xt7228051k2r https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7228051k2r/data/mets.xml Lexington Transient Service Bureau Kentucky Lexington Transient Service Bureau 1934-08 volumes, 28 cm. Call Number: HV4506.K4 A75 newsletters HV4506.K4 A75 English Kentucky Emergency Relief Administration Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection The Ark newsletters Kentucky Emergency Relief Administration Lexington Transient Bureau Homeless persons -- Kentucky -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945 Homeless persons -- Kentucky -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945 Migrant labor -- Kentucky -- 1929-1945 Labor camps -- Kentucky -- 1929-1945 Transients, Relief of -- Kentucky The Ark No.3, August 1934 text image The Ark No.3, August 1934 1934 1934-08 2026 true xt7228051k2r section xt7228051k2r

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The ARK is soiling peacefully along over a smiling sea 7i\
with all sail set and the Wind off the starboard quarter. 753
Two bells has just struck in the second dog watch, and all 2;
ands are gathering on the fo'castle head; smoking, ysrning, {9
and discussing the happenings of the my and what's going iii
on in the world.

"Now you take these Tra sient Bureau," said ”Barnacle
Bill." "There's lots to be said both for and against them."
He paused, and spit over the Windlass. "To some men they
are just stopovers on a jaunt around the country, and to
others they have become a hangout that is destroying all their
initiative. To most of the men hewvvir, they are an oasis in
the desert of unemployment. Some of these men have ideas."

"Well, I've got a few ideas I'd like to breach,” slls
out Ed Brady from he chartroom, "but I‘m too busy to put 'em
down in writing. "Me too," hollers Maclnvaills, sliding down
a beckstsy from the crows nest. ”And me," cries out Jerry O'Dsy
coming forward from tho lszerette with a jug of limejuice.

And so they comet Half of the crew have ideas, and the
other half just eat, drink, and are nmrryl But they are ready
to explain to all and sundry just what they think of the
situation. We'll let the boys who are still on watch get an
esrful of this talk around the windlnss on the fo'csstle head,
and while some of it may be tripe and some of it wisdom, at
least it's just about what the boys are thinking and saying
out loudt

The Skipper will take it down as it comes and also take
all the blamol So gather round no hearties, and put in your
our next time if you want to. It’s your privilege, and there's
plenty of room on the fo'cestle head. ”Steady on your course,
keep her full and bye."

*>3<******=‘=*>k*:k***715*

Frank Perry Ed Brady

Editor Mimeogrsphing work Illustrator
supervised by Frank P. Linkenberg

a Gusto Office, Kentucky Emergency

Relief Administration, Louisville, Ky.

/* fir£l2§///

We heard that this was a good
Bureau! No work, good eats, and
Plenty of clothes for the asking.
Now they want to Send us out

To a camp, to sweat and toil
Working on a dun!

Not what we expected - not by a dam site:

we ate somehow

When we had our freedom;

And laid down in the shade

When we got good and ready;

And we stemmed our smokes alright}

So what the Hell - let's go:

:7‘< >3: * 2k :j<

*“ DKEES//

At my we rise
Salute the Flag
Another day is born.
We gird ourselves

To do a good days work 9
Before the sun goes down.

0-.

naiting for better times - and working while we unit

We have no money

(‘1

in pay for what we eat;
But we have strong right arms

And a willingness to Work;
And that's a fair exchange:

30 what the Hell — let's go!
F *>
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Camp Elkhorn is situated on Elkhorn Creek, about ten miles from
Lexington and four from Georgetown.

We found ”Barnacle Bill" sitting on one of the fourteen blocks
cut from derelict tree stumps that are used as camp chairs. He was
pushing a match stick into the ground — out of sightl The camp was
so spic and span that we felt like wiping our feet before entering:
All the tree trunks were whitewashed, and the khaki tents made a pretty
picture against the green background of tie trees lining the creek. Old
Glory waved from a pole near the Headquarters tent. It was about three
o'clock in the afternoon, and most of the men were swimminr in the creek.
I asked Bill how he liked the camp.

”It's swell out here," he answered. "I wouldn't go back to Lime—
stone Street on a bet. We sleep under cover every night, and wake up
feeling like a million dollars: No smelly socks and dirty clothes to
sleep next to, and no bad air. WC get plenty to eat, and the way these
boys work is a caution. Let's go down to the dam and look it ever.”

