The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-31
Wan ADVENTURES or a soY.
Will Dawson Ran Away From Home. Wa
Wounded In Cubs, and Made Money.

Will Dawson Ran Away From Home. Wa
Wounded In Cubs, and Made Money.
A few days ago Mrs. Dawson. wife
of the army hospital steward at Fort
Porter. was made happy by the receipt
Of a postal card bearing the brief mes
age II will be home in a few days
I am we'll" 1t was signed just plain
WILL" The card was mailed at New
York. n was the first Mrs. dawson
had received from her son in weeks.
Will il Is years Did. Until he reached
home he was looked upon as only an
ordinary boy. To-day he struts around
the military reservation. the pride OF
his parents and the envy OF his BROTH
ers and sisters, as well as OF the other
children In the neighborhood. He Is a
hero, a traveller and a wealthy man.
Leaving home penniless. he returned
with 5000 cash. which he earned. and
dressed In new clothing. Besides, he
was wounded by the Spaniards. suf-
fered from yellow fever and was Bit
ten by a tarantula
When the Thirteenth regiment left
Fort Porter for the South at the begin
ming OF h war, IL went by special
train. Among other boys n men 60
ing on this train as blind baggage"
was Will Dawson and his older BROTH
er. both of whom had run away from
home without a cent. They managed to
exist until the train reached Tampa,
after which IL was smooth sailing for
them. as the soldiers of the regiment
found them and saw to IL that they
hed enough to eat. But IL was not for
! g n kin of life that Willie left home.
He looked the ground over and tried
to find something which the soldiers I'm
the big camp wanted and he could
supply. In that hot climate he decided
IL was something cold, and borrowing
a quarter from one of his friends, a pri-
vate In Company G, he started a lem
onade stand. The first night he repaid
the money he borrowed and a few days
later he started two more stands. es-
tablishing his brother and another boy
I'm the business. When the orders came
for the regiment to move to Cuba, Will
made up his mind that Cuba was the
country for him. At this point his
brother went back on him, and the
two boys separated. the older one COM
ing home. Will secured a job as cabin
boy on the transport Orizaba, receiving
for his services SIS a month and his
board. He made himself popular and
was allowed to continue the lemonade
business. Business ~prospered, n in a
short time he had accumulated more
money than he had ever seen before.
ON the arrival of the transport off
Santiago Will went ashore When the
troops moved. ne followed, and he was
DItStnl dt IL Ddttft VI San Soahs aio
when il was over the surgeons had to
remove from his DOT a Mauser bullet.
which he proudly YEAR as a charm on
his watch chain. He saw the destruc-
ton Of Cervera's squadron, and coll
lected souvenirs, which he trough
home with him 1t was while in Cuba
that he had his experience with yell
low fever and the ~tarantula, neither OF
which seemed to do him much injury.
When the transport sailed for Porto
Rico, Will decided to cast his lot with
Il rather than with the regiment, and
went along. At all times the boy kept
business uppermost in his head. and
tried In every way to increase his
wealth. Once he tried his luck at the
gaming table, but when he counted up
his loss and found IL amounted to $40.
he refused again to risk a cent in that
manner. In Porto Rico he made some
additions to his wardrobe. paying prices
several times more than the goods were
worth. From that island the trans
port went to Montauk, and after stay
ing there for some time VIII had a
longing for home. He brought with
him a letter from the captain of the
Orizaba, praising him for his indus
trious habits, and requesting him to re-
turn to the vessel when il was again
placed in commission.-New York sum.