Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-02-24

FROM OHIO IN A FREIGHT CAR.


donderry, o., but it was where he had toll
ed to raise his family and give them such
comfort and education as his sic nder purse
afforded. de took special pride is his
eldest son William, who was fine, bright
boy, who gave early promise of making his
mark The old man tried to IN AXE every
thing pleasant and to raise his children up
to do right and be honest. But as William
grew up to early manhood and the stories
of the wonders of the world outside Of the
little hamlet where his life had been spent
traveller in Londonderry and in the papers,
among which were many tales of the ad-
ventures of boys, he lost his affection for
the humble home of his father. He deci-
ded finally to shake the dust of London
derry from his feet. He had just passed
his nineteenth birthday when he oade his
old home goodbye and neglected to tell
any one where he was going. He saw con-
siderable of the world. He had a little
money with him-that lasted only few
weeks. He was an economical boy, and
managed by riding upon wagons with farm
ers and walking to get many miles from
Londonderry before all of his money was
gone. Then he had to depend upon the
charity of the people he came in contact
with for food and shelter. He got situa-
tions in several stores, but being withou t
business experience he was not able to keep
them. Through the Summer he worked for
farmers in different places. He had to
work so hard that he came to the conclu-
sion that Londerry was pretty good place
after all. Since winter set in William has
had a hard struggle for existence. The
kind of places that were open for him TO
sleep in during warm weather were all clos
ed and there was.l little work that he could
do for his food. he was scsntily clothed
and on many nights ne kept himself from
freezing by walking all the time on de-
serted highways or in the shelter of build
ings.
He was sick and worn out when he applied
to farmer Moses Gilmln, at Brainbridge,
Ross county, Ohio, for work about six
weeks ago. The farmer took pity on the
boy, and though there was little to do he
kept him for three weeks, and then told
him that he had no further use for him. He
left the farmers house to go, he knew that
whittier. While in disnair and thinking
about the hard time he was having and of
suicide the little, humble home at London :
derry came in a comforting way TO his
mind, and forgetting his pride, that had
kept him away so long, he started with
courage for his fathers house some two
hundred miles away. There was nothing
but hardship staring him IN the face on the
journey, and he suffered greatly from ex-
posure. In about two weeks or on Friday
last, he got to Dayton. Then from the re-
ports he heard Of the condition of the roads =,
undetermined to steal eide TO Columbus on
freight train. lie found a car-doOr part
ly open. 1t was about nightfall and he
stealthily entered the car and going to one
corner of 1t he lay down upon the floor and
| in few moments was sound asleep. He
was awakened by something being show eI-
ed in upon him, but did not stir. He found
that the car was being flooded with corn,
and after it was partly filled the door was
closed and locked. fhe air was intensely
cold and he kept awake by walking across
a little vacant spot in the car, until the train
reached Columbus. Then he shouted, kick
ed and pounded on the car door until in
about two hours the attention of some one
on the outside was attracted. Whoever it
was told him that the car was sealed and
that it could not be opened without violat-
ing the law until the journeys end.
Where this was the boy could not find
out.
The train started in little while. The
wind blew strongly through the cracks il
the car where the boy shivered. He was
hungry, having eaten nothing for twenty
il was so hard that he could not crack il
with his teeth. He tried to warm himself
by burrowing into the corn and covering
himself over with it, but the corn pressed
50 hard into his flesh that he could not beai
it and got out into the vacant place again
and began to walk. The air grew colde
and the wind whistled louder. The boy
struggled along for hours. Then he los
all sense of cold and the air seemed to be.
come balmy and warm. pleasant glow
came slowly over his body, and even when
he seemed to have regained strength aud to
be walking rapidly his legs gave out and hi
fell to the car floor and in a second had for
gotten everything. He had become be
numbed by the cold, and his body was com
pletely exhausted. When he awoke from :
a sleep that was filed with pleasant dreams
he was stiff and could not move. 1t SEEM
ed weeks before the the sunshine cam
, through the cracks. The car became lit
tie warmer and the boy thawed out enoug
TO be able to stand
This process of freezing and thawing wa
; kept up until the train arrived vesterda
m orning in the New York Centra' freigh
yard in New York city, the suffering
of the boy alone in the car were terrible
When the car was opened at Sixty fft
street and Twelfth avenue the boy wa
groaning piteOusly. He was helped out o
the car to a store at Seventy y-second street
There an officer summoned an ambulsnc
and the sufferer was taken too the Ninety
ninth Street Hospital. His condition wa
terrible. Both his feet were frozen an
will probably be amputated. They wer
greatly swollen and the pain was so sever
when be was brought into a warm ROOT
that he was placed in the summer ter
that is still up IN the yard. His pale fac
, was haggard and drawn and his whole bod
was sore. The full extent of his injurit
could not be ascertained until he is thawe
out. His desire for for food was gone an
h e had an idea that he would be better G
dead than alive.