Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-10-13
The Little Hero.
A Correspondent of the Cincinnati Com
mercial relates the following:

A Correspondent of the Cincinnati Com.
mercial relates the following:
An incident, perhaps common in such
places but very uncommon in our section
of the country, occurred on board the
cars. | noticed when the cars set out
from the station at Martinsburg where we
stopped for supper, two little boys seated
on a car seat two remove, from the one
occupied, who wore a very torIorn appear-
ance. The younger a little lad OF six
years, seemed trying to cry, while the el-
der evidently his brother, bright lad
Of ten years, was giving him encourage
ment IN low voice, and glaucing appre-
hensiyely at the front ear door, through
which the conductor was presently TO
make his entrance In time he came.
and after the usual question and some
mumbled response 10y the elder boy, ad-
dressed him IN rather a rough voice. "Ah,
so you're on board again, are you? Well.
you must get OFT at the stopping place -
The next stopping place came, bnt the lit
tie boys never stirred from their seat.
Presently the conductor came around
again: 80 you are on board, are YOU
Well, we will have you put off the next
time the cars stop" At this the little boy
began TO cry audIbly, and one Of my Ken
lucky acquaintances who sat lust in front
of them, questioned the elder as to what
allied them. From his replies we cleaned
the following account.
They were two brothers, and had left
Baltimore, where they had previously re-
sided, about a week before. Their moth
er had been dead some time, and their
father lost his life 10y accident, while en-
gagged at work on a building Just two days
before they had set out on their trip.
They had been left destitdte, and fig,,iup
m0 resource but the usual place of refuge,
had resolved to 20 west, where their big
brother Lucas, who was married, and their
biz sister Martha, who expected to be,
were living. They refused to wait until,
in answer to letter, their brother could
come or send for them but without mon
ey, they had seated themselves in the cars,
and been put off regularly and successive.
ly from each train at The station, usually
making one, and very rarely the distance
between two stations. They had expert
enced little difficulty in securing some
thing to eat, and place to sleep from the
the charity Of the villagers along the way.
In this manner they had conquered over
a quarter of the length Of the Baltimore
and Ohio road, with equal success could
hope to attain Chicago, the goal of their
journey, late in the fall. Upon becoming
satisfied that their story was really one OF
truth, my friend, the Kcntuckian, propos-
ed and took up collection among the
passengers for their benefit, which result
cd in the handsome sum of between thir-
ty and forty dollars. The conductor, to
whom they had simply stated they had
neither money nor ticket, when told the
circumstances, refused to take any fare
from them and so our little folks came
all the way to Wheeling at one ride.
The following day, after dinner as the
front of the Spring House, smoking cigars,
the little hero came tugging before Us a
stalwart well dressed young man. whom
he vociierously announced as hisbig broth
er, who had set out from Chicago to bring
them to his home, and had there, by the
luckiest chance met them in the hotel.
The big brother made an earnest offer to
return the money contributed, to our
keeping, saying that the boys had no
need of it that he was well to do, and had
often vainly endeavored to get his father
to come to his home. But we refused to
accept it, and bade him use it for the boys.
That evening they set out for Chicago, and,
long ere this, presume the little heroes
have been clasped in the arms of their big
sister,