The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1892-02-16
A BOY TRAMP.
He Usually Rides on Passenger
Trains, Because Time is
Money.

George Hughes, q young man
about % years ofage who is known
the country over rs the "boy tramp
was in st. Louis yesterday. Young
Hughes has . remarkable record.
He has probable travelled as extensive
ly in tie United States as any of the
Vanderbllts, but his trips have not
been characterized b. the luxurious
ness OF those OF the railroad msgnate
Nevertheless, the young man has
frequently travelled GU special trains
and enjoys the distinction of having
been hurried through to his d.stina-
ton at the rate Of sixty or
seventy miles an hour. He has
Travelled from Main to California
and from Tampa Bay to Puget sound
and yet has never pad one cent rail
rad fare in bis lite. The young man
has made three trips nearly acros. the
continent and back and has spent
several winters in the South. In the
spring he always goes North to remain
during the summer months, but does
not remain in one place for nv length
of time. He shifts about from place
10 place, but generally keeps to the
nor.h of a certain latitude ON account
Of The hot weather. For all his
pleasure cost him little or nothing, he
is quite ;e ,theiic in his tas,es, and
selects the place where he thinks he
would like t. spend the summer or
winter IN 'uth- with much the same
ciu ion and concern as would the
wealthi-r sojourners there At til.
least calculation. young Hughes says
he has Travelled no less than 25, 0G(s
niles. He assumed a rather lsnguid
tion't-care air as he proceeded to tell
the story OF his travels to a Globe
Democrat man ON Washington avenue
Yesterday evening. Let me have q
cigarette, please said he before he
began his narrative. The favor
granted, he lighted it leisurely and
pulled away silently for lev moments
before he spoke. Il have been
travelling around the country for
about ten err eleven years, and have
seen as much of it as | care to see
| have been in nearly every State
an Territory il the Union ia that
time and have seen all kinds OF people
| started ont when was a lad about
II years old and have been at It
ever since. | am none of your
common t"amp.. | want 20 cay right
here. l never beg for anything to
eat unless it is an absolute necessity
and ! can also say that it has been
necessity but very few times in my
experience. i am pretty handy at
most any kind of work. and have
picked up little knowledge Oh pretty
nearly every subject. when I strike 8
Place | ;hink / will like | sherch for
employment as waiter in hotel eleva-
tor, boy, helper i'll any kind of
machine shop or carriage factory. |
am pretty fly with a paint brush
and can letter aud stripe as good As
anybody. But | am most at home III
a rolling mill. was almost BORN in
an iron furnace, and can do anything
from s,raigh.ener to pudding and
heating. l have served a good dea,
of time at The rolls. and can shore
a hot bar of iron through and back
as easily as could eat my supper.
II never had much schooling, but
| will wager know more about the
of the United States than
any High S:nool graduate in st.
Louis. | can tell you the principal
industries OF any large city in the
Union; how they are lighted, street
car systems and the like. l came
from Tere Haute where my father il
employed in 4 rolling mill. l lief.
home when a mere boy, just for the
snke OF &c, ing the country and l have
had a pretty rough lime Of it ever
since. have gone wnole Days with
out food or ,ter, and have nearl,
frozen to death once or twice.
| generally manage to wear pretty
good cl,thes, and | can always say
that hsvv canned them ny hard work
When get good job hold it as
long asI can but never stay with a
poor one. The hardest trip | ever
M ,de was | believe several years ago
when | was on my way to California
The trip was fine until got into New
Mexico, and then the real hardships
began. There was another fellow
with me, and We locked ourselves in
a box car. We were in the car for
four days going across the American
Desert, and had eaten even y-thing We
had be rore the trip w"s fairly begun
We had no wat alter the first day,
and when we go Ihr ugh finally we
,,.,r,. ussrer dead than alive. Yes |