Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1902-01-16

Felt Hands of Watch to Follow
Nights and Days-Built Air Castles
While Rats Gnavved at His Cage.
The following interview with Johann
Beck, the packing box man" is the
first authentic statement made by him
since his arrival in the United States
on the steamship Palatia. He said the
other day: Il have made no statement
whatever up to this time. If l have
been quoted, the interviews were false.
Until now l have not been permitted
by the doctors to talk. and, besides, |
could not have done SO had wished
to-"
Here is a verbatim account of his
story in part as related to the New
York World on the top fiOor of st.
Mary's hospital, Hoboken, n. J.:
Il came to America in a box said
Beck to a reporter, because felt that
there was hope for me in this country
and nowhere else. Times are very bad
in Germany. | was i'll Hamburg since
last January. and in all that time l had
no regular employment, | worked a
few days or weeks. then was idle for
weeks. l saved my money AS well as l
could. but | never could keep any
thing.
johanna? She is my sweetheart. 1
do not want to tell her family name.
She is at home now with her family in
Wissmar, Mecklenburg, Germany. She
was sick in Hamburg, where h had
employment, and b had to undergo
an operation in the Ve"eins hospital.
Then she went home.
"AS OOH as l can make some money
L shall send for Johanna, and we shall
be married. l met her first in Ham
burg last winter. and there b prom
Used to marry me. But we were poo
Her illness took all her money, and I
could not have anything because l
earned barely enough to pay for n.y.
lodging.
"'Why not go to America and earn
money and send for Johanna? l
thought. But how should l get to
America? Storage passage was 12O
marks, and l never had more than 20
or 80 marks at a time. 1t was early
in November that l began to think Of
sending myself to America in a box
as freight. Where 1 got the idea l do
not know. The more I thought of the
plan the better it seemed. l have good
self control. l was not afraid. I weigh
only $50 pounds when l am in health,
and / felt sure that l could easily be
carried around without danger of being
dropped or hurt.
Il went to the Office of the Hamburg
American line on Tuesday, Nov. II, and
learned that there was no express
steamer that week, but that the steam
ship Palatia. Captain Reessing, would
sail for America on the following Sat
urday. She would take fourteen days
or less, they told Ee-perhaps only
twelve days. I had very little money,
and I made up my mind that / could
not wait for the next express teaner
For two marks I bought in a second
hand lumber yard the packing box in
which / came here. For 80 pfennigs L
bought a few strips Of thin stuff about
two inches wide and an 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
I bought four Iatches, or thumbscrews,
to fasten the lid on to the box l had no
eyes for these latches to fasten in, but
IL S(O1ShtSpC save AC O4ShG A"iAo'
which l afterward drove against each
other in loops like eyes. l carried the
packing box home to my lodgings on
the evening of Wednesday, o 13. !
old my landlady l was going to ship
all my belongings over to America My
rent was paid up to Saturday night, SO
she did not care.
"I began to fit up the box on Thurs
day morning. A carpenter friend OF
mine lent me the tools. l cut up strips
of the thin stuff for battens II nailed
them on the inside Of the box lid SC
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. l bought for 25 pfennigs a
piece Of thick. coarse cotton cloth {
feet 6 inches long and 3 feet wide.
got ar armful of hay in a stable an6
carried it home. 1 packed it in the bot
tom of the box for a bed and tucked thu
cotton cloth around it.
IT bought provisions for my box in
store around the orner from my lodg
ing. 1 paid 1 mark Is pfennigs for four
teen pfnts of settler water, 80 pfennig:
for one pound of dates and 2 marks fol
two and a half pounds Of chocolate.
knew that the chocolate alone woulC
sustain life, but l added the dates as
luxury.
II worked all day Friday and mos
of Friday night packing my clothes il
the box and putting away the pro
visions carefully, SO that I could fnt
each article without difficulty. Whel
all was ready. l climbed into the DO.
and drew down the lid. 1t was almos
dark inside. but I found the hasps AM
locked down the lid / was comfOrta
BILE.
81 wrote a letter to Schaefer 1
uIIor en- Now Vorl> ocIipo <hor