The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-14
MILLIONAIRE TRAMP BERRY.
Ills Widow Tells of Her First Meet
ing with Berry.

ing with Berry.
st. Louis, Oct. 11.-Down in little
East st. Louis restaurant, patronized
mainly by railroad men, there is a
waitress who answers to the name of
Ella; a large, handsome smiling wo-
man of 30. serene of temper and of
cheerful disposition. On the pay roll
she appears as Ella" Rhoades." That
is not her right name. She is Mrs.
Lucille Miller Berry, widow of the
famous Millionaire Tramp James E.
Berry, and the participant of his me-
teorically brilliant, garrish and reck-
less career. She has had diamonds,
silks and fast horses; she has lived on
the wine and truffies of life, but in
her Woodworking sphere of to-day she
has but one grief for the past and
that is not for the vanished riches and
pleasures, but for the man with whom
she shared them and whom she had
learned to love before dissipation killed
him.
This is the romance of the Million
aire Tramp as his widow told it, seated
restaurant, her reddened hands folded
over the white apron of her calling.
I'm the winter of 1890 l was cooking
in a Michigan lumber camp. They're
rough places, those lumber camps. I've
mixed with all kinds of people, but l
don't know any tougher lot than those
lumbermen. And l was the only wo-
man in camp. Our camp was rather
stuck on itself because it had a wo-
man cook. All the others had men
cooks. Our boys used to ask the other
camps over to Sunday dinner, and
crow over them because of my cooking.
That was one reason they treated me
so we'll, l guess; but another was that
l wasn't afraid of them and l knew
how to take care of myself. You see,
I'd had a hard row of it after I'd left
home--but that's nothing to do with it.
Let's get to Jim.
Il remember the day he came. 1t
was bitter; one of those days when
you have to keep feeling of your ears
to make sure they aren't frozen, and
first you know one of 'em comes off In
your hand. I'd gone to the door to
throw out some water when 1 saw
him. He was certainly a hard looking
tramp. His ears were tied up in an
old comforter, and he had red flannel
tied around his boots. But what struck
me was the pitiful way he stumbled
along the trail: like a dog with a
crushed foot. l never had much use
for tramps, but he was so near gone
I'd have been afraid he'd lie down and
die If he tried to go much further. He
came limping up and spoke in a
hoarse, cracked voice, pretty thin and
weak. / remember just what he said
and how he looked when he said it.
Young lady,, he said, could you
give me something to eat? l need it
bad
You look it, I said. sit right
down by the fire. I'll fix you a meal
if they take it out of my wages
while 1 was getting a place ready
at the table the boss came In. He
was a rough one, the boss. He looked
at the poor wreck by the fire and said:
Get out Of here
"The tramp got up and started for
the door. Never a word he said. but
he Just turned his head toward the
table with sort of starving look
Then the boss made a rush and kicked
him. He stumbled out through the
door and fell into drift. / began to
cry. hadn't cried since l was little
girl. but I cried then.
You brute l said to the boss.
You ought to be killed. I'll tell you
what think of you If lose my job
Why, Cooky,' he said. He's moth
ing but a hobo. You ought to thank
me-
Til thank you to get out of my
Kitchen / said still crying.
There was a rolling pin near at
hand l grabbed IL and made for him
for the boss II didn't take him a
second to get out of the nearest door,
OFF he went, still laughing. I went out
% ,,tha ba Law QrnaninU in
the snowdrift. He was barely con-
scious and couldn't help himself much.
I had to almost carry him in. In five
minutes ] had him in chair before
a square meal. But he was scared.
They'll come back and kill me-
he said Pm too weak to fight
You go on and eat told him.
'Nobody'll touch you while I'm here
There was a shot gun in the next
room. loaded with buck shot. | got II
and sat down near the door. Pretty
soon the boss came along.
Hello!' he said. Got your hobo
in there?'
yes. ! have said. And you
don't lay hand on him; you nor any
body else ! said.
All right, Cooky,' he said, laugh
ing. Don't shoot II he's your fairy
prince you can have him, but he don't
look it, He was a good-natured man,
the boss. even II he was n brute.
"While my guest was eating ! had
time TO size him up. lie was a man
about 80 and he was got up like the
worst kind Of "a bum; but he didn't act
Ike one. ! could gee by the way he
ate he'd been well brought up. And
when he began 10 talk 10 me J knew
he was educated. too lie bad the
pleasantset voice and manners, and he
talked to me just as n ] was lady