Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-18
TWOOLD WANDERERS
An Ancient Austrian Couple Walk
From Galveston to Pittsburg.
BOUND FOR THEIR NATIVE LAND.
Eking Out a Scanty Living by Playing a
Music Box for Pennies.
ATTACKED BY PLUNDERlNG TRAMPs

Late on Saturday night Officer Boyer, of
the Southside police, discovered man and
woman, both advanced in years, sleeping
under shelter in Murphy & Diebold's lum-
Der yard at Temperanceville. Upon ava
kening them and taking them to the Thirty
sixth ward station house, they told one Of
the strangest stories ever related by pair
of wanderers.
They were man and wife, Joseph and An
ME Weibreitz, aged 60 and 65 years, and had
walked all the wav from Galveston, Tex,
whence thev had started four months ago.
On the way they had supported themselves
by playing a small organ mounted on wheels,
which they had with them.when discovered,
and gathering aims or payment, but VINE ther
for starting or stopping the machine is a
matter of conjecture. AT all events the
patrons they found lately were either devoid
of a taste for music or of the funds to
testify 10 its existence, as their available
cash assets when found only amounted to
cents.
Seated by the warm fire of the hospitable
station house, and filled with gratitude
and good SUPPER they told their story.
Their home was in a small Austrian town,
where they had four children living.
SETTLED IN TEXAS.
About seven years ago they had emil
grated, and settled upon some Texan land
which thev tried to farm, but misfortune
followed their efforts. The first two years
continuous drouth ruined their crops, and
placed them in debt, finally compelling
them to sacrifice their few farming imple-
ments. They then started for the city
of Galveston, where the woman got some
IL. la
did odd jobs, and they eked out preeari-
GUS existence. Their children had by this
time heard of their bad luck, but being
themselves, as all German farm laborers
qualified to be acquitted of the guilt of
riches by any intelligent jury, could only
forward the tickets for their parents to re-
turn to their Austrian home. This they did,
sending them to Weibreitz' sister, who lives
in New York, and thinking, as all their
class in Europe do, that New York con-
stitutes the whole country, supposed the old
people would be forwarded on the next
steamer.
This was over six months ago, and in the
meantime the peregrinations of the old
couple in search of work had caused the
New York relatives to lose track
of them, and it was two months
after the arrival of the ticket when
they again gained communication with
Weibreitz's sister, and then through an ad
vertisement in Galveston paper. Having
no means with which to travel they invested
their whole capital, some So 80, in the dole
full exponent of airs from pinafore to Chop
in with which they accompanied their dead
march.
EXCITING ADVENTURES.
OF the adventures they had in crossing
mountains and rivers they told interesting
and amusing stories. Once, in September
last, they were stopped by band of tramps
who seized the orchestra of the combination,
and proceeded to help themselves to the
company's treasury. Fortunately the vocal
notes of the old lady, which. unlike her
bank notes, were in the upper register,
attracted some farm laborers who captured |
the tramps in the act of despoiling the poor |
old travellers of all their valuables, and the |
tramps are now awaiting trial for highway |
robbery in Nashville, Tenn.
The officers of the station having satisfied |
themselves that the old couple were honest,
and that the story told was correct in the |
main, chipped in to make up purse for |
their support, realizing about S5, gave them |
a nights lodging, and yesterday morning
started them with good breakfast on their |
way toward the mountains II thev have |
luck they will be heard of in Altoona within |
ten DAYS, but that either one can expect to
reach Austria after the journey undertaken
is very doubtful. The old lady was clean
and fresh-looking, her cheeks as Drowned
and ruddy as a russet apple, and she ap-
peared to stand the fatigues of the journey
much better than her husband, who is five
years younger. Lieutenant Booker SAYS it
is the most peculiar case which has ever
come under his observation as a police
officer.