New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-13


this lad in the omnibus, and conversation
soon sprang up, the result OF which was
that, upon reaching the Missouri shore, the
twain repaired TO well known restaurant,
where, after hearty meal had been dis
posed Of, the following romantic narrative
was related to the reporter, the boys own
words being followed as closely as possible:
The name thac have borne for the past
five or six years is Alfred Henry.
These are my Christian names. My
surname was dropped for reasons that
will make themselves evident as | pro
coed. I was born in New York State on
the twenty-sixth day of May, 1856, and am
consequently but little over sixteen years
Of age My father was at that time mem
Der Of the Canadian Cabinet; he has since
been premier Of the Canadian government,
and he has been one of the most prominent
men IN that country ever since. When /
was but eleven years Old my mother died,
and in the spring Of 1868 my father mar
ried again. Overhearing conversation be-
tween my father and step-mother in regard
to myself, shortly after their marriage, and
discovering that l was q bone of contention
in the family and that they had decided upon
sendingme to Rugby school, England, de-
termined, young as l then was,
to leave home as soon as q convenient Op-
portunity occurred. On the Queens birth
day, 1868, my father handed me five dollars
with which to celebrate that event, and
since that moment he has never seen me.
With this money purchased second class
ticket on the steamer Montreal, and left for
the city of the same name that afternoon.
Upon my arrival in Montreal | slowed my
self away among the cargo Of the ship Shan
don, and was, a few hours later, on nay way
to Liverpool.
Hunger compelled me to emerge from
my hiding place after we had got well
out to sea, and, it being impossible
to send me back, the captain,
probably plying my tender years,
made the best of bad job and treated me
with tolerable kindness until the vessels
arrival in Liverpool Learning from one Of
the sailors that the captain intended taking
me back to my friends, ] stole away from
the vessel as soon as possible and made my
way to London, where ! lived for day or
two as best could, until / was noticed by
fashiOnably attired lady, who, being
pleased with my appearance, upon hearing
my story employed me as her page.
The place of mental soon becoming dis
tasteful to me, 80 informed the lady, who
at once made me handsome present and
also gave me considerable good advice. /
at once took passage TO Dover, and from
there | crossed the channel to Calais, and
as that port did not progresses me III
its favor, | used up the balance Of my
funds in getting TO Paris, where | rOamed
about the streets, q veritable little vaga-
bond, for at least three weeks. Not under
standing the French language it was ex-
ceedipgly difficult tor me to earn liveli-
hood, being 80 young, and had about made
up my mind to do something desperate,
when, fortunately for my morals. l saw
something gIittering in the gutter, and upon
picking it up discovered that it was val
liable diamond cross, the setting of which
had been considerably bruised. Elated at
my good fortune, and fearing everybody, /
hurried to the bureau of police and explain
ed the finding ofthe trinket. 1t was at once
as cross for which a reward of
500 francs had been offered and, as this
amount was paid me, again returned to
Calais and took passage on a brigantine
about to sail for New Orleans.
Nothing unusual occurred during the voy-
age, except that the captain, Creole named
Lesperance, upon hearing my strange story,
took great fancy to me, and upon our ar
rival in the Crescent City, took me to his
home, where l remained about six months
About this time we were to have taken
trip to Havana, for the purpose of procuring
a cargo of sugar, but my beneiaCtor was sud
denly taken i'll and died. This event caused
me to again fall back upon nv own re
but this had no terrOrs for me, as
had already year of rough experience to
aid me in whatever ] might undertake.
accordingly joined the boot-black fra
EeTnity, and was fortunate or unfOrtu-
nate enough, to gain the good will Of a we'll
known gambler named Jack Rickaby, who
took me with him TO Galveston, where l
made myself generally useful about his
gaming establishment, and as | was sharp
enough to make money and shrewd enough
1yoc ! Ia nI 10 7
sidered q small fortune. ! had been in Gal
weston about year when Jack, who had
been as kind rs brother to me, started off
IN a specializing tour to exhibit the two
headed girl, and as | discovered that in his
absence his partners were conCocting plan
to swindle him, tele graphed him to that
effect and advised him to return home
One Of the firm, man by
the name of Wilkes, who had heard of my
with the affair, locked me in u
,oom Of the establishment and cowhided
ne severely.
| escaped from the house during the
hight, ana, being terribly enraged as the
way in which had been treated, the next |
morning | crept up behind Wilkes as he
was dealing monte and stuck knife in his
pack. He was not seriously injured, how |
syer, and got away from Texas, going as
ar North as Louisville. From that city | |
proceeded 10 Cincinnati, where /, for q |
ew days, attended to the running horses |
It the Buckeye track. This employment |
vas not to my liking, however, SO | re- |
armed to the city and eked out a liveIi- |
tood by doing odd jobs about the Red |
stocking base ball grounds l got tired of |
cincinnati, as usual, and having a mania |
or travelling, stole my way between cars |
0 Columbus, Ohio. At the depot in Co |
umbus | stepped into freight car, wbero |
was unintentionally locked in for three |
ays, without food or water, and was al
nOst erazed when brakeman discovered !
ly position in the yard at Pittsburg, and |
lot only released me, but furnished me |
7ith dollar to buy something to cat
)reading my railroad experience I that !
light started to walk to Philadelphia, which
ity | reached in about six weeks, having |
ooted it every inch Of the way from
In Philadelphia was
lOt6ed upon as thief, and, as l could |
ct nothing to DO and was thinly clad | |
DOLLY walked up to a Jew shop on South |
treet and appropriated to my own use an
vercoat, which was hanging outside the
cor. Darling down an alley, made good
~ escape and started out on the Darby
Dad, where | found employment on farm
18th charitable couple named Downs
he old lady was exceedingly particular
bout her accounts, and required all her
clip to sign receipt when they were paid
f. While complying with this custom
forgot myself and subscribed
" sir-name to the end OF Alfred Henry,
nd the poor woman set me down as an i'm
ostor and packed me off, not exactly bag
ad baggage. as had NEITHER but yet very
loroughiv.
New Yorl. was neZ2 visited, and there !
ldeGvored TO earn an honest living as q
arber. shaved well enough in the double
'nse of the word, but one day customer
esirel his hair cut. In this branch of the