The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-29

Gu Ahihh Dh tho I-hcihC SOubt hhu
Other in Kansas City-His IngIoriou
Arrival and Triumphant Exit b!
Means of Medal.
(Which I think l may say, withou
fear Of a call-downt that this thing o.
going back to your old boyhood home is
pretty hard one to put over the plate
and it's usually frost at that wher
you do finally get there remarked Elk.
Tank No. Is Of the Harlem Club of For
mer Alcoholic Degenerates after the Ger
emonies attending the initiation Of three
new members had been completed at the
last meeting. Il suppose there isn't q
fellow here who hasn't had bunch tc
go back to the old place and have a look
around at
wait a minute interrupted No. 7,
the parlamentarian and kicker Il
want to ask the Chief Ex-Tank if he
doesn't think there's been whole lot
too much sentimental gush at these ex-
perience meetings lately. At me old
boyhood home, down on the farm, or in
the dell, or out in the woods, or on the
water front, or in a blooming cave for
that natter who wants to listen to lot
o sush like that? I submit that it
sounds too much like berry ballads from
the go-off. What's Fifteen's boyhood
home got to do with rum? Where does
red-eye break into a mans bunch to
sneak back to his old boyhood home
and''-
mo Seven is fined a round dozen
vichy -and-milks for interposing unrea-
sonable objections" said the Chief EX-
Tank, peremptorly alcoholism is in
separately mixed with any mans disire
to return to his old boyhood home. This
is obvious. No man not in an alcoholic
state would be jay enough to think of
going back to the home of his boyhood.
I've wanted to go back to my old boy
hood home myself, and know all about
that #soggy desire. Fifteen will con-
tinue"
'You see," resumed Ex-Tank, No Is,
IT hadn't got within more than hitting
distance of the old town since l left it
when l was a twelve-year-old kid, and
/ wanted to see it. 1t got so that every
time / corned UP just longed to get on
a train and ride to the middle of the
country, where the towns located, and
look it over. Fact is, I started for the
place on three different occasions. Once
/ shot over the mark, owing to the fact
that I went to sleep for three days on
the train, and l landed on the Pacific
coast. didn't land there right either,
and it was up to me to get right back
here to my base on this seaboard. Sold
Chinese canary birds on commission on
"a Soy CIV otc fro
house to house to get the price of the
ride back. I got acquainted with lot
of the hands working on the China
steamers. Every time they made San
Francisco on their return from China
they brought back big punches of these
canaries in little wooden cages. They
let me have 'em for one dollar eight
bits, they call it out there) apiece, and I
conned people into buying em for from
two to four dollars each. I had enough
to get back here with bells on inside of
a couple of months.
Next time i started out for my old
beyhood home I woke up in a Turkish
bath in Kansas City, ordered five drinks
right away and found when I started to
dress that I was shy on the price Of
them. Didn't have a nick Came near
being handed over to the cops for order
ing booze that I couldn't pay for.
Didn't see much chance to get out of |
Kansas City until 1t occurred to me that |
the Fourth of July was only three days |
off. So I rented little vacant store on |
my face, got a cargo of fireworks on |
tick from a big wholesale house and |
went into business. 1t was something
easy. I sold out three times before
Fourth of July night and cleaned up |
two hundred and tbirtyfive dollars net.
II wasn't sogged enough to feel like
keeping on for the rest of the way to
my boyhood home then, and so / called
myself in. The very next time I went
skating here the boyhood home bug got |
to fooling with me again. I wanted to
hear the trumpet calls echong from the
military post adjoining my old boyhood
home. | wanted to see the little old
church. Wanted to size up the river
where learned how to swim. Wanted
to see the waving fields of wheat and in
hale the cool evening fragrance of the
woods. Wanted to-
"Beery thinks" growled No. : under
his breath.
'Wanted to land there with gig lamps
On and with dough in every pocket, and
show the little girls that declined to
marry me when l was ten years old
what they missed. It's a queer old bug,
he boyhood home bug is, and every
line you hear flute music and you're
sogged right it's bound to give you a
ouzz So started out for my boyhood
home for the third time and made it.
say, you can talk about your disap-
~,,+r 7 r,,5t ,al,y
o enjoy my old boyhood home when /
rot there, as far as that goes. You see,
stopped off in Chicago. Consequently,
when 1 was prodded awake in the dingy
title station--it looked bigger than any {
Westminster Abbey to me when was !.
.id--in my boyhood home, was all out l
o the last red That knocked all my
ipe dreams of landing at the old place
With patronizing air and distributing
acksheesh among the natives I'd in 9
ended to build awning to the little old
choolhouse where / learned what I c
now Of fractions. but that was of II
curse, all off. I'd meant to stroll G
round and watch the kids among
HON I was raised Shaving at their IL
rades, and then, when they remem- t
cred me, to have 'em knock off work t.
nd go carriage riding with me- 1t had a
cen my original idea, or one of 'em, in r;
)ming to my old boyhood home to dig
=, tho old Dntphnor1 who oaVn mo fi6- | fl