Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-06-13
PASS HIM AROUND.
George W. Hyde. Passenger Agent,
PennsyIgania Railroad Company,
Jersey City, Is a whole
Man.
His Kindness to "a Memphis Boy Is Re
membered by ms ALLIES
Trump.

A strange story, partaking Of re-
nance and reality, kind charity and sad
affiiction, is the following: A hand
some boy, named Willie Jackson, aged
thirteen, WAS employed as a clerk in
Miller's confectionery, on Second street. |
Intelligent and industrious, he perform
ed his duties satisfactorily, and was al
ways attentive and polite. About the
twelfth day of May last,
TWO WELL DREs sED MEN
entered the confectionery and bought
two dollars worth of candy, fruit and
cakes, giving Willie ten dollars to change.
Pleased with the handsome face OF
the lad, they asked him ifhe would not
like to go with them to New York. Fine
ing he was anxious to live in the great
city, the men persuaded him to meet
them at the depot that afternoon. They
represented themselves to be LAWYERS,
and of large means, promising him a
good situation, easy work and remuner-
ative wages as an office-bOy. These in
ducements could not be resisted, and the
men, to substantiate the sincerity of
THEIR INTEREST IN THE BOY,
gave him the change, eight dol
lars, before leaving the store.
According to promise, the lad was
at the depot on time, and there met the
men who took him on the train and
gave him through ticket to New York.
Upon arriving at Louisville the men,
who We're drunk, left the train, and were
never seen again by the boy, who pro-
ceeded on his journey to New York, and
Immediately repaired to No. 81 Broad
way, inquiring for his lost benefactor,
John Thomas, as this was the mans
name. He could not find him, however, >.
nor colud he learn anything of his
identity. Thousands passed the lonely
boy on the street, but no familiar face
met his wistful gaze. He had only seven
dollars left, and knew
NO FRIEND,
to whose assistance he could apply.
Strangely enough, he was directed to
Jersey City station and the ticket office
of the Pennsylvania railroad. He could
not buy ticket for seven dollars, and
being told this by
THE AGENT, MR.. GEORGE W. HYDE,
commenced crying. The sincerity of
his question, the simplicity of his con-
duct and grief, attracted the attention of
the agent. The result is thus given in
the following letter received here yes
terday;
JERSEY CITY STATION, } |
PENNsYLvANIA RAILROAD,
June 6, 1873. |
To the Chief of Police OF the city of Memphis, !
DEAR SIR-Wiu you do me the favor by
making the following inquiries as 10 the truth !
or faisity of what ara about to ask. The cir |
cumStanceS in the case are as follows: Sunday !
evening, May l7tb, as l opened the ticket /
Office to sell tickets for the southern express |
train for Louisville and the south, boy about |
fourteen years old wanted me to sell him a
Oue-half ticket to Memphis for seven dollars. |
OF course could not, when the fare was nine /
teen dollars and twenty cents. Then he COM
menced to cry quite bitterly. ! questioned /
him, and he said man in Memphis on the /
Wednesday previous had him to come TO New |
York and work in a lawyers Office, and paid /
ten dollars on his one-half ticket, his mother |
giving him twenty dollars. He also told him |
not TO bring any clothes with him. as he would /
give him new suit as soon as he got to New ]
York. The boy paying the other or the bal |
ance of the nineteen dollars and twenty cents, /
he occupied seat in front of the man from 1
Memphis to Louisville. The man haG party /
with him in the seat and the boy said they /
were drinking something out of a bottle they |
had with them, and appeared very jolly. At |
LOUISVILLE they both stepped out OF the car, |
and the man, saying to the boy that he should |
sit still, as he would be back right |
away, but the train moved on, and no man |
came back, so he came on to New York, but /
could md no John Thomas at % Broadway |
where he told him his Office was. The boy !
-. i
him his supper and note; also, had him |
passed TO Pittsburg, where his seven dollars |
would buy him half-fare ticket on boat to |
Memphis. l wrote 10 his mOther,or the lady he /
said was his mother, but received no answer. |
What / want TO know Is, whether there is a /
Mrs. susan or Mrs. B. Jackson on Second |
street, keeping two or three bOarders, and fol- |
lows dress-m8king; whether she has son |
thirteen or fourteen years old, and whether /
teenth or fourteenth of May. For the pur-
pose OF satisfying myself whether was doing |
a charitable act toward the boy, or whether |
he was or is a fraud. By answering the above |
Won will confer favor Respectfully yours, |
GEO. W. HYDE,
Agent Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Jer-
sey City, New Jersey.
P. Size said that his mother lived within |
sight of the Memphis and Louisville railroad |
depot. 6. W. HYDE.
That IS the letter, and here is
THE ANSWER.
Through the kindness of Mr.. Hyde, |
the little wanderer came to Pittsburg |
and there purchased half fare ticket |
on steamboat to this city. He arrived 1
here last Tuesday, and hardly had the
joy at his unexpected recovery and safe |
return passed, ere the family stood in
speechless grief by the death-bed of the
husband and father, Mr.. 2. A. Jackson,
who committed suicide by taking laGda-
uUuAf dl LIS IeSlu0HCe Ou oSCOuu SLIettt
last Tuesday. After all of his
hardships and Strange journey
to the east among strangers,
the boy came back only in time to see
for the last time the death-sealed fea-
lures of his father, and weep at the
new-made grave. The act of Mr.. Hyde
surely must be Of no ordinary pleasure,
when he knows that by his charity
little, friendiess stranger was restored to
his home, to be a consolation to wild
owed mother in her sad affliction. His
kindness is not unappreciated, and the
prayers of widowed mother sacredly
remember his good deed.