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Show The Tramp's "Union." While .conducting some personal sociological so-ciological researches on the trnmp question, and the best means of Its elimination, I frequently had occasion to travel via the Uox-cac route, In order or-der to properly obtain light upon the Inner life of that strange animal, the cenus hobo. I will never forget the first trip I took this way, nor the remarkable-knowledge on tho question I gained during It and Vsuccesslve Journeys. Jour-neys. The tramp of experience Invariably Invaria-bly travels alone, works a town alone and journeys through life entirely alone, except those of the "yegg-." or criminal olasswho work in' gangs. But. on the occasion I mention, I managed to persuade a hobo who had "hit me up for do cash-' (synonymous with pan-handling," meaning to bes money) mon-ey) to take me under his guidance for a while. Being about to question the trainmen concerning the freight's leaving, leav-ing, I was sternly admonished bv my experlenced friend, who warned me not to go "shootln' do gaff at do shack" (talking to the trainmen). A tramp aslts no questions he flnd3 out all he desires to know, and then boards his train unobserved. We "got a feed box " and my sage counselor proceeded to "pipe de shack," -by sundry squints through tho crack, between the lid and the top of the ear. It Is always of importance im-portance for the hobo to know whether the front brakeman has passed from the engine, over the top, to tho caboose ca-boose or not. If he has, all is safo until un-til the next stop Is approached. But after traveling a' few miles, tho brake-man brake-man discovered us. He was "good " however, on the production of 25 cents from me and thef union card of my friend weary, "a union card," said Weary, "Is de hull tip. Dese brakles Is all B. R. T. ' (Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen); and' dey believes in helnln' de union man." "What do you work at?" I inquired "Me work!" A look of disgust spread over his face. "Dis ls 'phony (a misrepresentation) mis-representation) kid. I stole dte wid a card ye kin gen'rally rider wldout it yo gits trun off. See?" Jack Hale in The Pll-rlm. e ,n |