Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-05-30
The Boy and His Bible.

The following is from the worcester
Mass Spy: A bright looking lad OF III
applied for lodgings at the police office
last evening about 10 o'clock. He gave
his name as VIM. H. Reed, of Abingdon,
Mass, and, according to the custom, was
told to place in his hat whatever articles
he might have about his person. He
promptly drew good sized Bible from
under his coat, and, placing it in his hat,
remarked that the book was his all. 1t IS
not usual for dodgers to have Bible IN
their possession, and this, coupled with
the intelligent appearance of the lad, in
terested the officers in the case. The boy
was questioned and told the following in
teresting story:
With the consent of his father he left
his home the first of last October, and
shipped from Boston. October 7th, on
board the bark Mary F. Hurlburt, Capt.
Dudley, which was bound for Galveston,
Texas. He was subjected to severe treat
ment during the voyage, and on the arr
val of the vessel at Galveston he resolved
to run away. He escaped from the vessel,
but was followed by the police distance
of some twelve miles up the country, and
was captured and returned to the ship.
As punishment for running away he was
locked into the forecastle by the captain,
but in the night time he broke out OF his
prison, and by means of hawser reached
the pier and was free again. He had at
this time 81 in money, the suit OF clothes
which he had on, and sailors bag con-
tanning number of trinkets. He left
Galveston on November 18th, resolved to
reach his home. The distance from Gal
weston to Boston is $3.50 miles, and last
night lie had remaining only A miles OF
this distance to accomplish. OF the whole
distance young Reed has travelled 563
miles on foot. The rest of the journey
he accomplished by obtaining rides on
railroad trains, and in teams which he
met on the road. His route has been as
follows: Galveston to New Orleans, 80
miles; New Orleans to Cairo, 63S miles !;
Cairo to Decatur, 2O3 miles; Decatur to
Toledo, 113 miles; Cleveland to Erie, 90
miles; Erie to Buffalo, 81 miles. Buffalo
to Albany 29S miles. Young Reed dur
ing his Journey has encountered hardships
which would have discouraged less
plucky boy, but through all he has borne
up with fixed determination to reach
his home. Last uight he was, though
much fatigued, apparently in good health,
and quite happy in view of his nearness
to home. He bears the marks Of a trav-
eler in thoroughly weather-beaten skin,
and is considerably hoarse from cold,
which has chung to him during much OF
the journey. At New Orleans he had his
bag and several articles of clothing stolen
from him by a negro. The various expe-
dients to which he resorted to obtain a
ride to help him on his journey are illus
trated by the fact that last night he rode
on the cow-catcher of the engine from
West Brookfeld to this city. He also
rode 2O1 miles on the truck of Pullman
car on Western road during a cold,
stormy night, when the wood and iron
work of the truck was covered with ice
He had paper. in his Bible containing
list of persons in the various cities
where he had stopped who had be-
friended him, and to those he said he
proposed to write when he reached home.
The list was quite novel one, as will be
seen from the following addresses: MARY
Ann Wilson, the poor tiremap's widow and
peanut woman at the Academy OF Music,
New Orleans, La" Two policemen in
New Orleans housed and fed the lad for
week, and two members of the police
at Albany gave him a. suit of clothes.
The Bible, with which he has not parted
since he left Galveston, was presented to
him by his father the day before he left
home The lad told his story in such a
straightforward manner that the officers
! believed him at once. His statements
were further verified by notes made on
the fly leaves of his Bible, and scraps of
paper in the book. When the second re-
lief came in at o'clock an officer on the
relief happened to be acquainted with the
boys family at Abingdon, and another,
who had followed the sea, knew the cap
tain under whom young Reed had ship
ped. The young lad was quite hero at
the police Office last evening, and the
officers showed him every attention posi-
BILE, contributing purse of money to
defray his expenses from this city to his
home in Arlington.