The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-24
of Runaway Boys
Dream of Happiness.
Many Topeka Youths Try to
Live without a Home.
THEY ALWAYS COME BACK
First Night Under Stars-and
With Chiggers, Shock.
Police Department Has Cap
tured 35 Hayward Sons.

This is the time of the year when
the runaway boy is in his prime.
soon as the drowSy atmosphere u
summer takes hold of the American
youth he begins to feel restlessneSs
and wants to go out west ana 1lShI
Indians or go to New York and make
a fortune within very, very HHllteu
space of time.
The tale is told of the 12-year-old
scion of one of Topeka's most promln-
ent families The young fellow want
ed to drive his fathers automobile ana
was refused that privilege for anotnef
year or so. 1t discouraged him SO ne
decided he would end all his unhappy
life in Topeka and run away SO one
afternoon-it must have been o'clock
he gathered up some clothes IN d
bag and started out. He wore his old
est clothes, because it would never 90
for hobo to caVort around In finery-
The young tramp walked mile or
so west of his home and grew tired
He had Just reached Gage park so he
decided to rest. He did so and then
after an interval of half hour ne
continued his journey.
But another haIf-mile almost fin
ished him The glamor of that kind
of existence began to fade somewhat
Besides, he was hungry After a pay
tie with his ambitions, he slowly
turned back and as the twilight Shad-
oWs were beginning to fall he reached
his paternal fireside.
Family Didn't Know.
The youth was expecting dire pun
ishment for his daring deed. He
slipped in unawares. His father was
reading the evening paper. His moth
er was experimenting the job of get
ting dinner and telling the Kitchen
mechanic" just what to do. His sis
ter had not yet returned from a shop
ping trip uptown.
What grieved the II year old hero
more than anything else was that his
family evidently did not know of his
mr. Ion ce1t1 a
nearly four hours since he left home
And a few minutes later, when dinner
was served a dirty faced lad was
strongly reproVed for his appearances
But that daunted him not and he
climbed into" a hunk of beefsteak
and consumed an everlasting quantity
of delicious gravy. He decided that
home was the best place after all. A
few years from now he will be bold
enough to tell of his misdeed.
There are perhaps only few men
i'll Topeka who did not. as boys, run
away from home after more thrilling
adventures Many of them did not
get three blocks away, but their in
tentions were all the same.
The report from the police depart
1nent shows that nearly 35 runaway
boys have been picked up here this
spring and summer. The parents are
always notified and usually come to
Topeka after their hayward sons. In
one or two instances, Chief Parsons
reports that the parents refused to
come after their boys. Tom has
run away seven times this spring"
said one irate farmer, land if he
wants to come home again let him find
out the best way how and he rang
off.
DOwny Couch of Green.
The dream of a downy couch under
the sweet apple blossoms appeals to
many small boys. So they start out
and at night lie down to rest in some
cow-pasture. They are unable to
sleep. Some few million chiggers get
into their systems and they itch. The
the first faint light is seen in the east
ern sky, young Johnnie "'streaks it,
for home as fast as his legs can carry
him.
as long as they are dreams. And the
average young chap of Topeka can re-
member not so many years back when
they came true, with a jolt.