The herald., 1897-03-14
A SMALL BOYS PILGRIMAGE
He Is Plotting His Whole Family From Alaba-
ma to Hassachu' etts

| There arrived in New Brunswick, n.
j., Tuesday, a curious little traveller In
the person of 13-year-old Riley Rush
ton, who is engaged in the laudaple en-
! terprise of moving himself, his parents
| and seven brothers and sisters from
| Fairford. Ala, to Lynn. Mass, by easy
| stages and in the face of desperate ODDS.
| He brought the others with him, but
| they don't count unless 1t be in empha-
sizing the remarkable performance OF
the pretty hazel-eyed cserub, who is
| about as big as an average child OF III
years, and whose wisdom exceeds that
of the rest of the family put together.
For Riley pilots and provides for the
other Rushtions, and but for him they
could never have made the journey.
Their story is simple one. Sylvester
Rushtion. "a laborer, fell i'll In the Ala
bama village where he had lived and
gathered a large family about him, and
when he was able to leave his bed he
was only able to do light work, and
there was none of that for him. His
mother lived in Lynn. Macs, and 1t
occurred to the Rushtions that If they
could reach that far-off city the children
who were more than IL years old-Riley
and two of his sisters-might get en-
ployment in a factory and restore the
family fortunes.
But they had no money, and though
they talked much about the journey,
1t was postponed, and poverty oppressed
them more and more. The rest of the
story was told by the youngster. who
brought himself ard his party Of nine
to New Brunswick.
As he talked his parents and his bro
theirs and sisters stood about him, with
eyes cast down, and newer uttered
word They seemed to depend entirely
on him and to realize that he could do
their talking best.
The conductor said the boy piloted
his followers on board the train at
Plainsboro. near Princeton Junction,
and when the train reached New Bruns-
wick he hurried them from the car and
counted them TO be sure that none had
been carried beyond his protection.
We've been about a week and a
half on the way" thhe child continued.
II reckon we'll get to Lynn some time
next week. We're not a-goin' to New
York. ! wisht we was. for I hear it's
wuth seein'. We just started for Lynn.
where grandma is. and we're goin' to
set there. Y'see, told 'em there was
no use waitin' in Alabama. We couldn't
get any work there. / can work in n
sawnhill That's what done-light work
It was. but I'm pretty strong. Too.
II do most Of the talkin' cause-well.
I don't know; seem to sorter get along
with strangers easier than the rest Of
JUS. There's ten of US all together. but
two Of the little ones don't always have
to have tickets-that is. after I've seen
the conductor and told him how we're
situated"
Then the brains Of the Rushtion fam
lily turned to the group about him and
said. cheerfilly:
We'll. you'uns. let's go down this
yere street an find an eatin' place"
The mother Is an invalid, and both
she and her husband appear broken
spirited. But no one who saw the party
had doubt that Riley would land them
in "grandma's" house In Lynn before
another week has passed, and that he'll
have a little money for use in case he
doesn't flnd sawmill job awaiting him.
New York Herald.