Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-09-08
Col. Jimmie Croesus Poye.
The Irish Adventurer.

The Irish Adventurer.
Conspicuous among the self-mad,
men of llopkinsville ranks the here
of this sketch, Col. Jimmie Croesu
Poye, the renowned adventurcr
Col. POye was born OH the dark o
the moon, many, many years ago il
an obscure hamlet in all interior
county of Ireland. His boyhood wal
uneventful, but at the tender age o
10 years he outgrew the narrow con
fines of his native village aud one
morning when his father called the
roll at the breakfast table Jimmie
was conspicuous by his absence. lie
had eloped, taking with him all OF
his personal property, which con.
sisted of freckled face and Il dime
novel. lie walked TO the nearest sea.
port town, subsisting on the route by
eating berries and chewing leaves
lie arrived there tired, hungry aud
footsore. lie entered the town, pick
ed up cigar stump from gutter
and boldly walked up the street and
began searching for employment.
lie soon secured Il place as first as
sistant TO n bootblack, but did not
like the business and formed part
nership with "A lumber-dealer aud
began catching driftwood on tho
shares from II neighboring river.
This proved to he too hard work for
our youthful hero and he sold out
his interest In this business and hired
himself TO II dealer in ready made
clothing for a street dummy, just in
time to escape being arrested for va
graucy. The clolher neglected to
chain him to the sidewalk after dress.
ing him up in suit of fine clothes
and In The afterl O)n of the same day
he went to sleep and walked oil
in his sleep. When the young
somnambulist awoke he found him
self running down one of the back
streets and fearing that he would be
punished for neglect Of duty lie de-
cidcd not to return. Attired as he
was he easily passed himself of for a
scion of the nobility and on the fol-
lowing morning he secured a situa-
tion as companion TO an old gentle
man who was starting to America,
and embarked upon u steamboat for
the United States. 1t is hard to i'm
ag'ne the feelings oil our hero when
he turned his back upon his native
isle and stuck boldly out upon the
broad eXpanse OF an unknown iuture:
Not until he had taken this step did
he give thought TO the home lie had
lett, nor think OF the sorrow that his
dear employer would feel when he
learned that his beloved dummy had
gone. But there was not much OF
the sentimental IN the youthful James
and he soon dried his tears aud
thought no more OF the land he was
leaving behind. when lie had, been
out at sea ABOUT three days lie be-
came violently sca-sick and leaning
over the ships railing he proceeded
to throw up everything except his
situation. Unfortunately he did not
die, but reached New York alive and
Kicking The Old gentleman who
ilau Drought MN To America had
long since found him out and decid-
cd tnat nc was not the BOY he was
looking Tor TO become his adopted son
and heir. Consequently he was
turned loose to shift for himself as
soon as he reached New York. The
outlook at this time was anything
but inviting, but James was not a
boy to be daunted by adversely. He
began life In New York as scissors
grinder and gradually worked his
way out OF the labyrinth OF difficult
ties that surrounded and encompass
ed hiin' III the courseofa yearor two
he formed partnership with an UNI
orelia mender and the two determin-
ell 10 disguise themselves as tramps
anu emlgrate TO LOUISVILLE, hy. Their
progress was necessarily SLOW as they
coulu not rue III parlor car with
out throwing OH their disguise, aud
so lhey uecided 10 walk. 1t was
!hree years before they reached Lou
lsyille anu tne ilrst man they met IN
sulteu tnehi ny asking theih il they
were ohlce-hunters returning from
washington. James resented this
lhdlgnlty by knocking the offender
down, ior which he was arrested for
assault ana battery when he got
OUT e OF ms ulnlcnl,y ms partner mad
lorsakeh MN ana he louhd hlmself
once more lIlen9ieSs ana alone IN
strange lahu' ills llrst undertaking
aiter gettinS released was 10 hunt up
the man VINO lau caused his arrest
ahu taKe ms revenge, lie succeeded
Ill hnuihg MN ana alter seItlhg lire
10 10 orick-kilh Wnich ne owned, he
iled 10 Cinclhhali ana began life as
prize hShter' lie was not successful
I naln