The dam was a hundred yards away. It had been built originally by
slaves, but the center had washed away years ago. The rocks had been
cleared from the bed of the stream, and the voter was about two feet deep
at this poin . Up stream the water was over six feet deep and formed a
good swimming hole. A recent storm had made the water a muddy yellow,
but that made no difference to the fellows splashing around in itl

”We shall have a concrete mixer here in a few days,” said Bill, and
then we shall build forms and pour concrete and rocks in this broken part
of the dam. We have several men here who are familiar with this kind of
work, and they are taking charge of it. Down stream.we plan to put up
another dam about two hundred yards away. The idea is to plant fish in
the pools fonned by the dams. There's a fish truck coming in now, let’s
see what they have."

A truck with half a dozen big cans in the back drew up to the banks
of the creek. We watched them bail out hundreds of catfish and newlights,
all about four inches long, and all hands helped dump them in the creek.
Soon there'll be good fishing here!

”Te’ve cleaned up all that hillside," said Bill. ”We cut down the
weeds in that bottom too and we’ve built up this end of the dam away from
the creek and filled up a lot of hollows with earth. we’ve unloaded
several truck loads of rock and built walks all over the place. We have a
fire going all the time to" burn the trash and to heat water for the
kitchen. Must be about chow time now. Let's go back."

CAMP ELKHO‘RN

Just then a bugle call came from Headquarters. It was Clark, an
cx—marine, sounding the mess call. Mon came on the run, to line up on
markers in an orderly manner. Each man carried an individual tin cup,
which were kept in a screened locker on the mess hall wall. It was the
first mess of the Specialists and Toremcn. As they marched into the
mess hall it was easy to see that many 0? them had been in the Servieei

Half an hour later the general assembly rang out and all hands fell
into ranks for retreat, Sergeant Perkins standing at the salute as Old
Glory was hauled down with military honors. Then we marched into the mess
hall to do justice to a good hearty supper, served cafeteria style, with
plenty of seconds - and did we eat;

We fished for awhile after supper but without any luck, and then
we gathered around the piano in the mess hall as the boys put on an tn-
premptu show. Langley, the cook, used to be with Al G. Fields Minstrels
and was a show all by himself: We wound up the evening singing all the
old time war songs. Plenty of veterans here as well as young fellows:

”They initiate the new'men that come in," said Bill. ”No duck them
in the creek after dark in their night shirts. It helps to make them
feel at home and part of the gang. Just wait around until lights out and
see some fun." hortly after the Delco plant was shut down, bottles of
kerosene with cloth wicks made their appearance on the grounds to light
up card games and provide light for the patrolling guards. Afterwards
came taps, and all was quiet.

Seen the grounds took on the appearance of a Ku Klux convention.
Figures in‘white gowns appeared mysteriously in groups with much whisper-
ing, Clarc, Crown and O'Day, who had charge of the ceremonies, Soon had
the new men out of their cots and were escorting them to the banks of the
creex. Down the banks they went, one at a time, to stand in water up to
their knees, and then sit down. Howls of delight went up as one after
another of the men went through the ceremony! It was all Cord natured
fun, and a chap who had been hiding behind a tree came forward of his own
accord with a grin!

And then to bed, with threats from the ducking committee that our
turn would come at four A.M. so grinned, knowing that only dynamite would
get these birds up at that hour: Sure enough, when we went around at four
thirty the next morning and doused their faces with ice water, they only
pulled up the blankets and never even woke up: It‘s one grand place to
sleep is Camp Elkhorn. Even though John Aldrich did fall over a fly trap
the night before and let all the flies out:

'Today was a working day. We have seen men work before, and for real
money, but this outfit had the place looking like a beehive - and they
seemed to like it. Even the section foremen with red bands on their arra
worked just as hard as anybody else. 1”What the hell," said Jesse Ward.
"I'd rather Tork than stand around anyhout" On the bulletin board, held
there with three inch nails in lieu of tacks, vas a notice that foreman
and section leaders need only supervise. But not this gangl

There's lots of experts in camp, too, who really know their stuff.
We saw Fit Landers put up a thirty foot flag pole set in cement, and Walter

