on the1 new road building there. 1 rods with him to AVagner , changing cars there nnd again at MUB\OBO ? , arriving at McAlIster twelve hours after leaving Van Huron. The next day I went out along the line and sacurej , a job on the giade. I worked tli-c'ro ' ten days , when I accidentally upllt my thumb to the bno handling rocks. As I was disabled from working , nnd not wishing to etay around the camp and pay board , I called for my time. I found the yimo rule of discount In force on thin road which marked the other camps In which I had worked. They also kept out of each man's pay 50 cents every mcnth aa a hospital fco , yet there was no place provided for thosj who chanced to get sick , and if mien a mis- Tortuno happened to befall anyone lit > hud to pa'y bis boatd or loivo thti camp at which ho was working , The only bsnefit received. If jenefit It could ho called , was the riding over : ho line of u so-callod doctor whti would dis tribute two or thros pills to each man onca a week , but not , however , without asking for : hem. There waa something llko $1,200 col- ectcil O3cli month from this source , and the brauty of the scheme was , that th ? promoters did not have to glvi an equivalent In return. Tho-o was , In one of the camps , a > oung man of 18 who waa taken down with the measles and who died of ne lttt and want of medical treatment. Vft , If he had only worked two da > s upon the construction of the reid be- 'oro ' ho died , the CO cents hospital fee would > o kept out of his wages. Hera Is a rece-Ipt which I received from a subcontractor for whom I worked- Section 57 , 4-4 , ' 95. Received of H. Haurl- gan f.0-100 dollars as doctor's fees for tbe nonth of April , ' 95. CULLIN BROS. The contractors who had the construction of his road were W. S Good , a man from Phila delphia , and Michael n. Kerr. clerk of the ast house of representatives. This man Good lad such a dread of the vvorklngmen along he line that he uluayj had a United States deputy marshal with him when he rode out. THE BOX CAR ROUTE. At the tlmo I left the road there was an advertisement In the Globe-Democrat to the fleet that COO men were wanted for the con- tructlonofa new railroad at Texarkana. As could not work for some dayi on account f my hand , I came to the conclusion to go lure. With this object In view I got InteL L box car at McAllister and twenty hours ater I was In Little Hock , 310 miles from rhere I started. An Incident connected with lit * trip may be worth rotating. At Wagner bad to take tbe Iron Mountain railroad , lecesiUatlng a change , as I had come from JcAlllster over tha Mlicourl , Kansas & Tctas. The brakeman on the Iron Mountain put mo Into nn empty car. H was a very d rk night , go dark , In fact , that object * along the track were Invisible through the partly open daor of die car. When the train started , I lay down ntnl went to sleep. I was awakened by the sound of music , which , as near ns I can tell , seemed to be coming from the roof of the csh I raised myself on my hand and listened. There was no cessation of the music and n fi-ellng rlmllnr to that felt by Jean Valjean when he first heard the cold clods roll down tiprin his coffin ltd passed through my body. Iknew that there was no ono In the car when I cot In , ns the brakeman - man had been there with his lamp. When I could stand the uncertainty no longer I cried out : "Hello , there. " nnd was answered In turn , "Hello , boss , has you'sa waked up ? " I was not alone , ns it ! transpired that my companion , who was d ncfero six feet toll , had given the brakeman 25 cents nt old Tort Gib son for n ride to Van Duren nnd had got In the car while I was asleep Ho had a moutl harp nnd was playing upon It , nnd It was that which awoke me. At Little Hock I In duced an emigrant who was bound for Texas to store me away In his car so that I would have no trouble In getting through the small pox quarantine nt Malvern. When Texarkana was reached I had Just n cents loft , and with It I bought n leif of bread nnd then started to walk out to where the work was going on At noon I stopped at n tie camp which was close to the track , nnd got my dinner Among the tie makers was n man who llvci In Omaha and who was Just on the point of starting for the place where I was going When dinner was over we started off together nnd had gone three miles when we came to the Red river. Neither of us had