Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-06
bly, athousand boy, under twenty wear,

OF age from the North in New Orleans
to-day, without accent os money. LIVING
on what they a pick mp. A gentle-
man Just returned from there, says he
lent all the money he could spare to
young fellows from Milwaukee, who
had gone down there expecting to get
some good paying job, but couldn't
fnd anything to do. They have found
the warm climate, but even in a warm
climate a person wants some kind of
yictuals to bank himself up inside, and
he has got to have a place to sleep
j n doors, as there is a cold
am falling almost constantly
at this season of the wear,
which chills one to the marrow Of his
bones. Running away from home is
run as long as the money lasts that u
BOY takes with him. Aslong as he has
money he a get enough to eat and
a place to sleep, but when the money
Is gone ne becomes a tramp. ''What
IS the reason that he can't work?"
some boys will ask. Because there is
no work to do. In almost every COM
munlty there are residents enough to
40 all n work there is to be done, and
II a MAJ wants to hire u boy he hires
one he knows, who lives near him. in
preference to a stranger, whom he half
suspects is a thief. 1t is hard enough
for y boy or a mar to get work where
he is known, when there is little work
TO De done, and a hundred times harder
to get work when one is tramping. A
man wants to know something about
the person he hires, and if a boy APP
plies for work and is asked where he
is from and how he came to leave, he
does not want to say he ran away
from home, for that is a give away on
him, and if he lies about it the man
don't want to hire a liar. There are
probably more boys running away to
follow theaters and shows than any,
thing else. The idea Of travelling from
place to place with a theatrical COM
pany seems heaven to a great MANY
boys, and they would take a position
in a mental capacity in order to be on
the road. Boys who think that home is
not the best place on earth, and who
may be thinking Of leaving, are re-
quested to read the following letter
which a PhiladeaeAia father recently
got from his son:
WAsHINGr1N ASYLUM, d. c.,
Sundan December Z, 1884.
A FATHER, McfHER AND SISTER: I
aelp at Ps5 sfaraav. Dear Nare father b % left 1T. P Rn1l!
more, to work for u theater company.
When ! got there the COMPANY wasn't
there. They said that the company went TO
could not meet it there, but 1 got a place at
another theater. But I did not have any
money, so had to sleeplon one of the rail-
road cars. There We're three OF us who left
Philadelphia. AS told you before, we slept
on the railroad. car, and two policemen
arrested us. The three of us are in the
We go to bed whenever we like after dark.
But we have to get up at half-past four in
the morning. We get a piece of dry bread
and bitter coffee for breakfast; at dinner we
get dry bread and adrop of soup; at night
we get the same.as in the morning. Wehavet to
go out IN the morning as soon as it gets light.
We 60 back TO prison as soon as it gets dark.
We have to go out on the railroad to shovel
and pick. You can just bet we want to get
home, and | swear to you that if you send
me S5-for they say they can get me out for
So-send 1t II you have got to pawn every
thing you have got. My God, 1 can't stand
say, the authorities will transport me to
Philadelphia it l get out. My God, this has
given me a lesson to stay at home. I will
work as hard as lean. Send the money as
quick as you can. Do not forget to address
the letter to Washington Asylum. 1 got
ninety days, and 1 can't stand it to stay
another two days. am sore all over. Ny
hands are blistered. MyGod, this place gives
me a lesson. Goodbye. Send me u letter
as o as you can. Yours, in dgOny.
JACoB SCHMIDT.