The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-01-08
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
wanderlnss of u Chicago Younsstor.

A San Francisco despatch says
there is confined in the city prison
there u bright-looking boy, who is
either a systematic liar or else q wild
and hayward youth. Al oticerfound
him wandering around the dock of the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company. IIo
gave the name OF McDougall Foster
and said that he WAS IL years of age.
He claims that he ran away from his
home in Chicago a few weeks ago, and
''beat" his way, arriving here a short
time ago.
The story as told by him was asfol.
lows: MY father wanted me to 90 to
school and l didn't want to, cause
there's no fun in it. A few weeks
ago l left home. Iloafed around Chi
cage the first day, then l sneaked on
n train and rode to Omaha. The peo-
pie on the cars gave me enough to eat,
and l stopped at Omaha one day un-
til l got tired. Then l sneaked on
another car and rode to Ogden, and
stopped there one day. On the next
| car | got on was a lot OF cattle men,
and they helped me hide from thecon-
ductor."
A reporter found the boys mother
st ITS 1-2 Lexington avenue, in Chi
caso. The lad is known as "'The Great
American Traveller"
II can't tell you very much about
his travels" she said, because | do
not know it all. | never would let
him tell me. lie q always anxious
| that / should hear. l have pretended
to pay attention, but when | have re-
| fused to listen he would manage to
convey the information by relating
his experiences to his little sister
where | could hear him. know that
he has been to New York, three times
to Washington, Philadelphia, Balti-
more, and st. Louis, within the last
year. His first trip was taken about
u year ago, when he went to Chilli
Gothic, Mo, to visit his grandfather.
AT that time he was only ten years
old. We sent him money to come
home. He rode on the ticket as far
as Quincy, where he tore it up
and started for New York. We
had no dea what had become
of him until he suddenly
came home and told us where
he had gone. In the course OF u few
weeks we missed him. This was in
February. In May he returned. He
had been to New York all the while.
We have done everything to dis
courage his wonderings, but it seems
to have no effect. He is otherwise
not a bad boy, and learns very last
at school.
Good by mamma, I'm going to the
grocery he said to me last summer,
as he went out. | suspected nothing,
and yet | didnotl lay eyeso on him again
for amonth. AS a rule he is well able
to take care OF himself, but | must
confess | am a little worried this slime,
because | do not know whether ornot
heis well. Did you hear how he got
away the last time? He had been
lying in bed for four weeks, and we
thought he had been suffering from
hip Joint disease.
"Dr. w. T.. Clarke, who was attend
ing him, thought he had hip joint dis
ease, and that he would b~econtined to
bis bed for about sixmonths. Imagine
the DOCTORS surprise when he came
to attend his patient and found him
gone. McDougall THAT is the boys
name), was lying upon his back, his
injured leg being suspended by cords
and weights fastened to the ceiling in
the form Of a pulley. He could scarce.
ly move, and we supposed him to be
utterly helpless. | went out to the
store, returning in about twenty min
utes and he was up and gone. Inever
was more surprised and worried in my
life. We sent messages to every police
station in town right away. How he
managed to cut the cords and get his
clothes on in such q short time Ihave
no idea.
81 know it is III boy" she went on,
"for have already been notified by
the chief OF police at San Francisco,
who gives the name and all correctly
l have sent q telegram to his father,
who is now in Nebraska on business,
for the firm of Dunton &Co., by whom
he is employed" She said he was
rather large for his age, and made it a
habit to seek the company of men
; He cared nothing whatever for boys,
but vas always friendly and popular
. with men. In most of his travels he
had managed to get along through the
friendships formed with the engineers
| of the trainl.
, VictOria's CcremoniOusncss.