CAMP E " WEE

Camp build fly traps, and Hughes build a wharf, and Lester Day paint
signs, and a dozen others, including John Aldrich in his cowboy hat and
tanned face, all doing their bit with enjoyment. We should have to call
the roll to name all the men who did their bit that do i

That evening we watched R. P. Rife cut hair. He has all the trimm-
ings of a real barber shop, and once cut General Pershing‘s hair, for
which he received a five franc tip, Which he still has by the Txu . Jmnes
Burton was busy scanning the bill of fare to see if oatmeal appeared for
breakfast: He hates to wash oatmeal bowls: He would rather play ball as
he has done before in the big leagues. Jack Clark was showing some of the
boys a few wrestling holds - he knows them all - and doing it so that the
boys would learn something. All over the grass they rolled, but "Doc"
Kidd was on the job to paint up the scratchcsl

Over in another part of camp, Jerry O'Day and Alex Crown were putting
on a boxing exhibition. These boys knon'thcir stuff and don't think that
it wasn’t appreciated} A local man came around the other evening to try
the gloves on with Jerry - and he hasn't been around since}

They have a rating list on the bulletin board that is changed daily.
Stars are given for obedience to orders, cleanliness of person and cot,
attitude around camp, and ability at work assigned. The top rating is Five
stars in each classification, and the men gather around each evening to
see how tiey rate, with some good natured kidding coming from all sides:
Sergeant Perkins keeps pretty close track of each man, and always gives
a good word of praise to the men who have xcelled that day, as well as
a warning to the sluggards, and there's not many of thcmL

The colored section must not be overlooked. Walter Jackson, who
vas fennerly a Pullman porter, is always doing his stuff witl the ice
water at just the right time. And Edwin Duffj, his rival, has a shoe shine
box set up. Jim Taylor is foreman of the colored detail and these boys
are on their toes all the time. They have their own tents at tle end of
the line, and they compare favorably with the others in orderliness and
cleanliness.

Tobacco is at a premium out here: There should be some system
arranged whereby the men could be issued tobacco at intervals, as some of
the men must put in a couple of weeks before receiving any pay. You will
find no cigarette butts lying around the camp! They are smoked to a
frazzle and then carefully rubbed into the ground and covered over, or
put in the incinerator. Every morning before breakfast all hands police
the grounds, and every stick, dead leaf, burnt matches, or paper, is
picked up and burned.

”There‘s not much discipline round here," said Barnacle Bill, ”just
enough to keep things straight you know. We shall have an inspection to—
morrow morning about ten o'clock when Captain Wolfe comes out, and every-
thing will be all shipshape for him. These fellows certainly take a great
pride in keeping the camp clean. Wish we had the equipment for a ball
game though." He looked with regret at a level place across the creek.
”All we need is a few mitts." no marvelled that men could work so hard,
five hours or more a day, out in the sun moving rocks and digging holes
and still feel like playing ballL

CAMP ELKHORH

”Here comes Miss Adams to give out the clothes and shoes,“ said Bill,
looking towards the main gates. Sure enough, she drove in_uith a flourish,
and soon the men in need of clothing and shoes were explaining their wants
to her in the Headquarters tent. They receive vouchers which can be ex-
changed a the cross road store just outside the camp. 'Work clothes and
good heavy shoes are a necessity out heroL

We turned in that night to sleep under cover, with a cool breeze
blowing under the tent flaps, although back in Lexington the city was
sweltering in summer heat! In no time at all it seemed, it was daylight
and we turned out in response to the bugle call, refreshed and ready for
a good breakfast. "Red” Daugherty knows his stuff alright, and the meals
a o well balanced. After breakfast, an hour was spent in cleaning up the
camp, and then Sergeant Perkins, the Camp Supervisor, released us for the
weekly inspection by Captain Wolfe.

