The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-15
M'NAIR, The BOY TRAMP
The Story Of q Wide-AVake American
Boy Who Doesn't Pay Fare.
He Can Go All Over the World With
out 1t Costing Him a Cent
He Tells How He
Does II.

Ffoin iie New YORK World.
Frank &. McNair is a bright American
boy who knows how TO take care of him.
self. When he is ut home his postofflce
address is Nunda, n. Y, but he is only
there ON rare occasions. McNair, though
OF tender years, has had a lively exper-
fence and las seen more of this country
than most young men of his age. What
makes d story of his travels particularly
interesting is h a he has journeyed thous
ands OF miles on cash capital of very
Few dollars, and deserves to be handed
down to posterity in n yellow-covered
novel as "The Boy Tramp"
Frank McNair is the son of a well-to-do
farmer. He received a good high school
education. He was ambitious and his
ambition lay in the direction of
travel. His father did not agree with him
n would not contribute the necessary
cash TO start Frank on a Sightseeing
tour. The boy solved the problem. He
started out in the spring of 1887 with a
tray OF knives and about so. He worked
his way as Tar west as Omaha and I'm the
fall returned home. II was not until July,
1859, that his travels really began.
He then, with another young man, be-
gan a trip which carried him as far west
as San Francisco, and included this
country as far north as Tacoma, WASH,
south as far as New Mexico, and east as
far as Portland, Me. Frank had IA stock
OF knives worth - and a few dollars for
expenses. He stole a ride on a freight
train to Buffalo and othertrains to Ash
tabula, Ohio. With his companion he
beat his way to Cleveland and thence to
Fort Wayne. During the summer the
two boys sold knives in Michigan.
In October McNair lost track of his
friend and alone started for Battle Creek,
Mich, with the resolve to reach Califor-
MIA or know the reason why, and i'm his
own language he tells the story thus:
"When ! left Battle Creek / had a stock
OF knives worth - and about So I'm cash..
1 hid myself In a fiat car of a freight train
and SO stole a ride to Chicago. stayed
there wo days IN then beat my way on
a passenger train TO Jacksonville, Ill. 1
sold some knives there and went on to
Hannibal, Mo. l had to take two freight
trains between that point and Kansas
City. 1 got put of the first one at a
little town in Missouri called Brunswick,
! boarded b e next tran that came along,
however, and reached Kansas City with
out trouble. l tried to get work there and
for my pains came near being stuck for
II by an employment agency. left Kan
sas City N October morning on a long
baggage train. l got in the first car, but
ten miles out of the city a brakeman came
along n said that unless / rave him 80
cents he would put me off. I reluctantly
did So. The train had gone about $50
me Tor 90 cents more. i concluded to give
up. had only 81, but he promised to let
me ride to the end of his trip for the
second consideration.
II went as far as st. John, Kan. / got
another freight to Kingsley, Kan. /
stayed there a day and caught a freight
on the Santa Fe road. / reached Las
Vegas. N. NJ without frpIIhln NVhnp \