From North Carolina to Southern California Without a Ticket and How I Did It: Giving My Exciting Experiences as a "Hobo"Peele, John (John R.)
General
From North Carolina to Southern California Without a Ticket and How I Did It: Giving My Exciting Experiences as a "Hobo"
Peele, John (John R.)
Southern States -- Description and travel; Tramps; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
I had been sleeping on some express packages in the forward end of the
car, and upon awakening glanced at my watch. It was 4 a. m.
Throughout the night the train had been running at a high rate of speed
and I figured we ought to be somewhere near Montgomery.
It'll be a great joke to tell him where my home really is, and to let
him know how I fooled him, for being near Montgomery, he'll hardly
trouble to put me down anyway now, I reasoned, and without thinking, I
gave him the whole story of just how neatly I had deceived him.
Instantly the young man's manner changed.
"So you fooled me, eh! Well, the next stop is Valdosta, Ga. You'll have
to get off there," was the sharp retort.
A half hour later I was walking the streets of Valdosta, a much wiser
man.
How true is the old saying: "A wise man keeps his tongue in his heart,
but a fool keeps it in his mouth."
It was near daylight and bitter cold. A night cop directed me to a
lodging house. After I had rung the bell several times the landlady
appeared. She had hastily dressed and, with a frown on her face, stood
shivering in the cold.
"Madam, have you any vacant rooms?"
"You might share a room with my son," she replied hurriedly.
"Thank you ever so much. What will it cost?" I asked.
"Twenty-five cents," was the pistol-like retort. "Do you want the room?"
"I now got to the point.
"Madam, the night is most over, and my money is low; would you accept 15
cents for the rest of the night?"
"I suppose I shall have to let you in," she said.
Five minutes later I had waked up her son, who began saying
uncomfortable things about some people coming in at all times of the
night; but the remainder of his remarks fell on deaf ears, for I was
fast asleep.
It was the first bed I had been in since leaving home.
About 10 a. m. I awoke much refreshed.
The depot was close by, and the ticket agent informed me that the train
bound for Madison, Fla., would pull out in a few minutes.
The fare from Valdosta to Madison is eighty-five cents, and I only had
sixty cents.
Acting upon the impulse I boarded the train without purchasing a ticket.
Madison is on the main line between Jacksonville and Pensacola, and
would, therefore, afford a better opportunity to catch a west-bound
train than if I went to Montgomery.
In due time I was confronted by the conductor.
"How much to Madison?" I asked, feeling in my pockets.
"Eighty-five cents," said the conductor.
"I haven't but 60 cents, conductor; carry me as far as you can for that,
and I'll walk the rest of the distance."
A well-dressed young man looked up.
"If you'll pardon me, I'll loan you 50 cents," said he.
"If you'll provide me with an address to which I can return the amount,
I'll accept with thanks," I replied.
Taking my book he wrote down, J. M. Turner, Jr., Gainesville, Fla. "I'm
cigar salesman for a Gainesville house," he said.
About this time another passenger spoke out.
"I'll loan you twenty-five cents myself," said he, "if you need it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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