The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
A RUNAWAY GEORGIA BOY.
JOE JoRDAN,s ADVENTURES SINCE
HE LEFT HIS HOME.

rtnc1 0u0 10 new en- hAto way hrouno tho
G~Iose-story OF the wanderipSs or n Lad
New Ia Years Ole ss Told In His Letters.
ATLANTA, Ca. June lion tho morning OF
July 2. 1895, while all tho ncighborhood boys
were planning excursions for the national holt
day. young Joe II. Jordan. who was just IL
years old, left his homo In this city. without say.
ing a word to anybody about 1t, and started out
on n holiday trip Of his own devising. When
the next anniversary Of that occasion comes
around he will be rolling on the broad Pacific,
provided no mishap has overtaken him mean
while, on his way from Newcastle, New South
Wales, to Panama.
Joe was one Of the brightest boys in his class
in the Ira street school in this city and the son
Of a mechanic named George Jordan. He seemed
to be happy and contented with his brothers and
sisters, and had no grievances. He remarked to
his father that morning that no believed he
would go uptown for some thing or other, and
that was the last that his parents have seen of
him. 1t was not until nearly a year aftcrward
that bis mother received her first letter from
him. II was dated at Port Natal, South Africa
He writes very entertainingly for a schoolboy OF
mis- age, and his letters constitute an uncommon
story. Being acquainted with many railroad
men, he boarded a train on that July morning,
and, unnoticcd by the conductor. rode down TO
Brunswick, Ca, and from thence across to
Tampa, Id.t NueTe NC spent IL Weokt. tneu
he went out to the home Of q farmer, some ff-
teen miles away, where he engaged 10 work for
his ~victuals and clothes. Soon firing Of that, he
went back to Port Tampa. whence he worked
his way on n small steamer down to Key West
and thence over to Havana.
But Joe did not like the looks Of things in
Cuba, 30 he turned about and returned TO
Tampa, and from there he went over TO Jack
%sonville, Fla. On the way he was put off the
train in a strange part of the country; but. moth
ing daunted. he boarded the next one that
came along. and continued his journey. From
| Jacksonville he beat his way to Pensacola and
thence to Mobile, where he met with a man
named ONeill, who persuaded him to go over
to his mothers homo at Daphne. across Mobile
Bay. There he spent a few days.
| BY that time he had grown weary and home
sick and he determined to beat his way up
through the country to Hatcehubbee, Ala. e,
! where he had a brother living with an aunt. He
had not ridden more than fifty miles before he
was discovered by the conductor. who put him
off unccremoniously at a little way station in
the woods. Left to his own resources he caught
the first passing freight train. It CHANGED to be
going back toward Mobile, and away he rolled.
following his destiny.
At Mobile he wandered down among the shin
ping, and seeing an attractive-looking English
tramp steamer he boarded her and slowed himself
away in such a manner that he was not discov-
cred until she was fairly out in the Gulf Of
Mexico, bound for Bremen, Germany. The Cap
tain was a kindly man and he simply put the
little runaway to work about ship. The vessel
was loaded with lumber. 1t had a long voyage
of it, and arrived in port on Dec. 20.
In the mean time his parents were alarmed
over his disappearance. and his father and elder
brother Carl made ~fruttless efforts to discover
! Hin, I'D hrt.r t,n,b ..1- a. A.t,... rrn--
ceeded in locating him at Mobile. but before they
could reach him the boy was far on his way to-
ward Bremen and they had to give up the chase.
After discharging her cargo the steamer
loaded with general merchandise and steamed
away TO Cardiff. Wales. The Captain had given
Joe some clothing as a Christmas present, and.
having taken a liking to the boy, he shipped him
as ordinary seaman at SO q month. and Joe OBJ
chased q few things for the voyage to Las
Palmas. in the Canary Islands. where the vessel
proceeded with a load OF coal.
Before leaving Cardiff Joe attended the Royal
Theatre Thea e where rfs HE Re saw performed for the first
with the performances: The voyage TO Las
Palnas was without incident. and from there
she loaded with phosphate rock for f~ottcrd m.
Instead OF coming home, which he could easily
have Done, fernandina being only about 800
miles from Atlanta. Joe stuck to his vessel for a
third trip across the Atlantic.
Al rotterdam ne icIt the tramp steamer and
with lumber bound for Martinique. and away
he went for his fourth voyage across the Atlantic
within less than a year from the time he left his
playmates in. Atlanta. Discharging half the
cargo at =. Pierre and the other hall at Fort Ia
81. Vincent. where she loaded with sugar for
New York. ,Boy-like, in his letter TO his mother
IL he could have been there he could have had
all the sugar he wanted without any fear OF n
switching from their mother.
There WAS another schooner ha1OnpiDp m tha
same company loading at the same time. and
the two Captains were rivals and made waEers
as to which vessel would first reach Delaware
Breakwater. The rival ship left at 10 o'clock in
the morning. and the schooner on which Joe had
latter arrived at the Breakwater three days in
ADVANCE of her rival.
Joe CHANGED 10 fall in company with Capt. Cor
bett of the British barkcntine Eleanor NJ.
with great Kindness by the Captain. who look him
to his home near Brooklyn, and there he seems
TO have formed a romantic attachment for the
with Capt. Corbett for Port Natal, South Africa,
In July, and after voyage marked by alternating
Gains and storms. arrived there in eighty eight
days. In all that time he hsd not suffered a day
sickness. While crossing the Atlantic for tie
hfth time Joe began TO study the Norwegian
language, and became quite fluent in it.
he was then earning IS q month as an ordi-
a a regular sHrpa dog s lie. III the fare being ~ Of ft tRe coarses as
and he used a tomato can from which TO eat his
allowance OF cracker hash" while making tho
HAps DNoANS-t az u III ~
treatment he got from the first mate. a man
named Williams, and he did not receive any
better treatment from the second mate. But he
was very fond OF Capt. Corbett, and the liking
seems to have been mutual.
Nevertheless, although he was becoming very
proficient in steering the ship and took his turn
at the wheel as often as opportunity offered SO
as TO learn the art thoroughly, he had made up
sailed down to Port Elizabeth. nearer tine cape,
and, on account OF the shallow water. were com.
PEELED to anchor at a distance OF five miles from
shore. The weather was stormy. and the sea.
men were on watch three hours at a time.
On tho night OF Nov. L.. 1896. the wind rose
until a stif gale was blowing. 1t was Joe's turn
to watch just after midnight, and while the bal,
Rnce of the officers aud crew were sleeping In
their hunks he lowered q yawl. tossed a bag con.
tanning his clothes into it, and allowed the boat
10 drift shoreward. Just before he reached the
land the boat capsiZed, and, after n hard struggle
In the water. he was thrown high and dry on tho
beach with his clothing wet. but he had hung on
to the bag, and after n short rest he set out
across the country seeking a hiding place.
He reached the house OF an old German
farmer named Thompson, who offered TO shelter
him until the ship left port. He was treated
very kinuly by the old German and his wife,
and In his lettpra written frnn, TINT rIa,a a.