Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-05-23
WILLIE DAVIS HARD LUCK
A Scotch Boy Now Living With the
Grow Creeks.
Came { q This Country rs q Stow
away - How He Managed TO
Land and His Cnromantic
Roughing II.

Chamberlain, s. n. May 15.-Living
with the Crow Creek tribe Of Indians on
the great Sioux reservation is a young
Scotch lad named william Davis, who.
during the brief seventeen years of his
existence. has experienced more trials
and tribulations han fall TO the lot OF
the ordinary mortal. Being determined
to reach America he left his home in
Edinburgh and proceeded to London,
where he stole aboard a steamer about
to leave for America, and secreted him
self in the coal bunkers. The stowaway
remained In his sordid quarters for three
days without food or water before he
was found by a coal stoker. Upon hear
ing the lads story the man promised
o to expose him. and for some time
regularly smuggled food to him. Final
ly. becoming aware Of the presence or
the stowaway the captain of the steam
er summoned him upon deck, and made
him give an account of himself. After
furnishing the lad by placing him in
irons for half an hour. he was set to
work. The story Of the stowaway
reached the ears of the passengers, and
some Americans, taking pity upon
him, presented him with a purse
VI F'' WEN h'hilhb 49,
York the captain informed the lad that
he would have to be taken back to Eu-
rope as the laws of the United States
did not permit the landing of penniless
persons. That night while the steamer
was anchored a short distance from
shore the lad. unobserved by the watch
man. placed his earthly possessions In
a bundle, which he placed about his
waist, crawled through a portfolio and
dropped into the water. A skiff was
discovered under the stern of the steam
er. Climbing into this the boy cut the
line, and not wishing to attract atsan-
ton by any unnecessary noise, padded
TO shore with his hands. The dock walls
were found too high to be scaled. For
~tunately n small boat was found tied
to the wharf a short distance away, and
with the agility of a cat the lad clam
bered up the rope which secured it. He
was stopped at the entrance to the
street by a customs inspector. Then in
deed he thought all was lost and that at
the best he WOULD be compelled to re-
In Jail. While the inspector was hur-
riedly examining the effects OF another
traveller, the now desperate boy bound
'u IdSl llllll dii' hE E''i ~ ll'N'b hp
in the human vortex beyond. For two
weeks he tramped about New York
striving 10 secure employment but his
efforts were unsuccessful. although he
earned a few pennies occasionally 10y
selling newspapers. Himself and an
other homeless lad, an American. de-
cided TO go west to seek their fortune
with some farmer who would give them
employment. The journey, which was
filled with exciting and perilous Incl
dents, was made by stealing rides on
trains. When nearing Chicago the
American boy missed a train upon
which his comrade had jumped. and
they met no more. The young Scotch
man reached Chicago at a time when
the Wild West show CHANGED 10 be there
and he went 10 view its wonders. Be
lievlng that to live in sue IN atmo-
sphere Of romance and deeds of daring
would be the browning glory OF his am
bltion, he sought the commissary de-
partment of the wonderful show n
asked for permission TO work for his
This was granted and he re-
there some three months, being
employed atlabor Of various kinds, such |
marksmen connected With The show. He
then concluded to resume his Journey
toward the setting sun. and again re-
sorted 20 the box car route.
The first winter spent in northern South
Dakota was with a farmer, the lad dong
chores for his board. In the spring ne
walked 10 nearby city. concealed himself
on a freight tran and was carried 70 Red
field. Near there he secured work on n
farm. After working for a time a mort
gage company foreclosed and took the
farm away from his employer, n he was
once more set adrift. Going to a nearby
body Of water known locally as Cotton
wood lake. he lived on the eggs Of wild
! fowl until one day a band Of Sioux, who
were on n hunting expedition. passed by
the lake, saw his forlorn and famished
condition and motioned for him TO accom-
rany them. This he lid, and has since re-
NAMED with the Indians On their reserva-
ton, having been duly adopted by the
tribe. He is not a hoy chief or anything
Of the sort so familiar TO readers of dime
novels but is required TO break horses.
cut wood, run errands, herd cattle and
make himself generally useful TO his red
skinned benefactors. His trials and tribu-
l3tions are not yet ended, for the United
States Indian agent in charge OF the reser-
walton proposes to force the wanderer TO
leave the reservation and look up "a place
Of abode elsewhere. II being contrary to
law for whites to take up their residence
on lands belonging to Indians.
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