The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-03-11
a WEARY WILLIE" DOG.
Bum, the Canine Tramp, Is Well
Known to Western Train Men.

Bum, the Canine Tramp, is Well
Known to Western Train Men.
A canine tourist with penchant for
beating his way, and an assurance
which oyercomes the innate hostility
OF trainmen for those passengers who
Will not pay their fare, is something
unique. Such curiosity has arisen in
Wyoming.
Bum, the canine, comes into history
at Rawlins, Wyo., early in July, and
temporarily disappears again at North
Platte, Neb., after adventures extend
ing over more than two months, and
after making himself known to all the
trainmen and half the ranchers in the
intervening 400 miles of prairie coun-
try. From circumstantial evidence it
is supposed that Bum grew tired of aid
ing sheep herder somewhere on the
plains and decided to start off on his
own account.
Bum stopped little between Rawlins
and Cheyenne, but it took him some
weeks to take in all the sights OF
the little Wyoming capital and make
up his mind to continue his adventur-
GUS course. Then he wandered down
to the depot, waited for an eastbound
train, quietly bounded into the smok-
er, curled up under seat and an
nounced with an evidence of delight
his pleasure in the arrangements the
Union Pacific had made for his COM
fort.
By chance his nearest travelling
companion was John Wilkinson, a vet
eran rancher of Pine Bluffs Mr.. Will
kinson Immediately made friends with
Bum, and when he left the train at
Pine Bluffs took his new comrade with
him. intending to give him perma-
nent home.
Bum introduced himself on the
train" said Mr.. Wilkinson in talking
of his acquaintance with the globe
trotter, "by little whinny, inquiring,
as it were, as If the dog were asking
my disposition toward him. | called
to him softly, not rightly knowing
where he was, and he come out from
under the seat, wagging his tail, as
happy as could be to meet me.
"All the way from Cheyenne to Pine
Bluff Bum was in a fever of delight.
He was like a homeseeker, peering
out of the window as if to gauge the
capacity of the country. Every now
and then he barked, short and sharp,
expressing his approval of the rich
range or howled dismally when long
vista of sage brush came into view.
He was, however, content to stay on
the cars till got home. Then he ran
to the door, down the steps and was
waiting for me when | alighted, more
slowly, but with scarcely less certain
ty, that had at length reached by
destination.
II took Bum home, and the next day
he followed me to the nearby pasture
and showed himself no mean hand at
herding shep. l was delighted and,
aided by my daughters, made much Of
Bum, thinking had found treasure"
For two weeks Bum was happy at
Pine Bluffs. He seemed to have set
tied down and accepted his new mas
ter as permanency Then all at once
he was missing neither could all the
searching avail to locate him. A few
weeks later, however, trainmen re-
ported his appearance on another east
bound train and his journey as far
as Kimball, 20 miles away, where he
met another sheepman, Tom Dinsdale,
and again appeared to have found his
long lost home. Two weeks more,
however, and he was again on the
road, stopping this time at Sidney.
Thus by easy stages he beat the Union
Pacific out of his fare all the way
here, where he arrived three weeks
ago and disappeared Where he is
now no one seems to know, but 1t is
thought certain by the trainmen that
sooner or later he will make UP his
mind to continue his wanderings and
journey east till he finds suitable To-
cation for permanent settlement.