a cent with which to pay the ferrjman , and footmen were not allowed to cross the railroad brldno. The only way we could get across was con structing n raft. We got an nx from ono of the negro cabins close by nnd went to work Wo got the raft completed nt sundown , am everything being ready , got on and pushed out Into the stream. Wo succeeded In get ting across , but were almost a mlle below where we started In. Wo retraced our steps got back on the railroad and stalled on our Journey. H was now dark , nnd we wcro discussing the feasibility cf building a fire nnd camping for the night , when wo came to a saw mil and n large dwelling house , to which wo went nnd asked If we might sleep In the siwmtl for the night. Wo vvero told that we might nnd had turned to go , when wo were asked If wo had had any supper Upon our replying no , we were taken Into the house and set down to the table. It was the first and only tlmo while hoboclng it around the country that I was Invited to n meal. After our supper we went down to the saw mill and burled our selves In the shavings. When I awoke 1 looked for my companion , who had lain down beside me , but he had disappeared , nor have I seen him from that day to this. A USKLESS TRIP. After leaving the sawmill I wont up the track toward the work , but bad not gone far when I met a number of men returning from there who Informed me that because of a resurvey - survey 'the work had stopped and that I would be disappointed If I went. Wo all went hick to the river , lay In the woods until midnight and then stole across the bridge vvlillo the watchman was asleep. When across the river T left them , going to the tie-camp , while they went on to Tex- nrkana. I worked at the camp two days In my stay of n week , It having rained the balance of the time. At the end of a week the camp broke up , the men going to different places. Texarkana was only eight miles away , and to it I went. The town vvni quar antined against the smallpox , but I was not aware of It. At the'south ' side of town was a largo saw mill. The sawdust from this mill was convejed thiough Iron pipes a distance of about 100 jards from the mill and was con tinually burning , alorig with slabs and waste material. Around this fire were githered every night the hoboes who chanced to bo in town. On this night there were thirteen , be- s'des mi self , sitting1 around the fire. Never before had I seen such dejected or wretched specimens of humanity. , Some of them had not washed their faces for weeks , others were shoeless and Bockless as well na half- starved and filthy. To make our condition had set worse , a drizzling rain in which cast an additional gloom over the melancholy features of the llttfc group around the fire Sleep on such a night , in such a place , was not to be thought of , BO'wo ' sat down to wait for dajllght to appear. We were thus situa ted at 1 o'clock in the morning , when sud denly two policemen came up , conveying al thesime tlmo the Inf6rmatlon that we could consider ourselves under arrest. We were about to scatter In different directions when they told us that we need have no fear as wo would be given our breakfast and let go In the morning. We went with them and for the first tlmo I slept behind the bars. The next morning we were taken before the -major , who was a sort of Judge Jeffreys In his way nnd sought to magnify his own Importance by billttling ours. When he got through with us wo were put In charge of a guard and "drilled" five miles out of town. When the guards left us we scattered. Myself and another went through the woods and got over In the Texas part of the town , where wo got a leaf of bread from received no breakfast a friendly baker , having fast from tbe authorities by whom wa were arrested , A LESSON IN CHARITY. After leaving Texarkana I went to Den- nlson and sta > ed there two days The first evening I was In Dennlson I went out to g't my supper , calling at several houses and offering to work for what I received , but was refueed at every place. Somewhat chagrined at my nonsuccess In abtalnlng something to eat I was about to give up trying and wait until morning , when I saw a man making Hover beds In a garden which was attached to a largo brick house. In fact it was one of the largest and finest bouaas In Dennlson. I went up to the nun and asked him If I could not assist htm and get my supper In return. He wld , "My friend , I am sorry , and If I could afford It I would willingly comply with your request , but " ho continued , "you see how I am working. " Across the- street was St. XavIer'B college , and to It I went. When I got Inside the yard I v.as confronted by about fifty girls , varjlng between the ages of 10 and IS. I would have retreated , but I was io ncrvade the * " - - . . . . C"7UI1 MI4V4 W * * , place as soon as I was percelv-ed. I walked up to the sister who was upon the porch and told her the reason of my visit. With out asking me any questions I was taken nto the kitchen and given all I could eat jesldcs a lunch in my pocket when I was 'olng. That night there was an open moet- ng In behalf of the A. I' . A. , and some cyclone or other , as they called him , was ? olng to speak , and , having nothing elro to do , I attended. Imagine my surprise , If you can , when upon entering the hall I leard the man who lived In the big brick louse and who had refuted me my supper , denouncing those who had fed mo aa vicious and uncharitable. 1'rom DennUon I went back to McAllister , riding In the hay mow of a stock car. from McAllister I went across the country to Oklahoma City on foot , a distance of 120 miles. Trom Oklahoma City I rode the Santa Fe railroad Into Kansas City. There was at that time In Kjansas City an Insti tution called "The Helping Hand. " It was kept up principally by donations from the charitable people of the" city nnd was supposed - posed to bo run upon the same plan as characterized the management of Rescue Hall In Omaha In the winter of ' 93 and'94 , But how different was the reality from the supposition ! Every evening there was preaching there by one of tbe pastors of the city , in which the management would take the leading part In the tinging and prayers. But when tbo xercl e vvero over th& fangs of the wolf would appear through the sheep's clothing. Indeed , the , men would leave the place and seek tbo shelter of saloon * and sleep ou their floor for the night before they would stay at the Helping Hand and take the abuva that would tie helped upon them. A FAMILIAR FACE. There was no work to be bad In Kanias It was th ro that I saw the flrit familiar face I had eee-n since leaving Omaha. It was that of the aaiUtant cashier of the Stock Yards bank , who was riding on a street car. I tried to look unconcerned , and thought I wculd not bo known In my hoboo ftttlre , but I know that I was recognlzid , and the fact , at the time , did not tend to quiet my peace of mind. From Springfield I went buck to Arkansas and went to work at Siloam Springs. I worked there nine days and then left , going across tbe country on foot tvv nty-five miles to the San Francisco railroad , where I took a box car and rode Into St. Louis. It was now tbe middle of May and I thought It would ba no trouble to got work of oma kind In St. Louis , but the tup- ply of men was full to overflowing. I staid In the city ono month , Retting a day's work now and then find sleeping In box cars itnd lumber piles , when I could not find anything to do. The 16th of Juno I went out Into th < country and went to work harvesting , worked here until the Mh of July , when got what money was owing m > , which I stnt to Omaha , except four dollars , for the watch which I had pawned the fall before When It arrived , I started off for the harveo field of the north , and rcnch'd Minneapolis by box cir pas age In throe dnjs. U wni my Intention to go to North Dakota , bu there were s many men going that waj that I came back to Albert Lea , going ou to the west rn part of the state. I was to < soon for th harvest , nnd , as my money hai Riven out , I had to do ns the rest were doing , tlmt Is , forage on the potato patches of the neighborhood. A week lal r there was plenty of work for every one at good wages I workel there three months nnd then re turned to N braskn , somewhat wiser , bu not much better off financially than when left. STATISTICS OP IDLKNESS. How many men are there on the rcat out of cmplo > ment7 That Is a qucstloi hard to answer with any degre ? of accuracy It wMl b remembered that during the Herr Harvey debate In Chicago , one of the con tc&tants gave It as his opinion that there were 4,000000 tramps In the Unltci States , who could not find work. The oilier controvcrUd this statement with governmcn statistics , siIng that there were not more than half