The sun., 1894-12-17
WALKED HERE FROM TEXAS
TEE ROBERTS FAMILY,s love AND
ARDUOUs TRAMP.


Father, Neither. s-a Five Littis Oues, Tat
tered snd Travel statnes, bat Still
Cheerfsi, Trusee r.to Newark a Pitt
rsI Tale or Frivatios and suFsriug.
A tall, gsunt man, with striney side whlskers
and clothing go torn and tattered that II threat
ened to fall on. entered Police Headquarters at
Newark at about o'clock on Saturday night,
and. walking up 10 the Lieutenant in charge,
said: "Guv'uer, kin l an mine squat here fer
q timer"
"what do you mean Z" asked the Lieutenant
"welI," said the man, weather Amt none
too likely out an me n my family wants shelter
fer the night"
"Oh, guess we can 1x you" replied the Of
icer, but where's your familyY"
I'll git 'em," said the man. and walking to
the door he opened IL, and sticking his head out
cried: Come here, you uns: you Ssry and you
Hennery, come on all of you" In another mo-
ment the Lieutenant beheld a parade the like of
which he never saw before. and which he says
he hopes hell never see again. The first person
to respond to the mans call was middle-aged
woman. She was dressed in q most dilapidated
gown of the Mother Hubbard style; her matted
and unkempt hair hung down her back, while
her dirty face was screwed up into . sorry-look-
ing smile. The Lieutenant look ed aghast at this
apparition, but there was moro to come. One
after another ive children trooped in. four boys
and one girl. all wearing the same smile OF con-
fldence that had first shown itself on the wo-
man, and all 40 ragged and dirty that they
looked as though they had been put through a
threshing machine and then rolled in the mud.
us this the famlly1 2" eNsped the Lieutenant.
"Them's my youngsters and this Ia my wo-
man." said the man.
where did you come from, anyway"
"Texas."
How did you get here7"
Seven grins greeted the Lieutenant's query.
and then came the laconic answer, walked"
The man then went on TO tell q remarkable
story of how he and his family had come all the
way from Texas, walking when they had to and
riding when they got the opportunity, which
was not often. Penniless, ragged. and hungry
as they were. they. nevertheless, seemed happy.
When the Chief OF Police and every one who
been consulted, it was decided to put them all
In one OF the rooms usually kept for witnesses.
RnSsrt o wh9 Rra%n copnY S TsIas scoensd
offer, and the family were led to their rude
quarters, each ono still wearing grin and ap-
Robert, and hi. family were seen by
SuS reporter. aint no Texan myself" he
"an' don't never wanter be. was born in this
here part er G the country, but & went down own there
back again an still broke. I'm 5s years old
myself; my wife Saray here is 40. gittln onter
AZ; Belle. the little girl Is ies turnin IA; Hen:
pointing at two youngsters who were engaged
In terrific battle on the floor, are 10 apiece.
8, an that's the whole family" " 0'' :
Ali hands sreeted the reporter enthusiastical-
M the twHs eHen stepping their fight long
Mn nn %rsa ssn
make n livin' up ter four months ago. when
had ter quit. l rented the old place any way,
but the COW and the horse was mine, an when
sold the cow. and the old horse had to go. % too.
and then, with blankets fer all hands and n hunk
saSe d9 wss
where here, cuz he sent me letter bout seven
months ago an said as how he was liyin at New
ark. IL WAS three months and a week ago when
we started. We rode as far as we could on the
money had. an then we started out ter foot
an ssxsn So money ws Ms got along st
rate. cuz every one helped along. Every
woman. woman and the young 'Sns, and sometimes mes
they'd give enough to let us all ride to the next
town. Then sometimes the railroad hands would
the %sa srp and sSsg to Belle Gf Hennsry @ asa
tSree al the time the people there ksp
us alive, an when we started OH again they. got
While. From Henderson " we crossed the river to
Evansville. an from then on kin tell yer we
Re peope snd To p When
wouldn't take US in their houses they always
opened up the barn, an that wasn't so bad, with
the hay an our blankets. At place
some railroad fellers raised enough money
to take us TO Pittsburgh, and then
we 20. transportation To Altoona. We
footed 1t to Pittsburgh and to Lebanon and
Reading, but tho Pennsylvania Railroad folks
got here Saturday afternoon. l looked around
for that brother er mine whose named used TO
be William. but l couldn't tind him, ana
brought the woman an the children over here.
an here we are. II wasn't such hard time: only
the Lord knows what I'm agoin' ter do now
What | want is n job. an II / don't get one
don't know what I'll do. Anything's better than
farmin' in Texas during drought times"
The Newark police will keep the family for
several days. until the brother turns up. Ii he
isn't heard from the children W i'll be taken care
OF by some institution.