San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-07-27
BOY GLOBE TROTTER.
a Thirteen ear-Old Visits the
Old World All Alone.
Starts Out on His Own Hook with Two
Dollars In His Pocket-says It's
No Fun to Travel With
out Money.


After wandering nearly half way
around the globe, earning his way when
he could and beating it atother times,
George Bonner, a sturdy little chap -
years old, found himself the other day
practically prisoner in one of the
Ellis island detention-rooms.
George is a square-shouldered, strong
ly-knit boy, with brown hair, dark
brown eyes and handsome features.
He is native of this state, and ON jan
uary IA last ran away from the house
of his sister, Mrs. S. Pratt, in Fayette-
vile, n. Y, "to see the world" as he
declared. He then had a cash capital
of two dollars and an extra suit of
clothes done up in a bundle.
The lad had no mney when he land
ed at Ellis island from the Hamburg
liner Chicago, but he had three good
suits of clothes in valSe, besides the
strong suit of brown cheviot he was
wearing. His face was we'll Drowned
from exposure, and he said he had not
had sick day since he left home He
told his story in straightforward man.
ner.
"You see it was this way" he began,
pushing his brown golf cap back ON
his forehead, 81 was attending the
Union school at Fayetteville and living
at my sisters home. My mother, who
is married second time, is Mrs. NJ.
Langton, of Cleveland, o. At school
I was in the sixth room, which is the
grammar department.. In reading the
descriptions of places in geography /
felt desire to visit some Of them, and
made up my mind that the only way
to do it was to get up and go. The
night / left home / walked five miles
to Syracuse and spent two dollars, all
the money had for ticket to Schen-
ectady. There / managed to get
meal and boarded freight train for
Poughkeepsie. At that point was
given another meal by kind-hearted
man, and then beat my way on an
other freight to New York, where ar
rived ON the evening of January II.
shipped as cabin boy next day on the
American transport steamship Massa-
chusetts, bound for London, and
reached that city February 1.
ION the voyage became acquainted
with Chicago business man, who was
interested in an electrical railroad sig
nal, and in London he gave me chance
to do errands for him during the month
he was there, and afterward he took me
with him to Client, Belgium, where
remained two months. don't care to
give his name, as he might not like to
be put in the papers.
"In Ghent" the boy continued, al
managed to earn $35 running errands
for the gentleman / was with and for
others in the hotel. OF course, I could
not speak French, and that hindered
me some, but I got along. When the
Chicago man went back to London /
went along, too, but as he was going
back to America and was net ready
to return, we parted. Er
81 had seen good deal of London
during the month ] was there before,
and did not care to stay there, so
worked my way ON ship to Marseilles
and remained there four days, seeing
the city. Then bought passage to
Algiers, where l stayed only two days.
1 did not like it and went back to Mar
settles, where arrived penniless. This
was some time in May. don't remem-
Der the date.
swell, l applied for aid at the sailors
home in Marseilles and stayed there
two weeks. Then / shipped as cabin
boy on the steamer Arabistian for
Malta, in the Persian gulf. From
Malta the steamer went to Port Said,
then through the Suez canal-that's
great canal it beats the Erie, / tell
you-to Suez. Then we steamed TO
Alden, in Arabia, and l went ashore.
/ had a little money, but not enough
to return home with, and that's what
wanted to do"
The boy then explained how, after
applying to the American consul at
Alden, he was sent to Marseilles and
finally reached Paris, where the United
States Citizens association gave him
letter to Mr.. Chancellor, the Amer
lean consul at Havre, who secured him
passage to New York.
"Now, all want" said he, els to go
back to Fayetteville and go to school
again. 1t don't pay to travel without
money, and don't want any more of it