that number. Government statistics In regard to this bruich of Information arc Incorrect , for the reason that census enumerators do not go to box cars , lumbT plies nnd barns for the purpose of counting noses. Every tlmo the census Is taken n largo number are over looked , nnd they nro In nearly every cas those who have no flxexl residence nnd are commonly known ns tramps. So , In my judgment , If one of the disputants failed to hit the bull's cje , tbo other missed the tur get altogether. A great many klnd-heartfd men nnd womci are laboring under the false Imprcslon tha If the charitable people would r-fuse to feed the hordes of Idle men , their numbe wculd roon bo diminished , This Is a sai mistake , ns the supply of men Is In < xces of the amount of work there Is to do. There U another phisD of the question which few realize , and that is , that it Is a harder tnsl for a strong man to cat th bread of clmrltj than It is to work nt honest labor. To be sure , there are professionals , or "Johnnie Yngens , " ns they call themselves , who wll not work for money cr bread. They hav ? a cheek of adamant nnd will beg clothes , money etc. They are fellows who carve thel names , or , to be more carrcct , the name they give themselves , upon box cars , section houses and water tanks. Th y have a Ian KUago particularly their own , which is be yoml the comprehension of n ftrst-clas linguist. Among themselves they are known by such high sounding titles as Ohio Red San Francisco Pete , Alabama Slim , and BO on. Th y constitute a very small per cen of the men op the road , and between them and the hoboes there Is a bill r enmity which occasionally finds vnt In blows. EMPLOYMENT AGENCY EVILS. The worst obstacle at the prcssnt time which the laboring man finds along his way Is the omplojment agent. You may notch I In jour memory aa absolutely true , that when an emplojment agent advertises for a largo number of men , in nine cases out of ten the agent and contractor hnvo a compact with each other that bodes no good to the men sent out to work. There may be men enough tvvlcs over at the places to whlcl they are shipping , but that make no differ ence with them , and as long as they can In duce men to pay their fee they will bo profuse - fuse with the promises of steady work nnd good pay. So pernicious has the evil be come that some contractors will not employ anjono who does not come through nn em ployment office. An emplojment agent by the name of O'Mera , whoso place of busi ness Is on Walnut street , and I think , b ° - tween Sixth and Seventh streets , St. Lotil" had a standing advertisement In all the principal papers of the city to the effect that men were wanted to shovel coal. The wages for this work were $1.50 per day , and were paid every Saturday night , and besides the work was In the cltjAs there were be tween 6,000 and 10,000 men Idle In St. Louis at that tlmo who had nothing to eat and no place to sleep I thought it strangs why such an opportunity should bo let pass. Hero was the chance that I was looking for , anO although it was Saturday afternoon I de termined not to let It slip , so to the ofllco I went. On reaching there I was told tint it would cost me $1. I had but CO cents at the time , and told him so. Ho was then willing to take GO cents , sajlng that the other half dollar would be kept out of my wages at the works That was enough , as the same old "nigger In the woodpllo" was plainly visible to my mental vision. Had I paid the fee It would only have been a day or two until I would have been dis charged to make room for some other man who had been sucked out of $1 by those human leeches. There should be n law enacted In every state of the union , making It a misdemeanor for any person to run an employment agency. As at present constituted they are a sort of a custom house , where the poor man haste to pay a tax In order to bo given work. It may sound strange , but It Is nevertheless a fact , that In this day and generation men who have committed no crlmo are arrested by the dozens and thrown Into Jail simply because they cannot find work and have no money. The more fact that some pollc0- man has a suspicion that a poor footworn creature is not altogether right is deemed sufficient evidence not only to arrest him but to sentence htm for thirty days at hard labor. This vicious practice la doing more toward Increasing the number of