The daily Alaskan., 1908-07-09
A Iranp's One Chance.
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 I an tramp. I've always been a .,GmH. aui | suppose I'll always be a tramp. had a chance once to be something better, or supposed had, but I Gldnt avail myself of It. The reason | didn't was because couldn't. Anyway if had succeeded In making new start doubt if I'd have kept up the effort There are people fitted for statesmen. soldiers, business-profes- Slonal men. sailors, roustabouts, sery. ants and uUmps I was made for a tramp
 The chance refer to was this: l was m my travelling carriage one day ] mean on the truck under railway rur when | espIed a paper that had been caught in crevice. It looked like a bank bill. and It's denomination appeared to be a dollar. l couldn't reach It tn the train stopped, and | WIS afraid 1t would become detached before that, was half an hour look Ing at it. wondering all the while how It got there It had probably been dropped by some one, most likely at a station. had been sucked up when the train was In motion and got lodged in the crcvlce. the sides of which had been compressed from some cause or other to hold 1t.
 As soon as the train came to a stop reached for 1t. What was my astonlsh- ment to Anu that the q" l had been looking at was followed by three naughts. was the possessor Of a thousand dollar bill, No sooner had become conscious of my good fortune than crumplcd 1t In my fist and made for field near the station at which the train had stopped Seeing a barn, went to 1t, climbed into tho mow and, reclining on the hay, thought what l should do with my find.
 spent whole afternoon thinking We tramps take lot of pleasure in thinking. Just as other people take pleasure In acting, The tramp to en- joy hlS profession should be castle builder The afternoon spent con- turing mp fortunes obtained with my thousand dollars was the happest In my life. would go to the city, buy out little shop. be economical and in- duStrious, enlarge my business, make money, invest 1t and In time become a mulumllloualre. Then would travel inside instead of under coaches and see bigger world than l could see tramping in America.
 It wouldn't do for one that all the world could sec was a tramp to of'er Q thousand dollar bin for a railroad ticket The agent couldn't change It if he would, So ! tromped to the city. When ! got there l thought the first thing for mc tu to would be to tX my self up. Going into q mammoth store where they sold clothing. | asked to zee suit about my size. The clerk went away aUd came back with-a spick and span frllow-a sort of floor walker, rcckon-who hemmed and hawcd and said that goods were only sold there for cash. ] pulled out my Iin pnd showed 1t to him, asking if he ,oud change lt. He looked al it 1umfomdpd and said he'd see He went back to the office and-I slid out. ! could see by the look ln his eye that he'd gone to call a policeman.
 What was suffering from most about that time was a vacant stomach. | went tQ restaurant and took rcat at a table. None of the walters came near me, but presently the pro prietor did and asked me If I hadn't got into the wrong place. What could do ask him if he'd give me meal on thousand dollar bill? Not much. l told hlm ] had thought the place a restaurant, but I reckoned I was mis- taken: sorry I'd intruded. And l went out
 Somehow didn't see where was going to begin. Besides, couldn't be m all fired while finding out for l had no place but the park to sleep and not crust to put in me. You see, l wasn't used to city life If tried to buy out d shop or rent one and buy a stock of goods to put in it the moment II showed my bnl the gentlemanly owner would ask me to sit down while he got the change and would telephone the police. went about trying to get some one to give me a meal, but city servants are not used to beggars, ex- cept those who beg for money, and they all shut the door in my face.
 Finally when l was nearly starved ] struck little house, where my ring was answered by a girl about nineteen years old. That girl was either a fool or she was altogether out of place in this world. never struck such green hue even in the country. She took me ln and gave me what she had to eat then sat down and talked to me, look ing all the while out of her sympa- thetic eyes at me to cheer me up. She must have known that misery loves company. She told me that she was in love with young fellow who wasn't ,.,ttJ,,rr olcurr ,.ary, wall and was going