”Here comes the Captain,” called out ”Barnacle Bill." The assembly
call rang out clearly as the Captain drove in, and the men fell in line
on the markers. While the Captain was in Headquarters tent, Bob Swaffor ,
Jter Camp and Jim Taylor were appointed section leaders. Everybody was
W ”n/thoir toes! Salutes to the right, salutes to the left, as the Captain
‘ tgok charge. ”Open ranks, March!" came the order, and like a company of
>“wqterans the maneuver was executed. Afterwards came the inspection of the

~t its. Vas everybody pleased? I’ll tell the world:

vw‘, ,4

\ Tb have a reaSOn to bel Mr. Robert L. Schmidt, State Director of
iSafety, has this to say about Camp Elkhorn in his recent report: ”Camp,
in\ideal location - well shaded and fenced. No outsiders allowed in V
Lg unds without a oennit. As one approaches the camp it is easily/dis
null ‘ . a,
cexned that army men are present and that army arrangements are HIQ:&%
evidence. lﬁz inspection revealed one of the most orderly and clean‘eb'ps
/«\;\have ever visited. It is a model to be followed by others for the/beg —
fit of all.” ,'

5‘“? <7

ma are mm lmvm

’hito are tho dr1f+in,clou1s.

No sail alone 0 'or a bouzldloss sou
Tine zooms l1nkod wiﬁh 0L orn3tv.

Frarranoo of tropic islos
Bo11ty of starry niﬁhﬁ.

tom clouds gathoring o‘er t1 o 100
ho moonbomns 311 do on a do rkon1_n3 son.

b": (’1

Thunder ﬁnd 113htn n3 flash,

C“th rides in thol gmvlo.

ur bar uo spoods on throuqh a 1W1vin sou
'ho storm gods howl in fiendish gloo.g

HL?0

”rookayo Fuld olut orod docks

Hollia rds and canvass adrift.

Groom waters roll TS bh_o doop uphoavos
Hatches aro caving 'noﬁtil thunuorous sous.

0111. in a per rl {grey sky,
Sullo '1tLo face of tho doop

Vo sail no more 0' r a boundloss sou

F7"

LlUO is 11 kod with otornity.

\ /

[A ‘ ,\. - r: //
w; A1 N3 0; m a we

”You don‘t have to knock on back doors to get a bite to
eat if you use your head. There's plenty of ways to get by and
have money in your pockets too if you knew the ropes," said
”Barnacle Bill.H

We were sitting at the edge of town, Bill and me, waiting
for some goof to pick us up and take us to the next stop. We
had struck up a conversation when I had bummed him for a smoke.
Bill pulled a bundle out of his pocket; I noticed it contained
a small can of black enamel, a small brush, some sandpaper, a
bottle of turpentine, and a few clean rags.

”Now you take this eutPit,H said ”Barnacle Bill." "I got all
this for a quarter at the ten cent store. I bummed it off the
m nager — told him that I wanted it for and promised I'd come back
with the money next day. He was a good hearted cuss and I paid
him back tool" He folded the bundle back together with a satisfied

grunt.

”But tht do you do with it?” I asked. Bill looked down the
road, and then across the street to the neat group of bungalows.
"Don't look like there's any traffic this morning, so we might as
well get busy and make a fev'dimes,” he said. ”Now I'll take this
side of the street and you take the other." He explained the plan
to me and off we started.

I walked across the street and looked at the first bungalow.
There, sure enough, was a black enameled letter box fastened to
the gatepost. It was rusty and dirty, and needed cleaning and
painting. I rent up to the door and rang the bell.

"Good morning, lady,” I said with a smile, to the young house"
Wife who answered the door. She smiled, but kept inside the screen
door. "I haven't anything to sell,” I went on, "and I'm not asking
for anything to eat." I grinned as I said itl "But my partner and
I are no sitn painters out of work, and we are painting up mail
boxes and porch lights. You’d be surprised what a difference it will
make in the appearance of your mail box and your perch lanterns when
we get through with then. he clean them, sandpaper then, and put a
fresh coat of good quality black enamel on them so that they look as
good as new. 'Wo are experts at this madam, and we leave no mess be-
h ind .

She came out on the porch then and looked at the porch lanterns.
hey were rusty in spots. I showed her the mailbox, and how it could
e made seed as nil She had to be sold apparently, but when I stated
to price - only five cents for the mail box, aid five cents for each
rch lantern - she fell for it:

1 ”Thanks, lady,‘I I beamed, "Hy partner will be along in just a

minute. euld you mind tellin; me the none of the lady next deer?”
She did, 1nd also told me i:hc names 01 the most liVely prospects

up the streat, includ21ng her sister who lived four blocks a"ry. I
leokeda across the street. There was "Efrndole Hll,” busy 3 rubbing

away at a mailbox with 3 piece of sandpaper.

