“Sunshine” Ray Williams and His “Roses.”
I’ve followed adown the valley ways,
The Will of the Wisp of Fame,
And toiled on the hills through tiresome days,
In pride of any father’s name.
I’ve ridden through, bloodred mists of strife,
For the praise or the low-hung brow;
And called this variet’s breathing “Life,”
But nothing can matter now.
Hobo Cove, a new hobo haven deluxe, where hoboes and roses are expected to thrive, was established yesterday at Olivette, St. Louis County, by “Sunshine” Williams, friend of the late Elbert Hubbard and one of the founders of the ‘Hotel de Gink’ in New York City.
The new hobo lingering place is a garden of roses. It was established by Williams with the aid of C. E. DeWever, a florist, who has hot-houses and foral gardens at Olivette.
Here the ‘worthy hobo’ will become a guest and will be asked to show his appreeiation for clothing, food and lodging by working among the roses.
“We will take in all hoboes who apply for work,” said Williams, “but they must be real hoboes, not tramps or bums.”
Williams said the roses would not be sold to dealers, but direct to the lovers of real roses and real hoboes.
“They will be roses with hearts cultivated by men with hearts”, said “Sun.” “And while our hoboes are cultivating roses they will think only of beautiful things.”
Olivette is three miles West of the City limits on the Olive Street Road. The first hobo to apply for work at the Cove yesterday beamed with joy.
“A home for the winter,” he said.
Editors Note-Reminds us some of the good old slavery times. We vote NO PAY, NO FLOWERS.