The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-31

From Lippincotts.
"Drifter" is the name chosen by Forbes
Lindsay, the well-known traveller and lee
turer, TO designate the type of American
who is afflicted with the wanderlust, and
who in consequence drifts from place to
place all over the world. He is not to be
confounded with the "hobo. however, for
the drifter is usually honest and intel
ligent, and white willing to work-until
the temptation to move on again becomes
irresistible. These strange adventurers
are described in an interesting article in
the September Lippincott's.
Follows an outline tracing of the wan
derings during four years of a drifter
who ultimately married and settled down.
QIe is now cashier of bank in Mel
bourne, but every few years he takes an
indeterminate trip on tramp steamer,
in satisfaction of the repressed but not
eradicated desire to drft)
'He was sent down to Demerara by an
American company which shortly failed
and left him stranded. His drifting COM
menced when he Joined German natur-
alist on an expedition in the interior of
Guiana. At the close of this service he
was in possession of sufficient money to
carry him home, but the wanderlust had
seized him, and instead of heading north
he sailed SOUTH His subsequent rowing
took him in succession to Rio, Buenos
Aires, inland to Mendoza, back to Buenos
Aires, Colon, across the Isthmus to Pan
anna, Guayaquil, Panama, Punta Arenas,
Panama. San Francisco, Honolulu, Yoho-
hama, Shanghai, Sydney. the Caroline
Islands, Sydney, Shanghai, Manila, Hong
kong Singapore. Calcutta. Colombo, Sgd
ney, Shanghai Yokohama. Manila, Pan
anna, Valparaiso, Lima, Quito, Guayaquil,
Panama, Manila, Hongkong and Mel
bourne.
These were only the main points There
were a number of minor excursions, sew
eral journeys into the interior, an expe-
dition to an uninhabited Pacific island in
search of mythical treasure, and a string
| of more or less strange adventures He
| was shipwrecked, laid low by yellow fever
and escaped three attempts on his life.
He planned and played the principal part
| in daring Jail delivery at Bogota He
discovered cinnabar deposit and sold
the information for $1,000 to a company
which has since made more tnan a mil
lion out of it, He performed an impor-
tant service at the risk of his life for the
lately deceased president of South
| American republic, and received a large
grant of land in compensation.
'"rhis case is typical and almost COM
monplace in comparison with the expe-
rience of some driftefs. / knew one who
covered upwards of $4,000 miles of land
and water in 20 months, and another
whose beard was not full grown yet who
had gone through adventures that cast
De Rougemonts fancy-f1ights into deep
| shade.
! Il have known the Drifter under all
manner of conditions. I have Met him
at Spence's hotel in Calcutta, enjoying
| his otium cum dignitate after a lucky
strike He has pared my corns for a
dollar in Bahia Blanca. I have paid his
board bill for a week in Maranhao, for
the sake of his company We have been
guests together at a presidents table,
| and have shared the shelter of a fisher
mans hut. He has given me much val
liable information, and has done me more
than one good turn