I11,ent across and told him oi my success. "That's fine," he
chuckled. "Now you work up the street and I'll be right Dohilld you.
When you‘ve got half a dozen lined up, drop back 31x1 help me send

paper the boxes. Ye ought to elein up today.”

It was a pushover£ We clesncd and puin.ted veil boxes and Dorch
lanterns to a are you velll Some 3 V0 as much :13 a quarter, although
”0 ”lweys stated our regular prices. seems as though people are will—

ing to help a bloke slorg if he is only trying‘ Ore kindhesrted old
lady invited us in for lunch, and geve us an extra half dollar Ior
ps l111tin. up her 1ire irons.

After four hours re decided to call it a day. We had T011 over
five dolls rs between us. "Now we'll go sack 311d picl: up th“t ride,’
said ”Barnacle Bill" (LS he opened a fresh pocket of Cemels'

1-1 1)
--~-l‘ .1 o

*****¥**$****$********

1.. EN Pl FSAP‘VT‘T“

The ARK is published monthly, the cortents being made up here
in Kexingten and everything in the mejnzine is erlcins — by that,
we mean not copied from other magazines. The nimeogrephing is done
at Louisville, and it takes over two weeks to get the magazine into
circulation from the time it leeVe 3 our h"nds.

We hove found that local news of the men is out of date by the
time the ﬁLK is printed - most of then we write up have left the
Bureau! Se we must confine ourselves as much as possible to matters
of policy as they affect us all, endt 0 articles that may be interest-
ing and instructive, as well as inspirational.

There‘s ebout eishty~five men out at Comp Llldxern, end about sixty
men a the Center, so we have around a hundred and fifty we n on the
rolls at eny one tim But 1bou.t seven hundred and fifty :1cn re ister
here efery Lonth. OVer fi‘tV percert of‘ iﬂlen lee Ve within ferty~eirht
hours of arrival!

Net'read the next article — "Barnacle E ill" tells you why men are
drifting around - an sug ests a remedy!
_..F . P ,
:11:l:1;:j::{::k >

#****W*****

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97:36:36 eggr’?) :DARN ALL£ \lfj'l L L

“NM 11 \ __ ,
if Lip GOES JOLS-H EN

You wouldﬁggtﬂah idea from some people that we get a swell deal when we
enter a Transient Bureau!

To do. he got a lot of regular meals end a place to sleep, and_1m do
some work for it ard To receive some pants, and shirts, and socks and shoes
for the 0 skin, — and after avhile - a doller or so a week to buy smokes and
razor blades 1ith.

When we enter a bureau we are lientally measured by the common denomina—
tion - the bumi And as buns we 3 art off. After awhile our talents help
us up to a better job to as higl- a three bucks a week. But we still ea
sleep, a;d he ve our being on W} some level as the bums who chic in last
night with venereal disoa cs, artl "ho sleo 9 Within fifteen inches of us,
and .hose clothes, ple cod 1thin an inch or t‘TO of our noses on a camp
atOOl, smell out loud Tlth body odor.

[I]

So we drift off after a 1me or two. Tlere is n't 91 my use staying after
we have received an outfit and a pair of shoes. Te'll never get out of the
hole unless rm make a break. But Tﬂut tr e hell ctn we do? To came here
broke and we leave here broke. There's nothing the Director or the case-
urorke “S can do about it - they have their jobs in the scheme of things and

they fill their jobs tell and they .ate like hell to see us go!

