The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-11-28
A WONDERFUL wAlr.
Journey Of . Ten Year Old Roy Erom
Michigan to New Orleans.

S0OUkOC1S ne dG6tU D SH06H VOICE Call.
ing to him: "I say, mister, have yer
got er JOB for mes'' Looking around,
he could just see the top of frowsy
head of hair but a little higher than
the low railing. Peering through the
bars was dirty face ornamental with
two hazle eyes and a mouth square cut
and determined. The boy was such a
little picanniny that tho idea of his
wanting Il place In a freight Office
amused the Superintendent much, but
he asked, "What can you do, my lati?''
eMe!" said the dust.covered urchin,
stwhy I want to be flag man. You
just bet I can flag a locomotive as we'll
as any boss at that ere work. I've
tagged In st. Louis, I have." When
asked where he came from and how
old he was, he said that he had sJust
skipped down ere" from Grand Rapids,
old, but he couldn't say, for he had
left his Bible home.
Mr.. Morey informed him that the
company did not employ fiagmen un.
der 81 years Of age, but the little fellow
was persistent, and Interviewed every
one about the Office, asking for a job,
but without success. The gentlemen In
the Office took up collection for the
boy and handed him over o.. He took
the money, went off, and returned with
clean face, new shirt and jeans pants.
He hung about the freight depot,
sleeping wherever he could, until he
succeeded in securing a place at Justin
J. Langles's Commercial Bakery, on
Delord street. Here he remained but
few hours when he left, after making
twenty-five cents, ten of which he In
vested in bread and crackers. 1t was
after this that the Picayune man came
across this waif. He was sitting ON q
vacant stall in st. Mary's Market,
chewing away on his loaf, his legs
swinging back and forth, In perfect
contentment. He was certainly not
three feet six inches In height, but his
face had an aged look upon 1t that be-
tokened how early his struggle in life
had begun.
Paris has its gamins, London its
street Arabs, but neither of them could
produce q specimen of the genus like
the boy who munched his bread on the
stall with such apparent relish.
| Already the clean shirt gave signs OF
having been rolled over In the dust,
and the knees of his pants told of ori-
sons In muddy places.
The reporter accOsted him and asked
whether he was the boy just down on
the freight train.
"You can just bet 1 amt. Pm an
old citizen in this town now. I've
been here two days. No stree, Pm
not afeared to tell my name. It's
Jimmy G. Brown, of Grand Rapids,
Michigan. Why did L come? Why,
you see, it's getting too cold up there
now, and my salary don't allow me
more than one overcoat and fifty bar
rels of coal in the winter, and so, being
Shnrf + ispo hnppr I>~~
pulled through to st. Louis. My
clothes warent much, SO worked for
chap there-mightily finely dressed
chap-but, jimminy Jewsharpsl what
q man. He offered me two bits to get
a suit with but couldn't do 1t, 80 L
told him them two bit suits fitted too
close; I didn't want 'em. No! L
haven't got any father or mother. Yes,
1 got through tolerably well. When
the conductors were hard cases, I'd
just wait for n freight train and steal
aboard. Then I sometimes stop over
at town to get grub. Traveling's
mighty easy down South; them tramps
don't understand it. amt big, you
No, sir, 1 amt afcared of anything;
and If you could see mo fight, you'd
think was whole construction train. |
They say In st. Louis Pm q champion |
fagger. You don't know what a flag
ger is?-Claughing1--thc cows will cat
you, they will, you're so green. Why, |
a fiagger is q man what runs ahead of
the engine where a road runs In city |
and valves red flag at all the street
crossings. That's worth dime to you.
Jackson, Mississippi, is hard old
place on fellow and had to go into
the apple business there to make my
grub. No, you don't need money for
that; I had to hook apples to eat, that's
ALL" and tho youthful tramp winked
knowingly.
"When 1 first got to this ere place
went to the freight depot for q job, be-
cause I'm a railroad man, am; but
the boys couldn't find berth for me,
but gave me lift and sent me to a
bakery, where I went to work. l
liked the place we'll enough, but a boy
there and me had a fight and 1 licked,
and thought 1t was best to light out.
1 got this ere bread and crackers, and
that will keep me until tomorrow.
Sleep? Why, I'm going to sleep In
aOme of those from mines out there nv |