The morning call., 1893-07-30
EARNED HIS WAY.
A Newsboy Crosses the
Continent Twice.
The Remarkable Journeys of a San
Francisco Reporters Son His
Industry and Intelligence.

1.-THE boy Keyston. whom you wrote up
the continent. isn't in it. with Jack Egan's
youngster." remarked an old-time resident
Yesterday to reporter Of this paper.
This boy started with $500, while young
Egan. before he was years old. worked
his way across. You remember Jack
Esan, don't you: He used to be on the
old Alta. All the printers will remember
him. He is living in Seattle now, editing
the dispatches for the Telegraph. Well.
his boy is natural traveller. When lie
was years old he ran eff from here. went
to San Jose and stayed week. The same
year he ran off TO Sacramento. and later
made trip 10 Fresno. His parents could
not watch him close enough to head him
off
You will hardly believe me when tell
you that this little Jimmie Egan. when he
was s years old-hs was living in Portland
then-ran off to st. Louis, and he started
with Sc 30. which he had saved up selling
papers. He is the most successful news
boy in the northern country. and what is
mere. polite, intelligent fellow. He is
cripple. too, ono leg being three inches
shorter than the other and withered. His
plan Is TO start with enough money to
reach the next big town. Then he halts
and goes TO work. staying with 1t till he
has saved enough TO reach the next big
town. He never consorts with tnughs or
criminals, always puts ur at decent hotels,
and seems imbned with vast amount Of
self-respect. Small OF stature. and lame.
he was always able to reach the next
place even II his ready cash did not ap-
Droximate the scheduled fare. Conductors
usually looked kindly upon him. and
James was not slow to learn this fact and
run it to his own advantage. He told me
that he struck an ugly conductor once.
and then he bad to ride brakebeam. But
this was the only time in his life that he
bad to adopt the tramp's method nf trans
portation. 1t was force put. He could
not stop to sell papers because there was
M place large enough to support a daily,
and he was too proud 10 beg.
His big trip was made at the ago of
when he went TO Philsdelrhia. remaining
away about five months. On that trip he
stsrted with his parents assent with 80
making Spokane Falls, Helena, Butte,
Bismarck. Fargo. 81 Paul, Chicago and
Cleveland. 1t would have besn useless for
his parents to withheld permission. be-
cause he would have run Off
Jimmie has AL uuconquerabls desire to
travel. In bis childish way, he has tho
same burning desire which animated the
worlds great explorers. and il he had
robust physique. ne would certainly under
take journeys such as Livingstone and
Stanley have made. He is still news
boy at Seattle. selling morning and even
ing papers, and seldom makes less than
So a day. l am one Of his regular Gus
toners when l am home. and he has fifty
others who never think of patronizing any
other newsboy. You can SEQ him every
night, as soon as be has swallowed his
books Of travel, and he never moves from
his seat till the lights are ,ut out. except
when there is CORD theatrical perform
ancs. Then he reads till S:l5, shuts his
book promptly and breaks for tho opera
house, two blocks distant.
''Some day that boy, if ne lives to be
man, will DO something that will fill the
country with his fame"