It’s taxp yers money that has been keeping us. The caseworkers don't hive
it to us. we don’t even earn it because most of the work to do has no value.
3 llions have been eiven to farmers for ploughinw un or cotton and wheat , and
millions hav been disbursed to others under the guise of P'A—CIA and the CCC.
Millions have been donated to us tha‘ we might eat and sleep

Some of us are humble and thankful, some of us are plain dose and ask for
everything, and some of us are defiant and ask for real work and not charity.
No feel that 'f the bums, the vent works, the dri1 ﬁbers and the panhandlers
must be fed - that they should be fed [or 1hat the ey are! Look after the halt,

the nahied, the blind, but give the other fellows who want to work a real
chanceé

Here's our suggestion: Let a man stay aroulid a bureau for a month, doing
what he can, and let the bureau officials get a line on what he can do - not
what he was. Then if he is a worker, and in the opinion of the o ficials,
dose rving of the chance, send him out to a cmzp and let him work like hell at

cal construct TO tork of velue to the community. He him a dollar a day and
keep for ninety days, with tnsenty—five dollars a month going into a savings
account. In ninety days the transient rolls will be cleared. That would
solve our problem end save rillions of dollars for the taxpayer. But the
camps and “ork projects should be under the jurisdiction of anvy.

Nest of us Transien nts went :0 home "ithout a bank roll, and where in hell
car we get a bank roll or a fresh start by working ior a dollar a week?
A t2r awhile when the relief work steps, we shall so left just where we
started. Bums once again, ani all the nillions th't have been spent lel
have Lecome as water over the den that never turied a whee l'
——F.P.

********ii£*********>§<****

wanna
on #26706th Weed

How easy it used to be to get a job: Back in 1912 we left‘a ship

in a maall Florida town with three silver dollars in our pocket, and

a swell toethachel One buck tent for the tooth doctor, and we made
our way to the First and Last Chance Saloon to drown our sorrows in
drink. Three sailermen were at the bar, and after the remaining two
dollars were spent, we left with them to look at a dredge beat down
the bay. The Lord knows how we walked the swinging sand pipes frma
the shore to the dredge - but we did: And we all get jobs on board
toot Them was the happy days!

¢**$*************mx**#***

no time in Buenos Aires we happened into a longsheremen’s strike.
Our ship had docked, and three of us went down to the Boca Barracas to
look see. lie saw plentyl In no time at all we were in the midst of a
fighting crowd of strikebreakers. A couple of mounted police - these
little fellows from the mountains — galloped down opposite sidewalks
with a lariat stretched between them, and tripped up everybody in their
path. The day ended for us when Jack Harrison - a big Liverpool Irish—
man From our ship — got drunk and tried to pull one of the police from
his horse. The little cop swung at him with his sword — and Jack's head
rolled in the gutter. Them was the wild days:

*************************

It was a dark and stormy night. We had come off watch at midnight
frmi doing four hours in the stokehold of a tramp steamer. After heaving
up the ashes from the cleaned fires, we went back into the bunkers as the
forward deck was half seas under. 'We found that we could pry loose a part
of the bulkhead leading into the tween decks - And behind it we found
case after ease of champagne, loaded in France and destined for some South
American port. In four heirs thee only the chief engineer and the Old
Man were still on their feet, the engines had stopped for lack of stoma,
and we willowed and rolled through the stormy night with all hands blotteS
Nothing ever came of it. Damaged at sea of course!

*************************

Do you remember the Mole in the harbor of Odessa in the Black Sea?
’Twas back in 1905 and we had just come in from Constantinople. The
Mole was a screaming mass of men, women, and children from the Ghetto,
and they were being pushed and prodded into the sea by a howling mob of
Russian soldiers and peasants. Back in Odessa, to the left of the hillside
on which the town is built, their homes in the Ghetto were in flmnes. It
was a pogrom - a Jewish massacre. he dropped anchor and stood by helpless
while hundreds of Jews were butchered and raped less than a hundred yards
away. An hour later we were on our way to Nikolief for cargo. In those
days we had never seen people die in large quantities, and we felt quite
ill about it!

*************************

YARNS ON THE FO’CASTLU HEAD

Did you CVOr work for Edalji Dinshaw in Karachi? He has an island
a mile or so out in the Indian Ocean which is used as a sealing station
for ships needing bunker Coal. About half a dozen white men have their
bungalows there, with possibly a dozen native women to each bungalow
to do the cooking and washing and so on. Native labor is cheap! Old
Annie used to bring a boatload of women and girls from the mainland for
each nQW'man to pick from. They cmne in all shapes and sizes, and the
ugliest ones were the best workers. It vas surprising how many good
looking native women they had on that island;

