The Ocala banner., 1920-04-23

/ NNOte.-The following is a true
story Of an Ocala boy who left home,
parents, kindred and friends, in order
TO see the world. In detailing the
hardships he endured is done for the
purpose of preventing other boys from
doing the same thing. The advice
of this "Stowaway" is for boys to re-
main at home and especially to stay
IN ones own country. Like so many
others who knowns from experience,
he says that the United States is the
best country under the sun. Cleaye
to it boys.)
Chapter 3
Well, it was after this that my thoub-
les began in earnest, there l was in a
foreign country without a penny, and
seeing the darkest side of it, as | was
thrown in amongst the toughest and
meanest class of people in the largest
seaport in the world.
| never saw so much drunkenness,
now / never was teetotaler, but did
not like the ale over there, too strong
for me and the booze did not suit me
either.
There were more chances to drink
! than TO obtain food, which | mostly
needed as there was no free lunches.
The Monroe Doctrine that had re-
Gently arose between Uncle Sam and
John Bull over Venezuela, was the
burning topics of conversation, in the
taverns and on the docks.
/ have previously spoken of the
rough class of people l was thrown
with, they could tell ] was yankee
by the cut Of my clothes, much less
my speech and many a time, it was
case of fist and skull between us
and / occasionally came out second,
for things were not always on the
square but when they were it was
another story.
After many failures at finding a
ship, | now began to think CT slowing
away talked with some wharf rats,
who had done the trick more than
once, but the hardships they had en-
dured did not impress me fovorably,
but under the circumstances there
was no way out of it but to look
around for chance to stowaway.
My first thoughts was to sneak
aboard on one of the fast passenger
ships, that ran to New York, but as
the liners laid out in the stream and
there was no way of getting on board
except by the tenders (small boats)
so that was out Of the question, but
my chance to stowaway came at last
1t was early in the afternoon of one
! Friday, that l met bunch Of down
and cutters, like myself, bent on the
same thing and joined the gang.
The leader was a Baltimorean, a
man of about twenty-five years, a six
footer, well proportioned seemed to be
physically perfect, tho of his moral
side won't say, then little English
man who seemed alright morally but
was badly off physically being of small
stature and slightly built and to make
matters worse had only recently been
discharged from hospital for a bad
ly fractured leg, which he sustained
while working in a factory in Man
chester. He claimed to have a veal
thy uncle in America, is why he was
anxious TO come.
Then there was a German, we never
-called him anything but Dutch, he was
good natured lad but his English
was indeed limited, only that he had
few pence. when we met him which,
he spent for some dried herring,
which we thoroly enjoyed while on
the quay, or don't suppose we would
have had him in our company. There
was a big cattle steamer which Balti-
more said he knew would sail for Bos-
ton about 10 a. m. the following day,
and that he had stowed-away before,
but what he most feared was that as
the vessel skirted the coast so long
after leaving. of being discovered, and
getting transferred TO pilot boat and
then being dumped ashore on the
Irish coast, that he had previously ex-
perienced that kind of hard luck, but
that if We would all keep our mouths
shut and follow him. we would stand
a pretty good chance of clearing out
and that sounded good to me.
We went up one of the forward
freight gang planks, some of the men
aboard glanced at US, but as we re-
sembled working men did not seem 70
suscicion our errand.
Now. as was safe aboard, if l had
been following my inclination, / would
have selected comfortable place on