Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-07-30
SAYS HE Is KING OF TRAMPs,
And Going to Beat His Way Around the
World in 1O2 Days.

NeV York SW.
A little Young man with ordinary
brown hair aud smooth face Strolled
into the sun Office yesterday and an
nounced that he was King. He was
not one of those over-particular poten-
tates who require elaborate Salutations
from lesser personages, but just q plain
King, who had acquired his title by the
SuffrageS Of his subjects, and who
thought not much more of himself on
account Of il. He was Wilson Becker.
liking OF TrampS," elected to that dis
tinction about year ago at the con
vcntion held in Nanticoke, whose pro-
ceedings were reported in the sun at
the time. King Wilson is only twenty
years old, and by his own admissions
his claim TO recognition should rest
more upon his capabilities for lying
than on his recognized rank among
trampS. He says he has just beaten
his way from Boston to San Francisco
and back i'm twenty-one days on wager,
and during part of his journey rode
ON the train that carried George Francis
Train on the last lap OF his journey
against time around the world
Becker says that he started from BoS-
ton by freight, and was arrested before
he got twenty miles away.
"A farmer Judge" said he, .eXamin-
ed me, and | told him beautiful yarn
about being a sailor in the English
navy. | wanted TO get to Albany, thence
TO New York, in order to catch ship.
1t delayed me five hours to convince
the farmer Of the truthfulneSS of my
story and then | went on"
In Syracuse Becker says he was
arrested. He told the same story at a
loss of three hours, and when he had
done he passed his hat in the court
room ana collected Sl.75, to which the
Judge contributed - cents. In Buffalo
he was chased by the police, but he cS-
capped them and got on the trucks OF a
freight car in train that ran on pas
Senger time.
"The great thing in beating your
way" he explained, lis to get on a
blind mail, That is mail or express
car that is attached to the engine and
that has no door in front. After the
train gets a move on, if you can climb
ON TO the platform of blind ear you
can enjoy the breeZcS for hours or until
the train stops, for nobody can get at
you. When it stops you get off and
hang around until the train is going to
start again. Then you climb aboard,
and there you are. / held down fruit
ear on the way back from San Fran
cisco as far as Ogden. three days and a
half"
Three days and half. What did
you eat?"
Bananas"
Becker was obliged to send postal
card to his hacker, Boston museum
man, named Austin, from every town
at which he stopped, in order TO verify
his progress. On the return he boarded
a freight train at Albany and went To
sleep i'm a freight car. Twas ahead OF
time at Albany" he said. land when
woke up | was an hour behind. The
COMPOUNDED train was a local, and
thought it was a through, and | found
myself Side-tracked three miles east of
GreenbuSh. So had to walk back To
Albany and get on the trucks of pas
Senger train
Becker says that he won the bet, ana
that Austin paid him $500, $3.50 of which
he lent to his father, who was in prison
in British Guiana. His father, accord
ing to this accomplished liar, was en-
gagged i'm an inrurrectiOn in Guiana, an1
was sentenced to prison for eighteen
years This was when the King OF
TrampS was nine years old. Sine then
the King has been wandering over the
world, sometimes As a sailor and latter
~ rs profeSScd tramp.
I'D just as lief work" he said. iii
could find Il job that suited me, but
I'm not going to shovel coal or pick
up the streets for SIPS day. George
Francis Train gave me half Il dollar
when was ON my beating trip across
the continent, and got the rest of my
grub. except what found in the fruit
cars. by asking for il in the cities
where | stopped. In Worcester ! called
at forty-onc houses before ! got my
breakfast. To-day | beat my way To
Newberg on the Mary Powell. | had
the money to pay my fare, but thought
might as we'll keep it as to give it to
the purSer. How? Oh. | told the
Captain a straightforward story about
being an English sailor, hard up. and
wanted to get TO New York, and he
passed me. You see, if you can talk
freely and won't get phaSed, you can dc
most anything. even though lawyer
may be croSS-eXamining you"
Becker says he thinks he will call a
convention Of the trampS to meet next
September. He says there are $4,000
of them in America, land the freeSt,
most Independent class of men in the
country"
Becker concluded, Il mean to make
arrangements 10 beat my way around
the world in lO2 days. | have figured
out Just how il can be done, and know
| can do il. Once on the sea they cant
put YOU off, and | know enough about
ships to make myself useful if have to
work to help out my passage. Most OF
the way would be by by sea, you know,
and although | have visited all the coun
tries that would be touched, I'd rather
like to see them again. Invent into the
business more for fun than anything else
and geta lot of amusement out OF see
ing how | can play people. Lying
OF course have to resort TO lying: how
else can YOU beat your way? Give
good. stiff story, stick to it and carry al
English sailors bonnet. as | do in my
pocket. and nobody can help believing
, YOU. | must settle down some time'
suppose, and I'm about ready to do SO
, was reporter once on the Washing
ton Independent. They said | had
+ good nose for news, but | got 'em into
libel suit and they fired me after 1--WE
, weeks"