**$********** ****

We once lived in Russia before the war, in St. Pctorsburg, before
it become Lenin; ad'or Potrorrad or whatever they call it now: One night
to were bored stiff, and happened to remember an old Arab proverb about
following ‘he seventh man that passed if you wished to meet with adven—
ture. We tried it out, and the chap we picked on dashed down a dozen
alloys before disappearing through a closed door. While we stood in inde—
cision the door opened, and one of the most beautiful girls we have ever
not asked us inside — in English! From that chance meeting we secured an
entro into a gun running society that was preparing for the revolution,
and nado much money during the next few months until the secret police
hot wise to it alll

*$$***************

Do you believe in spirits? We met with a peculiar experience once
in Accra, on the Gold Coast of Africa, sometimes called the White Man's
Graveyard. A group of traders in oil and copra had invoigled an old witch
doctor into giving an exhibition of magic. We watched him go into a trance,
and in the vernacular he asked if we knew of anyone named Bob. He couldn‘t
repeat the last name, but this Bob had just passed over very suddenly and
wanted to tell us not to sign any papers. we laughed it off, and next
day signed a contract to go up country, a trip that ended in the worse
case of jungle fever ever seen in that part of the country. Incidently,
two months after the meeting we received a letter from a friend in India
stating that an old friend named Robert Gundersen had shot himself. The
letter had been mailed about two months ago. You explain - we can’t!

******************

We once ran two dollars up to twelve hundred dollars - betting on
the geo gees. All done within a period of thirty days, and on the original
stake: no met a newspaper man who could pick 'em with uncanny ability but
would never bet on his choice. Always at the last minute he bet on some-
thing else and lestl If he hadn't left town_wo should have been a million-
aire by this time. Where are you new, John Bennett?

****$*************

dime

We noticed an article in "Today” for July 7th, entitled
”Bums, plus Work, equal Men.” The title will give you the
vietpoint of the Triter, a professional social worker.

The popular conception of a bum is that of a beggar, a
wont Work, a ne'er do well, a menace; lousy, dirty, and a
disgrace to himself and the community. A bum is not a worker;
never was and never will be. So all this talk about mixing
buns with work and making men out of them is just so much
poppyeoekl

It's all right to cook up a yarn about a kid who ran
away tram home, burned around the country until he was lousy,
being too dmib to keep himself clean, and then gets sent home
by the F.E.R.A. But what about the fellows who are past their
last dime and need a front and a job?

The bureaus are full of these kind of men; all regular
fellows and just needing a lift to get them over the fence
back into productive work. SomehOW'ue never hear any stirring
stories of these men. All we hear about is the sooty face kids
and the bums and drifters, and what wonderful progress has been
made with than}

According to the above writer, the "last census“ showed
only 99,167 unattached men listed on the rolls. Nowhere in the
article was the date of the ”last census” given. The Federal
Transient Bureaus tore established a year ago, and we know €rmi
experience that the existence of these bureaus was unknown to
many of the inﬂates of today up until a few months ago or less.
How many men are registered today?

The opinion of writers like the above leads to the con-
clusion that we Transients are all bums! His foniula: ”cums,
plus Work, equal Men” is all wrong. A bum is not a worker and
never till be. The Administration knows by HOW'hOW close rm
cone to the popular conception of that constitutes a bum - or,
if me are what we claim to be, mostly workers in distress and
up against it with little chance to improve our condition.

Thc'correet formula, in our opinion is: ”Workers, plus work,
plus Pay, equal Contented Men.” New What?

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Down at the lower end of Florida is a swell place for a
beacheomber to hang out. Plenty of fish and oysters and soft
shell crabs. Coeoanuts and palmetto palms. Fresh water in
plenty when the tide is out. W,at more can a beacheomber want?

We diseovered‘it one day last winter. Having nothinL; to do
and not much money, we looked up an "old college chum" who \veris
in a tomato patch when he feels like it, and spends the rest of
the time fishing. Loading up the old Ford with our fishing tackle,

a few provisions, and our scanty camping equipment, we set out.

1T0 left Mi ‘ni for the Royal Palm Park in the Everglades, and
finally found a narrow oad leading south to Cape Sable. Cans ls
bordered each side of the roe d, and as far as the eye could see
strechcd 3mm crass swamps, otted with small hammocks covered Tith
trees. lhite herons flew over us in flocks, and the intense blue
of the Florida sky, the green vefetatien, and the l