Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-27
A BOY TRAMP FROM ERIN.
THE EXPERIENCE OF JOHN NC
DONOUGH, AN IRISH LAD.
Left an Orphan and Compelled tn Shift for
HimseIf-On His Way to PearsalI.
Bound to be 4 Cattle King.

On the south bound Santa Fe train yes
terday, which passed through Fort Worth
| at $50 a. NJ, was an interesting parsonage,
| whose career, for one 50 young, was moth
| ing if not checkered and eventful. The
| person in question is bright Irish boy of
fifteen years by the name of John Nc
| Donougn.
The story of his life for the past two
| years as told to GAZETTE reporter, IN a
| rich Irish brogue, was full of interest.
| Some parts that related to his family's sep
| aratiOn and his consequent loneliness in the
world We're tinged with touch of sadness,
| while into others crept the inevita-
Die Irish lumor that always
lends zest Ito the variations, of
| the sons of Erin.
| Up to three years ago McDonough, who
| is only fifteen years old, lived at London
| derry, ireland. At this time his father died,
| leaving him and two sisters, Nora and
Kathleen, both older than himself, to buffet
with the world The elder of the
| girls was possessed of an exceed
| ingly sweet voice, and added to this
| accomplishment the additional one of being
an unusually graceful dancer. Atthe time of
| her fathers death she was engaged as one
of the principal attractions in an opera COM
| pany which eSSayed the production of light
| opera. Upon the death OF the parent,
| the elder sister. Nora, TOOK Kathleen,
who was a novitiate in the song
| and dance line, under her tutelage, and the
| two supported themselves and more on sal
airy of Is shillings night and expenses. John
| was thus left at the age of Ii TO shift for
| himself and to work out his own salvation.
He was not at all set back by this
stroke OF adversely, and Immediately
| set out to work his way across the Irish
sea TO England. He succeeded in doing SO
| and found himself in a short time in York
shire. Here he remained for 4 while until
| he was taken with desire to see London
| in all her greatness. He walked to that
| CITY. and SAYS he saw the
rnetropolis of the world in
her lights, shadows and manifold phases
| during his stay of two months. From here
he wandered to Wales, thence back to
Yorkshire The trip from Wales 10 the
latter place was tramped in clogs, or
wooden shoes, and from McDonough,s de-
scription OF the sensations experienced by
the person wearing this particular
style of shoe, one would not think them
pleasant ones. He made mis- way to the
seaport of Button, in Yorkshire. and
shipped for America as a stowaway in one
of the large steamers. ON the third night
out from the port he was discovered
dragged from his hiding place among
the myriad boxes. bales, etc. that
go to make up the contents of the hold of
an ocean steamer. and tiogged unmerci-
fully by Capt. McGlothlin, in charge of the
vessel. The steamer was due IL New York
in six days and twelve hours, but on account
of heavy seas andadverse circumstances was
out twenty-three days. When McDonough
quit the vessel and arrived in New York he
found himself without a cent. Nothing
daunted he beat his way TO Chicago, and
was around the stockyards much OF his
time looking for odd jobs. Here was the
turning point in his fortune. for here
it was that he met big-hearted,
generous Texan engaged in the cattle
business. He was attracted by the clear
eye and open countenance of the Irish boy
and asked how he would like TO live in
Texas and learn the cattle business. To
this proposition McDonough gave
speedy acquiescence, and the cattle
man adding coat and a pair of
boots to the scant wardrobe OF
his protege, furnished him with pass and
started him for his ranch near Pearsall,
F'rio county. The young fellow had on the
gray shirt and the corduroy lnee-trousers
which he had brought to this country from
ireland. McDonough, in discussing the cattle
business, said with an air of settled con-
viction that he intended some day to be one
of the foremost cattlemen of Texas, and the
reporter felt, as he looked into his boyish
countenance, surcharged with youthful ex-
uberance, that he uttered no idle boast
when he made this assertion, but would be
heard from in some way when he
reached manhood. McDonough Is possessed
of more than an average education, attend
ing school as he did one year at St.
Michael's, in Londonderry, and three years
at st. Patrick's college in Dublin. He
sings with a clear, sweet voice, that
reminds one of Fritz Emmett
and Joe Murphy, and had
a stock of tuneful Irish ballads, with which
he RECALLED the reporter and City Passenger
Agent Doherty, who accompanied him a
hmm nm
new home on the ranch of his benefactor in
Frio county.