St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-17
TOMMY "DE KID"
Inc Story of a Bowery Drum
mer Boy.
CAPTAIN Tom.

AS counted by years, it seems long time
ago, but reasoning by the vividness of the
events in my mind it is as clear and distinct
as if it happened yesterday.
My regiment had come home to recruit in
the spring of 1868, and having accomplished
our purpose, we were encamped in the City
Hall Park, on the site of the present post
office, waiting orders to go to the front.
young man of twenty-one, joined the
army at the beginning of the war as pri-
vate, and I felt a little proud of the fact
that within two years had won captains
commission.
was a poor boy myself, without the adj
vantages which rich mems sons are supposed
to have, and from first to last have always
had an interest in boys similarly situated.
1t was this disposition that made me take an
interest in Tommy de Kid, and this is how
we became acquainted, and how our ac-
quaintance came to sudden and tragic
end.
The night following the arrival of my
regiment in New York, started off alone
to see the Bowery, which was then quite as
famous as it is now.
1t was rainy, disagreeable night, and the
many policemen along the street were
dressed in gittering oilskin coats that gave
them the appearance of cast-ron men
freshly black loaded. The smusicians' and
beer dives were doing rushing business
with soldiers on furlough, or soldiers max
ing for the front; and women and children
swarmed on the street, all unmindful of the
storm.
was looking into an Illuminated pawn
brokers' window at the hundred and one
things displayed there, all of which told of
the poverty on the one hand and the avarlce
on the other, when I noticed that boy, of
anywhere from fourteen to sixteen, was SINH
larry observant.
soon became more interested in the boy
than I had been in the contents of the win
dow. He was of medium height, fair haired,
blue-eyed, and decidedly ragged and dirty.
The face was pinched, as with hunger, and it
had in it such an expression of suffering
and despair as to excite my sympathy at
once. By way of starting a conversation, I
said:
Rather stormy night, my friend.'
Before answering, he looked up at the black
sky, down at his bare feet, then full into my
eyes.
eyes, its kinder wet" he said, 'but don't
mind it,
"Used to it?' suggested.
eyes, I've got to be. don't mind the rain
so much, but while it lasts you kin see it
spoils biz" he said.
''What is your business?"
"Blackin' mostly; sometimes I take a
whack at the papers, but I'm stuck pooty
often. You see, boss, the luck alters pears
to be dead agin me-" and he turned up his
flimsy coat collar, and made as if to leave.
"Hold on" said, and I laid my hand on
his arm, 'ain't you hungry"
Hungry" he repeated, 'well, you kin just
bet yer sweet life I'm hungry. Amt knowed
what it was to feel plum filed up an comfort
able since they gave us boys blowout last
Christmas at the Mission. All, there was
feed for your and the boy smacked his lips
at the memory of the banquet, and his eyes
glowed with delight.
'What is your name?" asked
"Dey calls me Tommy de Kid" he replied.
"But what is your proper name?"
"Tommy de Kid, amt a tellin' yous."
"But your last name.''
"Last manner"
{ eyes, is it Jones, or Smith, or Roblnson"
'No, faint nothin' but just what I'm q
tellin' yous.'
"Got any father or mother?' "a
"No, never had anything like that" 80:
brothers or sisters?"
"No, SIR"
s'Fhen you are all alone in the world9"
eyes, boss, guess their amt anodder boy
In de ward, as is so dam much all alone as
me-"
'Where do you live?"
"Well, boss, it don't seem to me sometimes
as if I did live. No one kin live dat's hungry
most of de time; and as to sleepin', well l
has to take it wherever kin get it. Tain't
so bad, though, in summer as in winter. My
God, how cold it was in the Railways some
nights last winter. Wy I often wished I