Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-07-18
A Tramp's One Chance.


3VAAIIAhb b1NtEAt " hhRpoSrN hAAt /
but ! didn't avail myself Of II The
reason ! didn't was because ! couldn't |
Anyway II had succeeded in making |
a new start doubt If I'd have kept up
the effort There are people fitted for
statesmen. soldiers. business profess
sionaI men. sailors, roustabouts, sery.
ants and sramps. ! was made for q
tramp.
The chance ! refer 10 was this; ]
was 10 my travelling carriage one day
/ mean on the truck under a railway
car-when espied paper that had
been caught in a crevice. II looked
like bank bill. and its denomination
appeared to be a dollar. couldn't
reach II TIL the train stopped, and !
was afraid It would become detached
before that was half an hour look
ing at II. wondering all the while how
II got there. II had probably been
dropped by some one. most likely at
station, had been sucked up when the
train was in motion and got lodged In
the crevice. the sides Of which had
been compressed from some cause or
other to hold It.
As soon as the train came TO a stop
reached for II. what was my astonish-
ment to find that the II" | had been
looking ct was followed by three
naughts. was the possessor of a
thousand dollar bill No sooner had
become conscious OF my good fortune
than crumpled II In my fist and made
for field near the station at which
the train had stopped. Seeing barn.
went 10 II. climbed into the NOW
and. reclining on the hay. thought what
] 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 his profession should be a castle
builder. The afternoon spent con-
Iurlng up fortunes obtained with my
thousand dollars was the happiest in
my life. ! would 90 to the city. buy
out a little shop. be economical and in
dustrious. enlarge my business. make
money, invest It and In time become q
multimllllonaire. Then I would travel
inside instead OF under coaches and
sec bigger world than l could see
tramping In America.
II wouldn't do for one that oil the
world could see was a tramp to offer
a thousand dollar bill FOR railroad
ticket The agent couldn't change It
if he would SO tramped to the city.
When got there thought the first
thing for me to do would be to fix my
self up. Going Into mammoth store
where they sold clothing, | asked to
REQ a suit about my size. The clerk
went away and came back with a
rplek and span feliow--a sort OF door
walker, reckon-who hemmed and
hawed ana said that goods were only
sold there for cash l pulled out my
hin and showed II TO him, asking II he
could change It. He looked at II
luuIfounded and said he'd see. He
went back 10 the ONCE and--I slid out.
could see by the look in his eye that
he'd gone 10 call policeman.
What was suffering from most
, about that time was vacant stomach
| went TO restaurant and took q
seat at table. None Of the walters
came near me. but presently the pro.
: prietor did and asked me II hadni
: got into the wrong place. What could
: do-ask him II he'd give me meal
on a thousand dollar bill? Not much
told him / had thought the place q
restaurant but reckoned | was mis-
taken: sorry 10 lntruded. And | wenI
out
Somehow | didn't seq where l was
going to begin. Besides. I couldn't b
! an all fired while finding out, for had
t no place but the park to sleep and mo-
/ la crust 70 put in me. You see,
wasn't used to city life II tried Il
buy out shop or rent one and buy |
stock OF goods TO put in II the momen
showed my bill tho gentlemanly
. owner would ask me to sit down Will,
) he got the change aud would telephone
: the police. went about trying to &c
/ some one TO give me a meal, but cit,
! servants are not used to heggars, OK
. cept those who beg for money. ans
they an shut tho door In my face.
Finally when was nearly starved
struck a little house, where my RIM
was answered BY girl about nlneteei
: years old. That girl was either foo
or she was altogether out OF place Il
this world never struck such = greel
hue even Ia the country. She took IN
! Ia aud gave me what she had 20 cal
{ then sat down and talked 70 me. looa
e ing all the while out Of her symps
{ thetIc eyes at me to cheer me up. Sh
\ must have known that misery love
1 company. she told me that she was 1
love with young fellow who WASH
getting along very well aud was goin
7 to lose bis position. Her employs
4 wanted $1,000 IN his business aud wa
> going to take In another clerk wit
a that amount aud make a partner Q
him.
els that an he wantsY' ! sayi
-conld you sit married II your felle
: dad $i.O00T.
q / t4fRa ..s.sr,..sss -. ...stfN