The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-12-05
TRAINS FACrs AND ROMANCE,


George Francis Train. eccentric but
happy as lark. is still in the land OF
the living and is buoyed up by the
hope that he will be on earth for
many years to come Years ago this
genius of an unforgotten past was
heard of frequently and upon his
arrival in any city the reporters
would crowd around him as if he were
some man more distinguished than a
prince from foreign land. Recent
years have found Train living in a
state of inocuous deseuetude, but occas-
ionaily he came out from under cover
and gvae vent to his feelings, express
ing his opinions upon various public
questions in regular Trainian style
a style peculiarly his own. Recently
Train let his fancy take mad spin
and to publishers of a magazine he
told in few words the story of his
life. Romance is no doubt inter-
mingled with facts AT any rate it is
good reading. Train was born seven
ty-four years ago at New Orleans,
where bis parents and three sisters
died of yellow fever. He went north
at the age of four years to live with
his grandparents devout Methodists,
to whose teachings he owes the fact
that he has remained through life
perfectly loyal to the truth. As a
boy he resembled George Washington
in being unable to tell lie. He sup
ported himself from infancy, first as
farmland and grocer's boy, later as
shipping clerk and manager with a
salary of $4,000 year. Still later
he established shipping firm at Mel
bourne, Australia, and made big
money. He then became agent for
a line of steamers at a salary of
$50, 900. He also started line of forty
clippers to California and engaged in
other gigantic enterprises
He pioneered in England the world
first street railway. This was in 1850
L
railway, and owned 5000 lots in Om-
aha worth $780, 600, 900. While at the
height Of this prosperity, he built
TrainvilIe at Newport. and house
for his daughter in Madison Square,
New York. In 1879 he made an in
dependent race for the presidency
against Grant and Greeley, and was
wont to demonstrate to his audiences
by means of blackboard and figures
the dead sure certainty of his cleo
ton. He declares that all the lawyers
doctors and politicians were convinced
by his arguments so long as they re-
manned under the spell Of his elo-
quence but. unfortunately, as soon as
they passed beyond the sound of his
voice, they went back to their former
political ideas.
Mr.. Train claims to have SURPASSED
Jules Verne's wonderful eighty days
journey around the world, since he
has three Tins circumnavigated the
earth, once in eighty, once in sixty
seven and half and once in sixty
days. Though innocent of crime, he
has been fifteen times locked up in
Jail. At the time of the Paris COM
mune the communists were about
to shoot him, when, wrapping him
self in the French and American flag,
ne knelt at the feet of the soldiers
and dared them to do their worst
Many other moving incidents by land
and sea are slightly touched upon,
with the promise of more elaborate
treatment of them i'll future volumes.
Mr.. Train cites the authority of ALI
bone, Appieton's Cyclopedia, ETC.,
to prove that he is the author of
dozen books now out of print.
His fortunes now being at low
ebb, Citizen Train lives. for IS
week, at Mills palace that well
known resort of respectable poverty
He might have home with his
daughter if he chose. There was
time when life at his Newport villa
cost him 50, 600 week.