Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-03-14
The
StOWaWaV
"a stowawayw
By FRED L. YOUNG

! heard the words spoken by some
one near me and, looking in the direc-
ton Of other eyes, saw a lad being
brought forward between two sailors.
He was in rags, and what clothing
chung to him was begrimed. The off,
Ger Of the deck was standing by me,
and the boy was brought to him.
81 suppose you haven't any money
to pay your fareY
mo, SIR
"Well, before you get ashore you'll
wish you hadn't shipped that way.
We work stowaways harder than any
one else aboard this ship. We do that
to keep others from doing the same
thing" Then to the men who had
him in charge, Take him down into
the engine room and set him to shov-
cling coal"
You don't mean," l protested, that
you're going to put that delicate boy
down in that frightful hole at such
hard work.
The man looked at me angrily. "1ts
against marine law for passengers to
interfere with the officers of a ship.
You'd better keep your suggestions to
yourself"
The boy was taken below, and
saw no more of him that day. But
1 knew what shoveling coal on an
ocean liner meant, and l didn't be-
lieve he could stand the work. l lay
awake in my berth thinking about
him and the terrible fate In store for
SO many human beings deprived Of
protection while others are pampered
with every luxury. There were boys
and girls on the ship occupying luxu-
rious staterooms under the care Of
fond parents SO delicately nurtured
that 1t seemed as II n snow squall or
hot sun would wither them. And
yet this poor boy, with the same kind
Of body, the same immortal soul,
must be put to work in an iron room
far under water, where the tempera-
ture was over 100 degrees. and made
to lift heavy scoops and throw the
furnace.
The next day Joined a party Of pas
sengers who were to go through the
engine room, and, descending the sue
cession of iron steps, we finally found
ourselves In the ships internal regions.
I went down to the furnace, and there
was the boy staggering with the rest
from the coal heaps to the mouth Of
the furnace. He was the only one thus
h0 nj
his waist How he stood the heat
could not understand.
The sight was too much for me.
went up to the purser's office and took
steerage passage for the stowaway,
then went down with an order permit
ting me to bring him on deck. got
him to a berth, and as soon as he en-
tered it he collapsed. Possibly it was
the reaction at knowing he need not
work any longer in Tartarus; possibly
he would not have stood the strain
much longer anyway. l got the ships
surgeon to bring him up, but he need
ed nothing save rest.
After he had come to himself again
talked with him about himself, who
he was and why he was trying to get
to America. He told me that he was
4 going over to join brother who would
meet him In New York. The brother
had promised to send him passage
money, but had been thrown out of
work during a strike, and the matter
of going over must have beer deferred
had it not been for the boys determi-
nation to cross as a stowaway.
The youngster was very grateful to
me for what | did for him. AS we
neared the American coast I noticed
that something was troubling him. l
asked him what 1t was, but did not get
satisfaction. 1t was not fear of being
deported, for he expected his brother
to take care of that, though just how
1t was to be done he didn't tell me.
He said finally that he needed some
better clothing before going ashore.
His brother wouldn't know him in his
rags. At any rate, he didn't wish to
appear to him so shabbily dressed. I
offered to try to get him something
better, but he declined to permit me to
do so. Then he asked me If l would
ask a stewardess to come down and
see him. l couldn't understand what
he wanted Of stewardess, but bore
his message.
The day we reached port before go
ing ashore l went down to see my
protege and bid him goodby. Then l
met with the surprise of my life. Not
seeing him, l asked where he was.
My informant pointed to girl stink
ing away from me-
II mean the boy l have seen here
several times-the stowaway."
''That's the one" was the reply.
I went up to the girl and recognized
her as the youngster I had helped.
What she had wanted the stewardess
for was to get her some girls cloth
ing. The stewardess had kept her
secret from me, but had appealed to
some of the first class passengers.