The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-15

DoA car nom Monterey, Mexico, to this
spent in the box car. In fact. I have no
recollection on that point. 1 have how
ever a vivid recollection of some of the
carrier days | spent without food or water.
FIRST or all, as 10 the popularity of taking
possession Of a box car which was at the
Tune or subsequently, became locked. /
ldd Deen IN Monterey for some time and
mad been working there for about six
months / was engaged for the greater
part OF the time in working around en-
slles was paid for this about $50 or
gu month, according TO the way the
work came. At length work became slack
was dissatisfied, and you know the lack
OF TeaSOnableness which a dissatisfd man
VIII always display. If he's dissatisfied in
tne north he wants to go south; if dissat-
lshed IN the south me wants to go north.
c1ndltlons Dy reason of the contemplated
change, and he replies that they could be
no worse than they are.
well | determined to get north, and
also 10 beat my way. j am not what
you would be justified in describing as
a drinking man. 1 do take drink but
am not hard drinker in the generally
accepted meaning of the term. But I
nad been having a few drinks with a
rev friends on the day on which l had
mace up my mind to quit Mexico. My
companions accompanied me to a point
on the railroad where a freight train was
standing. One of the box cars was omen
put some OF the train hands were walk
ing round, and so L had to resort to a
ruse to gain admission. On the top of
the car was a little door. | suppose for
the convenience of the trainmen, to hand
ramps backward and forward, etc. L
climbed to the top of the car and let my
self down through this door. In the mean
time l had told my friends to close the
main door, that is, to close it without
locking II. The trap door on top is a
sort OF sliding arrangement, which, when
fastened, cannot be reopened from the
inside. For the purpose of having a Joke
at my expense, imagine, my friends not
only closed the main door, but locked il
and barred it, so that it was impossi-
Die Tor me to open ii. / had myself closed
the upper door to more effectually escape
the chances of detection. For q few hours
did not think l was in any danger But
the car became unusually stuffy so much
SO that l put my mouth to the small
chinkS in the side of the car in order to
get little fresh air. / soon began to
suffer intensely from the heat of the car
and the want of air, and the anxiety as
TO whether would be left in the box to
die. Twenty-four hours passed and the
train rolled on. jerking and jolting. In
VAN made an attempt to attract the
attention of some train hand. l finally be-
came so weak that l could no longer
even make this attempt.
My suffering, so far as hunger is con-
cerned, was not noticeable up to this point.
Thirst, however, had set in. The intoxicat-
ing liquors of which 1 had partaken be-
fore starting added to it. Another twelve
hours passed. 1t was now night, and how
terribly long and dismal that night SEEM
ed! Hardly slept; at least my sleep was fit
ague and the burning, consuming heat of
fever. The morning came, and, as if a new
day gave a fresh hope of life, l rejoiced
that il had come There is something
which is exceedingly captivating to man
travelling through the country in a train
as he pulls uD the curtain of his sleeper
and sees the shadows of dawn falling on
the woods or hills in the distance. No such
sight can have been as attractive to any
man as was the coming of day to me-
cooped up in that old box car, which 1 ex-
nHptp0 would xnroC
second day out, and after three or four
hours, we rolled into some station While
was practically unconscious was told
L was delirious-I still managed to retain
my senses. When the train came to a
standstill l heard some person walking
close by on the platform. Throwing all of
the little energy which remained into my
voice, l called for help. And then 1 fell
prostrate to the floor. The station was
San Antonio. afterward discovered The
car was opened and / was lifted out l
longed for the air; longed for draught
of water. But the air overcame me- and
on trying to walk again fell. was given
to relieve me. But my thirst did not go
away. l was given more, and my thirst
dld not go away. was given more, and
my stomach would not stand it. | was ia
ken to a doctor. He evidently saw there
was something wrong; l believe he knew
what was wrong. He put glass of water
before me, and while l was anxious to take
it, told him feared ii. My thirst contin-
ued and now l was seized with a violent
chill However, l was supplied with some
medicine and l thought l would he ali
right After a day 1 managed to eat a
little, so little that it is not worth men
tioning. felt, however, that nothing now
was wrong, and not thinking great deal
of my experience determined to get further
north.
II went into a box car little outside
OF San Antonio, attached to train which
l knew would soon be starting out for ST
Louis. / was weak still, and l suppose /
was suffering from the effects of the pre-
vious trip. 1t looks as if l were either ex-
ceedlngly unfortunate, or as If / had a
mania for getting into box cars Possibly
L had become little bit unbalanced At
all events the car was locked on me, as
you know, for it was lying three or four
days in the yards here before being OPP
ened. When we had been one day out I
began TO experience the first pangs of hun
ger. Every man has been hungry b1t
what a difference between the pleasant
stimulus of appetite and the agony of
starvationi But the hunger was nothing
with all my might to lap the little
drops which entered the crannies in the
sides of the car. l was hoarse NV voice
was so weak that if the use of it would
have procured for me all of the comforts
could ask l could not use it. My tongue
began to swell; it seemed to stick to INV
palate. | found it difficult to breathe. I
became light-headed; my heart beat Vio-
lently. AS night came on 1 became ter
ribly cold: | suppose I was feverish.
Then I had dreams. and such dreamsi
All the incidents of life would be woven
into them in confused mass And in the
vsioned picture woods and streams were
always most prominent
Il know little about my removal to the
hospital l only know that the sight of
water sickened me- and the sight of food
me still more. The experience is
one which shall not forget. l am feel
ing well now, although 1 am exceedingly
weak"
Falkenburg is a man good deal above
the average of his class in the matter of
intelligence. He seems by his conversa-
ton, to have received a fair education. and
the eyes, particularly, denote a fairly
bright mind.
TEA ROOMS AT THEATERs.