Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-19
DOING IT ON FOOT.
Two Brawny Scots Walking From ST
John to Boston in Search of Work.

Walking from St. John. y. B., to
Augusta in search for work and then
finding nothing to do. was the gist Of
tn. nard luck story told on the street
Tuesday morning by two hrawny
Scotsrnen. They gave their names as
Thomas Shears and Robert Shears,
and their home town was stated as
Halifax. y. s. The older of the two.
Thomas, man Of 60 years or there
abouts. said they had been working in
the woods in the winter, and went into
st. John the last of March to hunt for
jobs as seamen. There was nothing
doing, but one shipmaster suggested
that they wait Il week or ten days
and he might have berths fOr them.
Won't wait one minute" asserted
Thomas, and he and his son started on
a tramp to the westward along the
coast There was snow on the ground
and they got small hand sleigh. such
as babies are carried in, packed their
dunnagc in that and started.
At st. George, ST. Andrew. st. Ste
phcn. ETC., the story was the same
nothing doing but shipping would
start in a few days. SO they crossed
the Maine coast. through the woods
ana the "hock deep" mud. Tie baby
sleigh gave way to a childs express
wagon, but that didn't suit Thomas,
and he picked up am abandoned axle
and two wheels of a child's cart, hor-
roWed some nails and nailed little
piece OF board to that tiny axle, and
six feet of gray birch pole to the
board tide on his "Kennebecker"
travelling bag with home rope yarn
and Mas ready to continue the journev
Son Robert had the painted childs
cart, hut father insisted that his was
the easier to haul, so Son spliced out
his with length of lath on the tan
die and they came along.
They struck Augusta On the Eth
day ont from st. John. and reckonejl
that they had made better than 2Il
miles day despite the bad travelling |
The travelling, however, is getting
better.
We look like pair Of tramps, but
we amt drunk and drink didn't bring |
us here, asserted the older man t. |
a group of 20 or more who gathered |
IN an impromptu audience about them |
IN Market square ut $50 Tuesday |
Nv ere looking for work. that's all II
locked in the harbor this morning: |
nothing but barges there, good if YOU
knox how to swim and want a job |
at ii. but the waters too cold for
yours truly. and a barge is nc place
for sailor who knows how To 20 |
aI"it, I'm going over to the lumber |
mill on the other side of the river and
81 l1s.f u
don't get something We'll keep along
I" Portland, and ii We don't get some
thing there Well go to Boston. I've
got aEother son in Boston, and he's |
got money enough. He's living on his |
money made ii in ships and sehooners. |
but that sort of living on his moneys |
too soft job for me. | want some |
thing in my line, and I'm going to be
in Liverpool, in a few weeks. If I'd !
stayed in st. John, Ia have got a |
job GR schooner before this, but its
just as cheap to hunt for work as it is
to sit Gown and wait for it, so We
kept coming.
And with backward tilt of his head
with its thatch of sandy hair. and a
sardoEic smile on his skinny weather.
beaten features. the tall Seotchman
shut his mouth tight. picked up the
gray nirch handle Of his queer little
cart, and led the way for the bridge. |
His very walk had the defiant air of IA
man asserting his independence. and
he STROBE up Water street while his |
listeners of a moment before hardly |
knew whether to pity the pair or to
fee! amused
Later they We're seen starting on
the road to Portland or Boston, and it
is fair presumption that they will |
surprise the natives en- route as they
continue their hunt for IA chance to
berth together on shipboard.