Evening star., 1919-03-09
NIGHT CURES TWO
YOUTH Ill NOMADS
Determined to See More of
World, But Soon Decide
Home Is Best.

When Wendell Zimmerman, age FIVE.
and Gordon Barnett, age six, left their
homes in Dogwood place northwest
shortly before noon yesterday they
were determined to see more of the
world. They were through with home
and Washington.
Chicago Was really their ultimate
daSttuation and they expected to ar
.Fixsstiists bassts .dltR b4s rsiag iz4-
bted with the true vagabond spirit
the natural beauties Of the roadside
proved so attractive they progressed
only SO far as Takoma Park, and
when they fully realized that night
time was rapidly. approaching they de-
cided to abandon their Journey and
return home. 1t was 8 o'clock when
they finally presented themselves.
Many Search for Them.
In the meantime four distracted
parents were busy with telephones
and automobiles in an excited en-
deavor to locate the absentees. Thir-
ty soldiers from Walter Reed Hos
pital, which is close by the homes of
the boys, score OF Boy Scouts, a
dozen or so policemen and probably
an equal number of friends OF the two
families were engaged in a systematic
search. AS the hours passed and moth
ing was learned of the whereabouts
much apprehension was felt It was
feared the little culprits had met with
misfortune.
They were tired and muddy and
dirty and very much crestfallen when
they finally returned. They naturally
had gloomy visions Of punishment. but
their parents. after their hours of
worry and anxiety, were far too de-
lighted and relieved to think of such
thing-at least not at that time.
Wendell is the son of Mai. O. B.
Zimmerman Of the Engineer Corps, U.
S. A., and his fellow globe trotter is
the SON of G. W. Barnett Of the Man
haitian Laundry Company. The boys
are. neighbors and practically inseper-
able. For some time they have been
discussing long trip. The thinner
man family lived in Chicago when
Wendell was two years old, and it
was probably due to that fact that
the boys picked Chicago as the OBJ
jective of their trip.
Take Supply of Food.
without letting any one know of
their plans the lads stuffed some bread
and cake in their pockets and hurried
from their homes unnoticed. Accord
ing to the story. as told by them since
returning, they walked through the
Walter ReedsHospital grounds and in
an indirect manner reached Takoma
Park. They did not remain there for
any length of time. They then wan
dered to Lamond. where they STAYED
short time, when they returned to
Takoma Park. Several empty freight
cars on siding at the railroad sta
ton had a particular fascination for
the two. and they spent the greater
part Of the time climbing about them
While returning to their homes the
little fellows were attracted by the mo-
tion picture theater at the Walter Reed
Hospital and they spent an hour in it.
When asked about their plans for
seeing more of the world little Wendell
replied that they often talked about
going to other cities and to foreign
countries. we are good walkers he
said, land if it hadn't got dark we
could have walked to Chicago"
Maj. Zimmerman was in Brussels
prior to the beginning of the world war
and when Wendell was born Edith
Cavell, the Red Cross nurse who was
executed by the Germans as spy. was
in attendance. She was the first per-
son to hold the baby.