Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-16
From Sacramento to New York.

\ thirteen -year-old lad alighted from an
| incoming Western Central train at West
street one day last week The sprvness
with which he did it showed him to be no
amateur At the business. He stepped over
to crowd of bootblacks who stood in West
street, near the railway One of them
asked him whether he should be regarded
as friend or foe to the bootblacl frater-
nifty, which is in favor of short hours and
big pay
g Don't be Harmed, boys l amt goin' to
stay. You kin go your last bit, though if
WIZ Pde be no sucker. Pm up and up
every time" he said, with manly toss of
the head, which indicated that he had grit
and pluck. THE conductor said we had
twenty minutes here, and | thought I'd get
off an see the boys Eve retired from the
boot-shinin' business, an I'm goin' to New
| York to get schoolin' an see if | can't shine
in 'nuther light"
The little Arabs were then all interroga-
tions and ears to learn the history of the
fellow of their cloth who had so ABRUPTLY
thrown himself into their company.
"Tll have 10 talk fast and We mustn't in
terrupt me, COZ my train don't stay very
long, you know"
We won't" was the response.
well, my father was Irish and muther
was a Jewess. Both had spectacle old
folks, and lived in New York city They
met and loved each other and agreed to
get married. The old folks didn't like it
dads folks said the idea of a Catholic mar
ryin' at all outside his church was bad
enough, but to marry Jew couldn't be
thought OF, and if he would do it, why they
would disown him forever The old folks
had good deal of money Muther's folks
were very rich. They didn't want their
daughter to marry Gentle, and specially
Catholic. But they loved each other,
and, money or no money, they were bound
to marry an they did. They lived year
in New York. Dad thought he could do
better in the West Indias an they sailed
for there This is where | cum in, pards,
for | WIZ born on the way there. Dad be-
cum fruit dealer and made lots of money
for year or two. Poor fellow, he worked
too hard, tux yellow fever an died. Then
muther WIZ broken-hearted. We stayed
there two years, when nearly all of dads
earnings were gone, and then set out for
San Francisco, California Muther would
never let the folks in New York know
where she wuz, an dads folks knew nothin'
Of him. Well, As its gittin' near time for
my train to go on, | must talk faster" said
the little fellow "Muther went to Sacra-
mento and teached school for four years,
when she TUX sick an died Then | WIZ
an orphan" the little fellow said as the
big tears rolled down his cheeks Don't
laugh, pards, she wuz brave, good muther,
an shall never find any one like her
again. She was true to the last an she
wouldn't ask forgiveness from the old folks,
COZ she thought she had right to marry
the man she loved when there wuz nuthin'
wrong bout it.
"Then | begun to black boots coz |
could do nothin' else. | lived jest like all
us fellows do-eat what | could get and
slept in dry-goods boxes Two years ago
muther's folks accidentally found me in
Sacramento. | told them the story of my
dead father an muther, an they wept
when they heard muther was dead, an
sed they'd been for years searchin' an in
quirin' an could get no trace of her. Then
they wanted me to go home with them to
their fine home an live with them an be
educated, but said no. Muther worked,
toiled an died fur me an the man she
loved an | wouldn't ask any odds of any
one who WIZ SO cruel to let her do So A
newspaper reporter met me bout that
time, got my story, pitied me, an sed he
would help me all he could. He didn't
get much pay, but he were bright, smart,
kind fellow though, tell you, an worked
hard. When he had time Sundays he
learned me to read. A year ago he left
Sacramento an went to New York Then
| thought hadn't friend left, an wished
| could be laid side my muther. But |
worked on. Fred, that's the reporters |
name, said he'd write fur me when he
could ford to, but | waited an waited, an
thought he must be dead Last week got |
a letter from him, with a ticket from Sac
iamento to New York, an some money be-
sides. He said said he wuz a Bohemian,
whatever that is for months, had hard |
time, but finally got place regular, wuz
promoted, an WIZ earnin nuf money so
that he can give me good eddycation. |
But there goes my whistle; good-by, pards, |
unnJ- Inv ~