The morning news., 1889-11-11
A MUoH-TRAvELRD NEwsBoY.
joe Sepp's Lost Arm Was as Good as a
Ticket on Most Railroads.
Fronl the Nelo York Slln.

Ticket on Most Railroads.
From the NetO York sun.
Little Joe Sepp, lively newsboy of 13,
who sells the Sun every Sunday on the
streets of Reading, Penn, is probably the
most experienced boy traveller in the coun-
try. In twelve months he Travelled 6,000
miles by rail, across the continent and all
through Mexico, and never paid a cent for
all that riding, although he journeyed
alone and was entirely dependent on his
own resources. He covered the whole dis
rance. as he says, by drumming it,n always
on through freight trains, except on one
occasion, when he struck lucky lift on a
Messenger coach. He has only one hand
and arm, the left, hut his empty right
sleeve has been rather help than a draw
back to him, for the watchful brakemen
whom he encountered on his travels never
had the heart to put him off when they
sized up bis age and hight and noticed that
little sleeve dangling empty at his side.
Little Joes face and general appearance,
TOO, are always prepossessing, and mis- big
brown eyes, shaded with long, dropping
lashes, and his healthy, jovial, round
cheeks win him friends at sight wherever
he goes. He is the brightest and liveliest
sort of boy, and is a regular wonder Of
pluck and self-reliance.
Little Joe formerly lived in Sedalia, Mo-, g,
with his parents, who originally went from
this city. When he was 10 years old ne lost
his right arm below the shoulder by fooling
around passenger engine with some other
boys. as boys will do. Two wears ago the
family removed to Kansas City. He grew
restless at school and wanted 10 travel, SO
in July of last year, unknown to his father
and mother, he left home and struck out
for the great southwest. 1t was night when
ID %b<. \
off to the suburbs of the town where the
big freight trains are side-tracked. He got
on one of the outward-bound trains lying
in the yard and hid himself in an i'm
mense boiler inside box car on the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Sante Fe road. A brake
man discovered him the next day, but
instead of showing him off the train, gave
him something to eat then, and each day
afterward during the trip. The train went
straight through to Santa Fe, N. NJ, a
distance Of 675 miles. Joe Immediately de-
termined to make himself useful, and to
earn enough money to keep him in food and
clothing, SO he did odd jobs here and there.
carried baggage to hotels from the trains,
and ran errands. He knocked about in
Santa Fe awhile, and then visited Fort
Stanton, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, San
Michael and other towns in New Mexico.
Afterward he went successively to FL Paso,
Chihuahua, Juhmes, Zacatecas, San Luis
Potosi, and San Juan del Rio, remaining at
each city few weeks, and finally reached
tae City of Mexico Dec. l.
By that time Joe had picked up a very
serviceable smattering of Spanish. he
frequented the passenger depots in the
capital city, and noticed that a great many
American travellers got off the cars every
DAY. A bright idea came to him. He won
dered If he couldn't make money by inter
preting for these Americans when they
struck the town. He went into the pas
seDger depot and offered his services to the
station master. That official laughed when
he saw the one-armed boy aud heard him
make the offer to serve as interpreter, but
finally engaged him. Then Joe had all the
work he could do, and the American tourists
whose sachels he carried, and for whom he
gave directions at the hotels in Spanish,
paid him handsomely. Some days he
netted as much as SO and S10
Joe, however, spent his money freely. The
Mexican circus captured his fancy, and he
attended the performances every night
The best seat on the top row cost 81, while
the cheapest seats were to be had for 25
cents Joe always chose the top row. He
greatly enjoyed the bull fights, too, and
other vigorous outdoor exercises in the city,
and never missed any sporting event that
the fun of seeing these things, Joe found
tnat wherever the biggest crowd was there
was the best chance for him to make money
by Interpreting. He acquired great fond
ness for Mexican pancakes and peppered
beans and highly favored hodge-podge.
which he habitually bought from Mexican
street peddlers. He remained in the beau
tiful city until the latter part of March,
when, with some regret, he struck out to
return to the states, having strong desire
to see life in Texas He entered Texan
territory through the eagle pass. and made
his way at once to San Antonio. There
after time he boarded fast freight on
the Missouri, Kansas and Texas road, and
went flying northeasterly through Texas,
and up through Arkansas and Kansas to
Topeka. Thence he boarded another train,
and reached Kansas City, but as he himself
expresses it, went humming through it,
and didn't stop, having no use for that town
then" From Kansas City he went to
Joliet, Ill, and saw the big penitentiary
there; then on to Chicago, then back to
st. Louis, to Louisville, then Indianapolis,
then again to Chicago. On the trip
from Indianapolis to Chicago he rode
on the platform next to the tank of the en-
glne on passenger train. It was a cold
night in April, and he pulled his jacket
over his ears. The engineer saw him and
was about to put him off when he saw that
Joe had only one arm. That circumstance
touched the engineers heart, aud he helped
the waif up on the engine. As soon as the
train made the first stop the engineer said
to The conductor, "Put that boy in a car, :"
and the conductor did So A month later
Joe turned up in Plttsburg, where he heard
people talking about the great Conemaugh
disaster. He hurried to Johnstown, and
spent week there looking at men digging
up drowned bodies. After that he went to
Altoona, then to Harrisburg, and finally
reached Reading the latter part of July.
Relatives Of his mother reside here, at 145
Maple street, SO he hunted them up and
went to live with them. Here he is happy.
GSpeaking to-day of his experiences, Joe
SAID: Il enjoyed myself every where on my
travels. OF all the states and territories
nave been in Texas is the toughest It is
better to ride on fast freight trains than on
passengers, because there is less danger of
9eing put off. l never rode on a truck un-
uer car. That's too much for me- I
never trained with stiffs, or buns or
Vramps. | used to see them put fly blisters
"a tnelr hands to make people believe they
beg"
,Joes father had written repeatedly from
Kansas City TO relatives here concerning
Soes whereabouts when he was on his
travels, and Joe wrote back when he
iedcned here that he was all right Now