The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-10-29
How a Tramp Beat His Wav from
California to st. Louis.


The request was nothing singular, for
at nearly every police station in the
city there are fifty of the houseiess and
homeless begging for the privilege oi
being locked Up for the night; but the
tone in which it was spoken seemed SO
out OF place that . journal represent.
ative, who was in the reporters room
across the hall, arose and passed out
for the purpose of obtaining one glimps
of the speakers face. There was
nothing remarkable ABOUT the young
fellow, who was apparently twenty
years of age, but the words spoken so
genteelly conveyed the idea forcibly
that he had seen better days. and
Captain Lee was of the same opinion,
for he questioned abruptly in his bust
Dess-like manner,
How long have you been . tramp 2
The youth paused for q moment. and
then, in panied voice. replied. Only
five months. sir
Captain Lee surveyed him cody for
a full moment. as If mentally sizing
him up. and then. apparently satisfied
that he had answered bis question
truthfully. ordered Sargent Brown to
take him below The scribe request
ed tie privilege OF an interview with
the young fellow. which was readily
granted and within few moments he
was standing before the tramp's cell
Il really cant see why you should
take such an interest in my welfare,
he remarked. on ascertaining the OBJ
ject of the reporters call, but as to my
history ana wanderings there is moth
ing in either of moment, but l will will
ingly relate the latter to you. My
home is few miles west of Phiia1 lei
phia, and my father. farmer there, is
comfortably situated in financial point
of view Last FEBRUARY, on my return
from school, I conceived the idea of
going west. to California. l could not
bear the idea Of settling down to a
farmers drudging life. ss my father
and grandfather had done, and so,
against my fathers wishes. I packed
my trunk and started for San Fran
cisco with 5000 and through ticket in
my pocket l intended to engage in
some mercantile pursuit upon my ar
rival there. which took place in due
time. Within three weeks l bad run
through my little sum of money. and
cast about for something to do. at
first tried to obtain q clerkship. but
could find no vacancies, and finally left
the city through fear Of being run in
by the authorities as q vagrant. !
went up near Sacramento and engaged
with farmer at few dollars month,
but as l was totally unfit for farming.
having done but little of it, my employ
er. who worked some sixty hands, dis
charged me at the end of the first
month. ! tramped then until harvest
set in. but l was utterly worthless as q
pitcher of grain on one of the largest
wheat wagons, and took to tramping
again. beat my way to Virginia
City aud from there to Sslt Lake.
thence up to Ogden and took q job OF
section work on the Central Pacific
Railroad. / soon tired of that, and
breaking open car of silks one night
did not steal any-stole . ride to
Cheyenne. There the cars were in
spected, was detected and fred out.
Then wandered down to Denver, do.
ing odd jobs, just making q living,
nothing more, and there the FIRST of the
present month found me. was grow
ing more vsgabondish every day, and
concluded that the West was no place
for Chris Brown-your humble servant
set about devising plan to get back
East. In my wanderings around the
Kansas Pacific depot and yards l had
observed that there was quite a space
underneath the body of the coaches aud
tho break beams and platform sup
porters. and one day I secured short.
stout piece of plankhnd Investigated the
matter personally. The plank worked
nicely; 90. providing myself with some
cords and few soda crackers, went
down to tho depot to await the depar-
ture of the night passenger train east
bound. As soon as it was made up l
crept under the next to the rear car un-
observed. and ejusting my board.
making it fast with the cords had pro-
vided for that express purpose. anxious
ly awaiting the signal that would send
me on my journey. 1t came in due
season and was presently ono OF the
greatest surprises of my life. As the
train gathered momentum it gathered
dust also, and within very few mo-
ments was blinded. That was un-
doubtably the most terrible night I
ever experienced. ard anxiously
awaited the coming OF the dawn.
Such . horrible dim and clatter as
came up from the track. aud how
rough it all was. Every moment ex-
pected to be dashed in pieces. and |
felt - IL it was bound to leave the track
and crush me like an egg shell. It
passed through--the night-as it al
ways does, and morning broughta lit
tie comfort with it. and ] ate my crack
ers with the knowledge that was
travelling homeward a. no man had
done before me. All that day ! rode,
aud all the next night and
on until we had entered Eastern Kan
sas, and was discovered BY the wheel
inspectors and taken ont nearer dead
than alive. One Of the inspectors was
a man with q white heart, and he took
me 20 his home and let me stay there an
til had recovered from the
shock and eaten several meals.
and then he got mo . pass. some
way or other, and I came to st. Louis.
l have made several cents since my
arrival, bot not having dime Tonight
--thst IL what it takes 10 lodge st the
Bethel came on up here to the STA
tion.'