The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-10-18

distressed and hungry, was little
Beckey Levy, the only female that
has ever been known to stow away
on vessel sailing out of San Fran
cisco. Beckey hid in some small
corner of the steamer Monowai
when that vessel left for Sydney,
via Honolulu, on her last trip. She
had Just nickel in coin when dis
covered, put she got through on it
as far as Melbourne, nevertheless,
where her parents reside.
The Monowai arrived last Satur-
day from Honolulu, and is now at
the Oceanic dock. Captain Carey
and Purser Bendall gave the news
out yesterday regarding Beckey
and her bold plan to steal march
on the Oceanic Steamship Com
pany. They said that she was
more than successful. Then they
gave an account of the young lady's
trip to her native land.
Two years ago family named
Levy, residents of Melbourne, came
to San Francisco on one of the
Spreckles steamers. The father was
an honest shoe-trimmer, who had
heard a great deal about San Fran
cisco and the State of California.
He sold out his small posses
sions in Australia, purchased
tickets for himself, wife and child
for America, and landed at Folsom
street dock full of the idea of
rapidly becoming rich in the land
of gold.
But Mr.. Levy was deceived to a
certain extent. He had been told
that there was plenty of work for
shoe-trimmers in this city, but he
soon found out that all of that class
of work was done in this country
by machinery, and not by hand.
The small stack of coin that the
workman had saved up soon dimin-
ished. He tried to secure employ
ment in various capacities, but
failed. He was obliged to borrow
money from his friends to enable
himself and wife to get back to
Australia, he having decided to
leave his child, Becky, with a mar
ried couple who resided in the Mis-
sion, until he could secure funds
enough on returning to Melbourne
to send her a ticket for home.
The man and his wife started for
the Antipodes about eighteen
ago. Becky was down at
the wharf to see them off, her blue
eyes filled with tears and her little
head bowed with a sorrow which |
she vainly tried to master. Becky |
had just reached her sixteenth year
and she seemed to realize what a
lonesome life so young a girl as she
would have to live in a strange |
land among comparatively strange |
people.
The man and wife with whom
the girl had been left were not
leading a life of domestic bliss.
They quarrelled often, and several
times came to blows. Finally they
one going South, the
other East, leaving Becky with just
50 in coin and without friend on
the coast. This desertion of the
helpless youngster occurred three
days before the Monowai sailed.
Becky was discovered by the
steamers Waterman hiding in the |
main cabin or social hall some
hours after the vessel had passed
out of sight of land. She was hur-
ried before Captain Carey, to whom
she told the story of how she came
on board.
81 had just 3 cents left out of
my So" she said, hanging her head
bashfully. Il was hungry and
had no place to 60 to eat or Sleep"
Il wandered down to the dock
and saw the Monowai getting ready
to leave. l couldn't help coming
on board and hiding under that
bench until the ship had got away
from the harbor.
Oh, captain, don't put me off at
Honolulu 4; let me go home to father
and mother"
Captain Carey is one of the best
men In the world, and has the
kindest of hearts, but at first be
thought perhaps some of the steer
age passengers were trying to play
a trick on him.
He gruffly ordered the first Off
Ger 10 bring OUT L g irons aud told
the child that he was going to put
her below among the coalpassers.
She never quailed, hut stuck to her
story bravely, telling it with so
much childish Innocence that the
skipper ordered her given Il COM