The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-27

Inc Idle L nave 10 tell Is so strange,
so weird and so improbable. that ]
must preface IL by stating that what ]
say herewith is absolutely all know
about the subject. 1t will be noted by
the reader that on several important
points my descriptions are vague and
uncertain-but quite enough is known,
and told. to refute the assertion that
there is nothing new under the
sun"
In the month of June. 1894, walked
the streets of New York without a
cent of money in my possession. and
without a friend In the whole city.
Like many another poor unfortunate,
IL seemed impossible for me to find a
niche in the world of labor into which
] could fit. ! subsisted entirely by the
charity of a few good Samaritans, and
became more and more Respondent as
the uneventful days dragged by.
on a certain sunny afternoon / man
aged to elude the vigilance Of the
Waterman at a steamship dock, and
walking out to the end OF pier en-
sconced myself among some bales of
hemp, and there went TO sleep. IL was
night when j awoke. but as there was
no one TO wait for my homecoming
nor, indeed any home for me to go to,
IL made no particular difference.
Still i was, as you may say, all slept
out. and there were several hours to
QlSBOHt VI btlOit Noulu nave an OD-
portunity Of passing out of the gate
unperceived. So, with nolseless foot
steps, / wandered around among the
piles of merchandise until my attention
was attracted by the cabin lights of
steamship that lay at one side of the
pier
With the exception of these lights.
which were, Of course. situated well
aft. no sign of life was visible: and al
though / stood alongside the gangway
between the wharf and the spardeck
i could distinguish no watch or bar to
prevent me from going aboard. In
spired by a feeling of curiosity at the
carelessness which left such a splendid
opening for the dock thieves, that
knew fairly swarmed hereabouts. to
make way with portable property
walked cautiously up the steep incline,
and as / started TO swing off the end
to the deck. almost walked over the re-
cumbent figure of a man. Before |
could recover my startled faculties and
retrace my footsteps the sleeping sem
tinel gave groan, and ! had barely
time To drop down behind a water-butt
before he arose to his feet and COM
menced pacing backwards and for
. wards. Here was a predicament In
deed! / knew that II discovered
should be handed over to an ignorant
police justice who would be utterly I'M
make. Unless ! could get off the ship
at some other point. or the sentry
should once more relax his vigilance, l
should probably be caught and sent to
jail as a vagrant, IL not an actual thief
IT may well be imagined how l cursed
the idle curiosity that had led me to
place myself i'm such an unenviable po-
sition.
But repining was worse than useless.
/ determined to reconnoitre the posi-
bilities Of escape, and watching my
chance when the sentrys back was
turned, / stole away In the darkness.
The steamship. as near as l could
judge. was of the typical tramp"
class. with spardeck cut away between
the masts for the better accommoda-
ton of cattle shipments. In the for
ward cut l stumbled over a quantity
of stores which had seemingly not been
taken care of by the steward-hams,
barrels OF flour, canned goods and as
nearly as i could judge, several hun
dred loaves of bread were piled up I'm a
disorderly manner. Much as | marveled
at this further exhibition of lax disci-
plne, IL was certainly lucky find for
me. and / made no delay i'm breaking
Off loaf of the bread and munched II
greedily.
The greater part Of the cut was occu-
pied by number of large packing
cases, and while making my way over
them | was surprised to discover by
the hollow sounds given forth that they
were seemingly empty. Just about the
middle of the cut | almost fell into a
small space which had been left be-
tween two cases i'm slowing: and in re-
covering my balance l wrenched loose
one of the boards on the side Again
my idle curiosity proved my curse. for
without any set purpose / lowered my
self down and crawled inside the huge
box through my improvised opening.
To my great establishment. I found
nothing but a layer of stone ballast In
the bottom: and / reasoned that doubt
less the other cases We're similarly
equipped. and that the weight was to
keep the boxes from being shifted i'm a
heavy sea: although. as they were
closely wedged in between the bull
warks this extra precaution seemed SUI
perfiuous.
Then in an instant had made the
resolve that was To cause me so much
danger and anxiety i'm the next few
weeks-but unfortunately no hint or
suspicion came TO me in time.
Here. / reasoned. was an opportunity
specially sent by Providence for my
benefit. Unless betrayed by some I'M
forseen complication. 1 could lie I'M
suspected in this snug hiding place
until the vessel was well away from
land. The stewards stores would sup
ply the necessary food; and best OF all.
some distant land would probably af-
ford me opportunities that my own
country seemed TO deny me. l would
become a stowaway brave the cap
tain's wrath and strive to win his sym
patty by working industriously at any
work that he might set me at. To will
was 10 act: and with scarcely a pang OF
conscience / conveyed 10 loaves OF
bread and a few cans OF beef and
tongue to my hiding place; then. piling
the rocks around the sides. found my
self in comfortable. n not luxurious.
quarters. Perhaps / might have
changed my mind had time been given
me. but as soon as morning broke the
steamer was cast loose from the dock.
and in a few hours the Increased mo-
tiOn plainly told that we were out on
the ocean.