Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-30
WANTED TO SEE WORLD.
Kenneth Reynolds of Fairfield Reaches
AUGUSTA But Is Called Back.

Kenneth Reynolds of Fairfield, aged
IL years, started out from hrs home
in that town Friday to carve his way
in the world, and selected Augusta as
the place in which to cut the first
notches. but after a fruitless search
for employment and the eXpenditul t
of the greater part of his available re-
sources he landed at the police station
Saturday night as a ledger, remaining
therr until about l o'clock Sunday
morning when he returned home on
train 11-by request.
The events which are said to have
Immediately preceded the young man $
visit to The Capital city would suggest
that he had been reading books of IL
kind that are not usually kept i'll a
Sunday school library. and While he
did not succeed in breaking into a
bank he managed without gaining the
consent \pf the owner. to secure quite
an assortment Of articles of more or
less value which could ii need be, be
converted into cash, namely, lady's
gold watch and fob, another watch of
less value, and a fountain pen, also
some cash. The cheaper watch was
disposed of before he reached Augusta,
but the other property was found in
his possession and recovered.
The youngsters presence in the city
was first noticed Friday evening when
he went into j. H. Goodrich's tobacco
store in search Of work. Mr. Goodrich
referred him 10 the Journal office. say
ing that he had seen an ad. for boy
wanted in the paper, ana kenne tn
lost no time in seeking the office, but
the journal was not in need of a boy
just then, and as it was getting late
Kenneth decided TO discontinue his
search until the morrow. In leaving
the office he Informed the night men
that he should stop for the night at
Hotel North.
Nothing was heard of the young man
during the day Saturday. and il is pre-
sumad that he was looking for work,
but in the early evening when one of
the police officers ran across him on
the street he was pretty well discour-
aged and in tears, and when the officer
advised him to go over the river to
the station he took the advice. and
there met Deputy Marshal Parmenter,
as we'll as some of the other officers
In his interview with the deputy
marshal he gave evidence of being, in
spite of his tender years, quite
smooth article and also that he was
a somewhat gifted disciple of Ananias.
and it was some little time before the
thin places in his story became APP
parent. Beginning his tale of woe he
told Mr.. Parmenter that he had lost
month ago, that they had arrived in
that city on train, and that by get
ting out of the train one one side While
they got out at the other he had miss
ed them. Since that time he had stay
ed at Waterville in hopes of finding
them, and had undergone many priva-
tionS during the time, one of which
was that of sleeping in a barn.
And that was not all, for when ask
ed his name he could not give it, say
ing that he had forgotten it. He could
remember or thought that he could.
that his name was Willie" but he
was not sure When asked who Ken
meth Reynolds" was, which name was
written in several books which he had
in his pockets, he said that it was
boy he knew in Waterville, and who
had been Kind TO him, giving him the
watch he wore, etc. One thing that
he could .remember was the name Of
a grocer in Waterville, and after the
lad had been put to bed the deputy
marshal called up the man in Water
vile and found that Willie was
Kenneth" and also what he had been
up to. The boys father was then nOti-
fled. and coming down to Augusta on
train No. . he went to the station and
found his wandering boy. The young
ster was taken home as above stated,
and it is hoped that his experience
may exert Il good influence on his flu
ture life.