The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-05-18
SHIPS HIMSELF IN
EXPRESS BOX AS
TALKING MACHINE
Kansas Man Forced to Abandon
His Journey When His Water
Supply Runs Out.

Forth Worth, Tex.--Special: Banks A.
Meyers. the Lawrence (Kan.3 carpenter
VINO shipped himself by express to Gall
ves,on. Tex, as talking machine, and
VINO was forced to abandon his box be-
caase OF thirst near Fort Worth after
completing 500 miles OF his journey,
0as released by Corporation Judge
shropshire without a fine.
man who Is clever and game
enough to attempt trip like that ought
not to be working on the streets Of
Fort Worth" Judge Shropshire said.
Meyers Will not have to pay for his
transportation to Fort Worth.
II had arrived in Galveston
Wouid have owed the express company
He shipped himself C.. o. d. and he
alone knew of his strange scheme for
Deating the railroad until he was forced
~ lack OF water to reveal himself.
The odd-shaped box was consigned
py John Pugh, Of Lawrence, Kan, to
Sohn Tresk, Galveston, Tex. 1t was
booked on the waybill as weighing $40
pounds and containing talking ma
EaAAAAe.
'-Ionsignee Will .a.i,' was the direc-
tton ~ LAC eAprsss dc enL a. Idiveston.
Tells How He Did It.
Here ~ Meyers own storyi Il want
"a to 70 to Galveston and 1 didn't have
the money and was AFRAID OF tne freight
trains. The box ldea was my own.
bought the box from a talking machine
store In Lawrence and after got the
waybill and fled 1t, told them to send
20 the store for the express Then ]
hurried down and crawled In and fas-
tened the door on the inside. had
two big bottles of water. The clerks in
and gave It to the expressman without
Suspecting anything"
Was It comfortable" reporter
asked.
II didn't sleep wink last night. The
box was built with little box on top.
giving me place for my head and
fixing II SO they wouldn't stand me on
my head. 1t was marked Handle with
care A long slat in the door gave me
q place to get air. It was pretty hot
when laid out In the sun at the sta
ton at Lawrence, wai'Dlg for the train.
ter when / got comfortably settled in
the express car with lot Of other
boxes on top OF me and on my side.
II didn't take any lunch with me be-
cause / was feeling bad and knew
that I could get along without It. You
know had little bench in the box
and could SIT down and sleep. slept
quite good deal. but guess I didn't
on0re.
1--WE left Lawrence in the afternoon
at o'clock. WheE 1 woke up the
next morning one of the water bottles
had been broken. The water In the
other bottle was nearly out and / was
beginning TO get awful thirsty. When +
could not stand It any longer. opened
the door, crawled out and went to the
water cooler. The express messengers
back was turned. took a drink and
was hlling up the bottle when he spied
me.
ExpreSsman is Surprised.
"'Well, where in the world did you
come FROM he asked me.
II grinned and said. hello then I
explained to him and when he recover
Cd from his surprise. he broke into a
laugh and told me to SIT down and get
q real rest.
II crawled back into the box before
we got to Fort Worth did not get
very rough handling. because / braced
myself against the sides OF the box
whenever they dumped me around.
mo, I don't think / would try again."
Meyers wore corduroy trousers,
black cap. rough shirt, rough shoes
and short coat. He is 81 years old.