The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-07-14

n sITI l1 .l9rI. ,1'I Nv y.
the ST. Louis Republic.
They drifted around TO the subject
Of "dead-heading" aud spoke OF some
Of the various cranks who we're or had I
been making tours OF the world. 3tart- |
lng without money and travelling on |
their nerve One after another gave |
his opinion OF the practice. At last |
an old "switchic" took his turn. Re
iaid.
N ! had some one 10 back me and
lhei" was something In u believe !
could make a trip OF over 10000 miles
inside OF a year. never miss a meal or
handle a cent OF money. and get back
to St. Louis with at least as good II not
better clothes than / have now. and |
wouldn't work q day"
This brought mp a lot Of arguments.
but the man continued
How much worse would that be-
than the trip which my partner and
myself have just made? July Of %
puts us on the hog train proper and
since then We have had no chance Tor
work until very lately We couldn't
hold mp In any one place and tho black
list kept Ms from getting work IN this
country.
We stared In August. after the bic
strike. TO try and get out Of the United
States We went 10 Mexico. but the
General Managers association fol-
lowed us even there We got from the
city Of Mexico down to Tampico and
from there we went TO Costa Rica We
hit the wrong end Of the season and
there was no work there. so we went 90
Rio laneiro on a coaster. working our
way. and tried Brazil.
There was no work there. so az We
had a chance 90 pass coal on an ocean
liner from there TO Liverpool We took
Il and In about fifteen days landed in
England. We tried for work there.
hut man has 10 be- born into the serv-
ice there. so OF course We failed. jack
heard that an American company was
building railroads Ia China. and. slow
ing away. We beat our way 10 France.
The railroads OF continental Europe
are the easiest mark on earth 90 get
over. and It was not long until We
made Malta. From there we slowed
away on a steamer and made cairo.
but the captain. when the crew found
us. put rs to work scuhbing.
I'VE talked the matter over Ia Cairo
and concluded that we had rather 90
10 some country whore they talked
something like United States. and
getting a chance 20 work our passing,
IN a boat bound for Australia. We took
Il. and In January we we're in sydney
New South Wales From there "a,
went 10 Melbourne. bHt they wouldn't
hire an American railroad man. and w,
wouldn't work for any such money o.,
. they paid there. So We went back ID
. sydney. and slowed away TO make 90,
sandwich islands
, "Of cSirse. they soon found us. and
We had 10 work every blessed day aftet
} that until We landed in Honolulu
+ From there 10 Frisco % was del,
: easy. but when We got back 10 thl
. country the railroads were doing moth
p Ing. and u meant more travelling. look
ina for work and keeriig ont OF JAIN
/ " We stayed In any town for over
b lay or Two the police spotted us an,
+ q. was a clear ease OF move on or "a,
rock pile
since Ne got back here a year ago
$ Sc have gridironed this country iron
, Top TO bottom. and from one side O,
h The other. but no Job showed up unit
I sc hit here
5 since We started ont IN August %
v 1891. I'M bet. and prove. that We hay
a ravclcd over 100000 miles. and 70 clul
, nave been done In much less time u VI
J had not stopped 10 look for work.
we have been IN every state am
territory Of the United States. and ii
eleven foreign countries. and 10 W
have had over $40 at any one time
10 not know OF o. We have bough
clothes a piece at a time. whenever W
bad the money TO spare, and In thi
way have kept from getting raggrt
but IT'S been mighty close hustle oil
Z The time.
Then. too. the railroads In mi
country are getting mighty stia to ~
over. and on some Of them there
absolutely no chance to make Il exccp
: ,iding brake-beam on the trucks or O
.op OF passenger trains. rode
truck Of a passenger train from 10
Angeles. Cal, TO Bakersfield. and whe
they fired me ont Of that went bac
10 the hind end climbed mp on the We,
= ihule. and rode on top for over 90
!, miles before | got fred on again.
~ II have hit back doors for grub al
over this country, and, as ! have al
ways offered to work for a.. hay
hardly ever been refused. but te
. YOU Il knocks the self-respect out Of
! nan mighty fast 10 live that way.
" I've got a Job now and I'm going {
: freeze TO It until can save enough {
get little piece OF land. then good-b
!. 70 railroading. It's too much Of a hot