The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-12-27

ship Palatia. Captain Reessing, would
sail for America on the following Sat
urday. She would take fourteen days
or less. they told me-perhaps only
twelve days. l had very little money,
and l made up my mind that l could
not wait for the next express steamer.
For two marks bought in a second
hand lumber yard the packing box in
which l anne here. For 30 pfennigs l
bought a few strips of thin stuff about
two inches wide and IN eighth of an
inch thick to make the false bottom on
the box Ida sort of rack in which l
could carry collars. stationery. neckties
and other things that are easily injured
and which must NOT be put down in the
box with me-. For a few more pfennigs
l bought four latches. or thumbscrews,
t fasten the lid on to the box. ! had no
eyes for these latches to fasten in. but
the ~storekeeper gave me eight nails.
which | afterward drove against each
other in loops like eyes. l carried the
packing box home to my lodgings on
the evening Of Wednesday, Nov. ID. !
told my lapdlady ! was going to ship
all my belongings owe to America. My
rent was paid up to Saturday night, SO
she did not care.
II began to fit up the box on Thurs
day morning. A carpenter friend of
mine lent me the tools. cut up strips
of the thin stuff for battens and nailed
them on the inside of the box lid SO
that it was all solid like a door. Then !
built the false bottom. or rack. on the
box lid and put in it all my small be-
longings. | bought for 25 pfennigs a
piece of thick. coarse cotton cloth 6
feet 6 inches long and 3 feet wide. !
got an armful of hay in a stable and
carried it home. l packed it in the bot
tom of the box for a bed and tucked the
cotton cloth around 1t.
II bought provisions for my box in a
store around the corner from my .odg-
ing. l paid l mark Is pfennigs for four
teen pints Of settler water, 30 pfennigs
for one pound of dates and 2 marks for
two and a half pounds of chocolate. L
knew that the chocolate alone would
sustain life, but l added the dates as a
luxury.
II worked all day Friday and most
Of Friday night packing my clothes in
the box and putting away the pro.
visions carefully. SO that I could find
each article without difficulty. When
all. was ready. l climbed into the box
and drew down the lid. 1t was almost
dark inside. but l found the hasps and
locked down the lid. was comforta-
BILE.
81 wrote q letter to. Schaeffer &
Neumuller in New York. asking them
to excuse me for shipping myself to
them and to give me work. l thought
they might give me a chance because
my manner of travelling to them was
SO novel. l did not know them. but !
picked up one of their cards in a cafe
in Hamburg.
II went to the Office Of the American
Express company and told them l had
a model at my lodgings which l want
ed shipped as express freight to
| Schaeffer & Neumuller, in New York.
| When L told them the size and weight
of the box, they said the charge would
be 80 marks, and l told them to collect
it in New York. I said l wanted them
to call for the box at l p. m. and that
they must be careful with it and keep
it right side up.
81 hurried home and put on two
sul.s of clothes. Then / told my land
lady that l vas going out, but that
when the expressmen called she should
let them get the box from my room.
Then l went outdoors. but came in
again and reached my room without
being seen. l watched until the ex-
pressmen came to the house. Then
before they could climb up to my room
on the third floor l got into the box
and fastened the lid from the inside.
The expressmen called early. l heard
them read the warning on the box lid,
care They carried me down the three
flights Of stairs with great care and
put me in the wagon without shaking
me up. l was comfortable in my box.
They put me down carefully on the
steamship pier.
"When I had lain on the pier a long
time. the box was suddenly pushed
over, and l could feel that a rope sling
was being fastened around it. Then !
heard a whistle. and | felt myself fly
ing through the air. Another whistle,
and l was sinking fast. All my settler
bottles were along the floor of the left
side OF the case. tucked in beside the
bedding. so as to save them. but when
the men raised me up in the hold and
piled my box on top of a big packing
case they rolled it over for a moment
on it's side and let it drop a few inches.
The jolting broke three of my settler
bottles. That meant water for three
days, but l still had eleven pints left,
and l thought that would last. l don't
think the men saw the water that
leaked out. None Of them said any
thing about it.