criminals than all other causes combined. RICHARD HAUHIGAN. Fremont , December , 1895. An OIil Solillrr Cured of Chronic Dliirrlioca. During the war John L Ilase of Mill 3roek , lii. , contracted chronic diarrhoea , which Inconvenienced him very much , and at times greatly Impaired his strength. Ho says : "Ono dose of Chamberlain's Colic , Cholsra and Diarrhoea Remedy has always relieved me , ard two doses cased me so that I could at once go about my business. I alwajs cecp the Remedy at hand. " ins 1'iiiim AVAH WOUMJIMJ. Iiiillnn KlKliU-r AVIui I ' "on ml 1111 I'naii- Iu-fc'Iu < I > c 'I'oiiHorluI ArtlNt. The man who was "next" no I took a chair In the barber shop , saya the Detroit r"reo Press , had hair down on his Bhouldcrs , he regulation cowboy hat , and at the cnJ of his wntch chain dangled the claw of a grizzly boar. The barber who was ohavlng me looked the man over , but didn't eay anything , but after a bit the other observed : "Quito a change from Indian territory to New York City. " "You have been out vvcjt , eh ? " "Yes , sir. " "Hunting rabbits ? " ' "Rabbits ! No , sir ; Indians. " "Oh ! Find any ? " "You bet ! I have seven scalps In my runk. " "Yes. What did they cost you apiece ? " "Cost me ! " shouted the wild and woolly. 'Why , hang It , I was wounded In three places ! " "Gun go off accidentally ? " "No , It didn't. What sort of a man are you , anyhow ? " "Beg pardon , but can they ralso nrtl- hokes out there ? " "Artl-Hallfax ! Why don't you ask how many Indians I killed at Wounded Knca ? " "Anybody wounded In the knee out there ? " asked the barber , as ho reached for the bay um. "Bad place to bo woundtd lu , I broke my knee cap onco. Next ! " "Not by a Jugful ! " exclalmel the -watting man , as ho reached for his overcoat. "I vas Intending to have a hair cut , shave and got my whiskers djcJ , but jou're not the nan lo do It. I'll go to lorn * chop where hey kn&w Eomethlng nnd have gumption nough to draw a feller out. " Old I'fiiiilc. Old people who require medicine to regulate he boweU and kidneys will find the true emedy In Electric BIttnra. This medicine does not stimulate and contains no vvhlikey nor other Intoxicant , but acts as a tonic and Iterative. It ucU mildly on the stomach nd bow eli , adding strength and giving tone o the organs , thereby aiding nature In the lerformnnco of tbe functions. Electric Bit ers Is an excellent appetizer and aids dlgfu- lon , Old people find It just exactly what hey need. Price fifty cents per bottle at Cutin & Co.'s drug ctoro. OF NEW YORK. RICHARD A. McCURDY , President. Statement for the year ending December Of st , 1894' liSCOMK. lU-i-rlvril for premium * . . . . . . . . . , , , . . , . . . .if.KI.I-Il,1lin S2 I'rom nil other < itirev * . . 1 lst)7VOtl , IS f IM , msoi > t > 4 DISIUlltSKMENlS. To pulley liolilrrn for rlnlins li > ilenth . $1 1.0-0.704 04 To policy holder * for emlim menls , lUvltleiul' , elc 11,1.1 ! ) , IDS 14 for nil other ueeouiitN 0,7s | ) , < m 18 ASSISTS t'liKed ' SIntci lioniln nnil other rriirltle * , . . . . . . , . , . $ St : , ! > 70 , < IW > 07 , rirnt llfii loan * on 1mml nnil mortmiKC > Tt.it.'tl ) . 115 OU IiOiitiM mi NtoekN nnil lioiiiti , I lil,100 : ( ! ( < )0 Ural estate i ! ! , ( ! ! > ITIKI Hit OilHli In linnl.M anil tru > i ( eonipmiiles. . . . l > , ( ir > , * VtllH ) Dt AcorntMl Iiiti-reiit , ili-fcrieit pi fiiiluni < < , i > li > , ( IIt ! . " > , ( ! IT OT HOHITIC for iiolloloN nnil other lliilillltlt" * , roiiiimii'N ntiitul- nnl , AincrliMUi I jier i-ciil S51SU.1OI ) , I Ml 11 suriiiiiH . . . .1 ? _ ' _ , r ii > , : tii7 su Iiiniirnnro nnil ninitiltlcM iixnuiutMl nml ri-iu-vv nl . TrO-IT7 ( ( ! 07 Iiiniirniioo nml nntiiiltloM In foroiDee. . Ill , IMM. . . . . . . hrir > , ' - n7i77HIII I lin > c carefully examined the fitreuoliiK Mtnleiiieiit mill Unit ( he niiina to lie eorreet. Oil Vltt.US A. 1'lt | . ; iliit , A ml I tor. From the surplus a dlvklctul will 1)2 npportloncJ ns usual. The statement of The Mutual Llfo Insurance Company at Now York for the year ondlnp December 31 , 1S94 , exhibits as the result of one > cir'B business the followliiR' Inereiine lit tolnl liieoine 1 ? < lOtl7,7-t 20 Iiiereaso In premium Ineoiue H.r. .S r H IncreiiHO III tiNHetH 17IK1l,1ln Sa liicretiNo In nnriilnn lr > 7ll,71S Ol Increiinc of liiMirimoe. mill niinultlcH In foree r.lOUt : , ( > : it OO Report of the Examining Committee. Office of the .Mutual Life Insurance Compjit } of No" York. H Fobrnnry 7 , 805 , At n racothiR of the Tlonrd of Trustees of Hits Company , belli on the 2IHh day of December last , the untlorslfjnetl ivoio appointed a C'oinmlttoo to oxtunino the nnnunl statement for iho ycnr ending December 31 , ISO I , and tovotlfy the same by compatlson with the ussots of tbo cnmpaiiy The Conunlitoo have carefully performed the the duty assigned to thorn , and hereby certify that the statement Is In all imi tlenlars cjrtoct and that the assets spoolllod therein are In possession of the Company. In matting this eorliflcato the Committee bear testimony to the hijrb charac ter of the investments of the Company and express their approval of the system , 01 dor. and accuracy with which the accounts and vouchers have been kept , and the business in general ti ans.iclod. H. C. VON POST , Cium.ns E MILUH , THKO. A. TI.VVHMI J. IIOIJAUT IIUKKICIC , ClIAltLKS U. llKNDLHbON , ROlinitT SUVVCLL. MANAGERS FOR IOWA AND NEBRASKA OMAHA , NEBRASKA. . . . Furniture Co.- Furniture The best assort ment and newest designs at the lowest prices. Brass and Iron Bedsteads 1115-1117 Farnam. from $4 to S50. . JlnnUli , btrtiliKth and VJjtnr TO A RIPE OLD AGE. 'Ilioslnaof joutliful Isiiornno , the dissipation , llio\\mkiioatlImtruViiuLjnhr ] to murilogu tlieio are Ilio tiling Jint nro ilully iiliinUiiK IliouwmU of imu lutu ncum'ltloii cr utter ruin Tbo vuistcd parts. eMiliiloriniipr\c > usi ] < Finn < l iihjlcal ilt.bllily iillriHuliliii ; from ciljusfsnml 1'xcciic1) , continue to nnptlio llfonnny rlinply licuuinii IliOHUlTerorlM liluluiornncctatooliuMi * f ul , too fur 6o o I n n nhrliiMng t ( .ur of discovery ( o make UIIOWM li'fl ' condition or to biok cut n filoiid , U 1 1 UiU liickofcournBe , Uilsbllclilltiff , tmtknard fimr ttmt Imi prompted me tuinnko Unovvn torn , ry man , \u' k mill vvnrn nut from < lliilmtlou ) or necret fins , tlmt tlu ro li a clmiico fur you , mi opportunity v. iiurcby jou ninylu lifted out of tlmtntatoof dr > al nod ilrrpulr ton liojiny condition < f c l f rc prrt nn 1 minify cour- n-f. I , too , ha I cotrotly ( .ulTircd fur > r I ) lit tlirouith tlionjoncyofiir irinrkl ) > run I > I.im nowu Imjipy , vigorous limn eiijos ( UK to tlif f ullcst monitiro tlie litesalnes und pmlle/j"n / Hint only ( omploto manhood can litatotv , I " 111 oenJ ( boalucl ) tlia rirlpo of this wonderful rnmily Kill ; ! ; to nuy uulTiirer vvlio will wrltu tuino. Ilcured miiufifrinrryllitMKflso ja4 failed , au-t II will cure jou. Addrosi , < ! . H.Mullcr , IJox )320 , KulauinzooMlcli. Searles SPECIALISTS IN Nervous , Cliroilu mid Private WEAK ( HEX All I'rhntu DUn.iin unit DUiiriloriuf Moil I riuitmi nt liynull CUIlHIllUltlOU frOB SYPHILIS nd IirJCTAI. UUJEIW. IIYUHOCKI.K ANI > VAHICOCKLi : permanently and u < xe fuly ! cured. Method new and unfalllnf. STRICTURE AND GLEET uuv inelhod without pain or cultl&v Call on ur addrtu with itamp Ur Scarles & Searlcs 110 H. lltliSt , , , , 0.m.a.NoU ! , ( My mama us-id Wool Soap ) ( IwltUmmoaA jyOOL7 ? < YS\vl\lnotslirlnk \ It _ . , _ , , , ' mcd In flic laundry , \rnol8oaplsi1cllcntennilrufrfililiiulorliutlii ur- poses 'Ilio liostoli'iinscrIIIIH burnt yuurdialen. 0 wo BliLu : toilet ana ) .iuiili7. Kawortli , Scliodde t Co. , Makers , Chlcaro. .ICfmllmiiM llottnu. in Lonnnnl rU , Nuw Vcirk.V.7 CJjuMuut. tJL.Bl. Louis. f Mclifif < % i''i rnjtlfgn iiiumunn ifrana. Orff Inulfind Otiljr ( jtnul lArCi aJaj > r lUbli. IADII Uruttlit fur LMckuttrt fil l < 4 tilt nmklUiaaittt Ilrrtuji 6uUliitlilUo boi i E ftlfrl MltL llu * rll Um * other * Iltfutdangtrtul I int/afvru At 1'ru/iiili , or ien44i * , ft ( , ' ropi for itrlloulail uitlniotilkU auj * I'lttllLt furl nlltf"lnltiiir.ljrclurt ' -V ff' 5 > .4ii. . . N. - / fliliIir l . ' " KM Ur U L * . ! Uruuii'uT l'iaiid' "T' I J'l'MMUMlHlreeiA'J'iiil.nlgni , t ( HICK Hnrrinnl lurrlil urliaciU I Use ttaiiJtaj tsatisfied. . * r fVOH MOHL CO. . SoU 4utrfm ! Jl ioli , Uuilmitlt , CM ) , CURED AS IF BY MAGIC , Victims ol Lost Manhood uliotild ecml nt OIHO lor n boolc Hint , or plains how full iniuily vlifor IB laully , quickly nnil poriimnoiitly luloioil. h'oiniin milforlnu from weakness can af ford tnlgnoiothu timely iiilvluv. llook tolla liow full etruiKtli , do velnnmetit and tone ino d to eturj portion of . tliu body. Bunt vtllh Y > oaltlvi proof t ( dtulod/i ) ce to any inuuon upiillcutloa ERIE MEDICAL CO , , BUFFALONYf