The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-09-12
KANSAS FARMER sECRETEs HIM
SELF AND FAMILY.
slows Away "A Lot of Bread, Cam a
Goods and Cooked Meat
Friendly Brakeman.

day passing through the city, some on
foot, but by far the greater number of
them travelling on the railroads, either
by eluding the vigilance of the dusky
guardian of the blind baggage" or by
the slower but easily beaten freight
train. Hardly one freight train in 10
comes into the city, or leaves it, for
that matter taat does not carry some
where-inside, on top, or ION the rods
individuals of the floating population
of this great country. These tourists
are almost exclusively men and boys,
and to find a woman "hObo" has been
rarity, but John Wilson, who has for
several years made his home III central
Kansas, has fully demonstrated that
ladies-in fact, entire families-may. if
the affair be managed discreeuy, use
the hobo methods and travel long dis
tances on a slim capital.
Wilson is a schemer, and not devoid
of the necessary nerve to carry out his
ideas. A few years ago, accompanied
by his wife and two daughters, he emil
grated to Kansas, and, making the first
payment on farm, endeavored to
wrest a living for his family from the
bare, brown acres sold him by one of
the "land companies" For the first
year he prospered. Rain came as it
was needed, and a big crop filled the
hearts of the Wilson's with joy; but
later years have seen the debt covering
the little farm grow bigger and bigger,
until at last, in the early part of the
summer, with a magnificent crop of
corn almost in sight. the proceeds of
which would have materially lessened
his debt, foreclosure came. and the
husband and father found himself in
the little town of Burton without a
home and with not half enough money
to bring himself and his family back
to their old abode in West Virginia.
Wilson did not sit down and weep
detected over his sad condition; in
stead of giving up in despair he imme-
diately got a hustle on himself and
commenced to figure on transportation
from Burton, KAN, to Hinton, w. Va.
He did not invite the representatives Of
the two great railroads that do bust
ness in Burton to figure with him, but,
having a friend in one of theelevators
at that point, he thought he saw his
way clear to avoid any further filling
of the Golfers of the grasping railroad
his wife and 1.-The girls" back to their
cid home under the shadows of the
Blue Ridge.
He waited until the right kind of a
car was being loaded with corn at the
elevator. In his scheme he had to
have one with an end door that had no
outside fastening, but one that had no
inside bolt Finally a dilapidated old
A. 4
went under the big grain spouts, and,
as it rapidly filled with prime white
No. T. John looked it over and decided
Ii would answer his purpose 1t had
one of the little iron doors that slid
open and shut in an iron frame. 1t
could not be fastened from the outside.
and it had a substantial bolt to hold
it closed on the inside.
That afternoon, after the car had
been loaded and dropped down below
the elevator out of sight of the depot.
John moved his family and their few
effects in to the side door Pullman
and prepared for the long ride. He
slowed away a lot of bread, canned
goods and cooked meat in the car, and
in the elevator he hid a big jug, to be
filed at the last moment with water
He instructed the girls in the manner
OF working the bolt on the end door
and then with his friend, the elevator
man, waited for the agent to make his
rounds to seal up the loaded cars
Wilson and his friend accompanied
the agent, when, at the close of his
days work, he sealed the "east-bound'
loads, and they kindly assisted him in
locking the doors, of course carefully
looking into each car to be able to as
sure the agent that no "bums" were i'm
posing on the company by hiding away
with a view of beating the train t.
some eastern point. In this way the
car was sealed, and before midnight
it was part of a Santa Fe train and or
it's way to Kansas City, while the VIII
sons, old and young, made up theil
shelled corn beds and rested in peac,
and security as the big engine kicked
the long Kansas miles behind them.
In Kansas City the car was delayed
two days for routine" and severa
times Wilson had to emerge from tn,
corn, procure fresh water and lay il
a new stock Of supplies; but he avoided
suspicion, and at last the car was for
warded. Last Monday evening i
passed through ST. Louis on it's wa!
to Cincinnati.
Until within 100 miles of st. Louis n,
one suspected that Missouri Pacific 164
had any other load than the corn tn
waybill in the conductors poke
called for; but the day was intensel.
hot and the close atmosphere insid
the car was almost unbearable. In al
unlucky moment Wilson opened the lii
tie end door to let a little fresh air in
AS ne opened the door he glanced III