The morning call., 1893-12-27
The True Story of Sydney and
Payne.
HIGH HoNORS AT FRESNO.
The Southern Pacific, Wells, Fargo
s Co. and Numerous Hotel
Men Taken In.

Some philosopher, while in a meditatng
mood. once said "Al nature smiles while
being taken in" and the late p. T. Bar
mum, not to be outdone. said, THE world
loves a humbug." That these expressions
have been demonstrated in the practical
is readily seen in the account given by
Fred Julian Sydney of his and his part
ner's q. Francis Payne) operations
throughout the South and in California.
Sydney, who is % years of age. was born
In New York State and is a graduate of
Yale Law College. Bis companion. Payne.
70 years of age, WAS born in Chicago. and
is q graduate of Ann Arbor (Mich.) Uni
Versity. In Chicago the two young men
were engaged in gathering news for a
press association, but were discharged in
July last, as Sydney says. in order to cur
tail expenses. They loitered around Chi
= cago until Septemb Der, when bright idea
struck them. They would make tour
through the country as reporters under
taking to cover distance of 5000 miles
with but cent each in their pockets, on a
. wager posted by ParSon Davies, the Chi
transporting man, and Billy Meyers, the
Streator 1ll.) pugilist.
The story was committed to memory.
and, both being smooth takers, on Sep
fember 20 last they started out paying
their way as far as Chattanooga, Tenn.
There they had four star badges made,
purporting TO be for correspondents of the
Chicago Times, Century Magazine, Brook
Ign Eagle and Chicago Tribune. Armed
with these they left Chattanooga, travelling
through Alabama, Louisiana, Texas
Mexico and California, arriving here on
December 9. On all this trip they lived in
the lap of luxury. They stayed al the best
hotels, rode in presidents private cars,
Nv hreC hnn tod
by the leading athletic club in the South,
as well as by the Fresno Fruit. growers
Association; visited theaters, dined with
Inillionaires. and. IN fact lived more like
princes than men who were living by their
wits OF newspaper clippings, giving an
account of their long travel, they had an
abundance, and these they used to further
their pOtoTiety and ada to their scTapboOk
collection.
On their arrival here the first thing to do
was to visit the office of one of the morn
ing papers and there give out their sensa-
tional story. Their deception was not de-
tected and the next morning the paper
printed column, giving an account of
how two reporters had started ont to
travel 5000 miles on wager OF $1,000 with
only cent for capital. Only one. j. Fran
els Payne, appeared to tell the story, and,
in order TO add pathos. ne told of how he
was obliged to leave his companion, Sgd
ney, in Los Angeles on account of broken
leg, but that he would continue the jour-
ney alone SO as to arrive in Chicago before
December %, the day on which the wager
would expire. The object in getting the
story prin ted here was to obtain th e neces-
eary notoriety to establish them on foot
Ing with the railroad and express compa-
MES here and further the scheme. They
were successful. The Southern Pacific on
December furnished the necessary trans
portation TO Ogden for young Payne, his
partner, Sydney. resolving TO remain here
for the Midwinter Fair season. Wells
Fargo & Co. shipped his baggage and at
last account he was IN Ogden taking up g
collection to buy an overcOat.
Fred Julian Sydney is now installed in
clearinghouse on O'Farrell street He
willingly told the story Of his operations
adding that he did not like the life of de :
ception which he was leading aud had
. determined to quit 1t and let MS partner
do as he chose.
I'VE concocted the scheme in Chicago"
he said, land you would hardly believe
me when l tell you we were never refused
anything. When we left Chattanooga we
went to Mobile. There we introduced
ourselves to E. E. Posey. general passen-
ger agent of the Mobile and Ohio road.
He took US out for a wine dinner and or
dered ont his private car TO take US to
New Orleans. The Mobile papers had a
story about 1t which we showed to the
New Orleans papers. They made sensa-
entrance to the parlols of the Olympic
Club They gave banquet in our honor,
at which several officials of the Mexican
international Railway were present. We
met them, and they extended to us the
privileges OF their road, as we told them
we would give their road a good sendoff
In our papers when we reached home. We
accepted their kind offer, and spent two
days in the City of Mexico at their eX-
pense. We went all through Texas. and
l,o1l
t!on had preceded US. An eEterprisng
= editor there was awaiting our arrival with
brass band We were driven uptown in
>. carriages and treated like lords. We Wis
tied all of the prnclp al towns 10 the State
always staying at the best hotels, it being
beneath our dignity TO take anything that
: was not first class.
Payne always did the talking when we
went.lnto hotel. He would ask for the
manager. and On being presented would
tell our story. We would like TO register
swhether we stay or not he would saw. and
invariably the reply he would get would
be, Glad TO meet newspaper men, accept
my hospitality and make yourself at home
We never failed to do as we were hidden.
Here are some of the letters which we
received en- route" said Sidney. producing
: "a package OF letters from railroad officials.
express agents and hotel men to one an.
other vouching that the two young tramps
:. wsre all right.
"We got these by the basketful. The
Nells-Fargo agents l would say voncbed
for our responsibility hundred times.
Well, we struck the Southern Pacific at
Aojave. The agent there, like every one
else. was glad TO see the two great travel
ers, and telegraphed TO know if he could
pass US through 10 Fresno. He recei , ed
an answer Yes and to give US a sleeper.
He did, and ON December 2 last we ar.
rived there. We went to the Hughes
e.: House. We were welcomed and given a
SIS a day suite each. The Fresno paper
Offices of course were visited, and soon the
news that we were in town was proclaimed
far and near. The Fresno Fruit-growers'
Association waited upon us. We told its
officers we would be glad to write up the
fruit industry in California on our return.
They bit, and within an hour carriages