The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, December 20, 1910, Page FIVE, Image 5
MOST FAMOUS TRAMP
VISITED NEWBERRY
MODE RODS HERE AND RODE!
RODS OUT.
"A No. 1" is His Assumed Name aud
He Associates With the Truly
Great.
Last Saturday about 11 o'clock a
man, small in stature, neatly dressed.
came into The Herald and News office
and asked to see the editor. He had
an intelligent face and bore the ap
pearance of one who was prosperous.
At first we thought he was a repre
sentative of some foreign advertising
4g,at, and desired to make a contract.
He seemed nervous and restless, and
wanted no one else to be present while
he was talking. He carried with him
a number of visiting cards and busi
ness cards of professional men and
railroad presidents which bore the
evidence of genuineness, and which
were 'high testimonials of service ren
dered these railroads in preventing
wrecks and total loss of life and de
struction of property. He announced
that he was an ordinary tramp but
known to the profession and to the
-world of "A No. 1." He stated that
he had come in the night before on
the rods of the C., N. & L. freight from
Laurens, and that it was late and:
Newberry seemed to have an over
abundance of police force so he con
cluded that he would spend the night
in a box car at the depot rather than
run the risk of arrest as at that time
he had on his overalls and was not
prepossessing in his appearance.
i I
He is known as probably the most I
Jamous tramp in the world and has I
frequently left on water tanks and,
shanties artistically carved the
words "A No. 1." with the date and
,an arrow beneath. He is well known C
ito railroad men, and when he reached .
Newberry, he had traveled up to that
time 482,745 miles at a total expense
for transportation of $7.61. He has
been on the road since 1883. He has
written and published a book, "The
Life and Adventures of A No. 1," which
he sells at 25 cents per copy, and
whiQh My b6 obtained irom the Amer
scan News Co. It is illustrated and
Scontains some 'helpful advice to boysp
'who are not satisfied with their home.
Ee als~o sells post cards with his pic
*ure, records and autograph on them.
'On that post card is printed on one
side, "Champion Tramp Record: 1894
New York City to San Francisco, 11
Ba ys and 6 Hours; 3,260 Miles." "Con
tinuous Pullman Car Record: 1897
Nelena, Montana, to Seattle, Washing
eon, 781 Miles." "Continuous Passen
ger Train Record: 1893, Bell Plaine,
Io'wa, to Denver, Colorado, 815 Miles.".
On the reverse side is the following:
"Meal Ticket-Preserve this card,
circumstances might force you to be
*ome a homeless tramp. Should you
meet me, this card will be good for a
square meal, if I am not dead-broke!
myself. Yours -truly, A No. 1, The
Rambler.
"Be sure to read my book, a true
story of my wanderings and hiardsh3ips
all over the known world. 'Life and
Adventures of A No. 1.' Thrilling from
cover to cover. Illustrated. Price 25c.
For sale everywhere."
"A No. 1" is a linguist, speaks and
'writes four languages. He has been
around the world three times and has
prevented more than twenty wrecks,h
wears a forty dollar suit of clothes and
a gold watch, keeps his name a secret,
does not chew, drink or gamble.
How did he adopt this queer name?
That is a story, too. When he first
started on the' road it was with an
older man. The latter was attracted
by the ingenuousness of the younger
companion, by this bright ways, his
naatural aptitude for a life in box cars
and ridng the rods beside the grinding
wheelsi beneath the heavy freights
where release for a moment of the bar
*of iron would have meant instant
death.
"Kid, you're all right," declared the
older one at the end of a particularly
hard journey. "You're A No. 1." The
title has since stuck and the wanderer
has more than lived up to it, for if
ever a hobo's life could be said to be
a success, it is that of this fellow. He
travels in overalls and jumper, but af
'ter arriving in a town divests himself
of these and appears in a neat suit; is
always clean shaved and has a very
prosperous appearance.
He has a profession, wichi is carv
ing potatoes, and in this he has no
- equal. Hundreds of times he has
carved faces for persons in return for
small favors. He is also a wood carver
of ability.
He has a memorandum book full 'of
cards and letters gi':en him by rail-:
road officials. Many of these state,
that he has prevented the possible lcss
iof human life and property by telling
train operators when beating his way,
of broken car wheels or other disar
\rangements and he has preventedi se
rious wrecks and disasters. He has
Sbeen in five wrecks, but luckily, has
a wer been hurt.
He also nuis a n p w i
from Jack London. the author, telling :
of their companionship on the road to- j
gether in 1894.
During his travels "A No. 1 has t
learned four languages-English, Ger- I
many, French and Spanish. His par- j
ents were of the French and German:
ationalities, but he was born in Sani
Francisco.
His toilet set is complete, though it
bakes little room to carry it. It con
5ists of a toothbrush, soap, comb and a
ew other necessities. His carving
Lools are two knives, kept very sharp.
Blacking and shining rags occupy a
part of his pockets, also a pocket edi- C
ion of Webster's dictionary, a rather
trange book for a traap to carry.
He was asked why he had not writ- C
:en his book sooner as it is an illus
rated and highly interesting story,
ind he stated that lately, after twen-!
is
;y-seven years of roving, he has comet
:o the conclusion that the dangarous,
;enseless and pitiful life he has led all .
:hese years has been wasted, and
4
lat perhaps by telling his own pitiful
rxperiences he might possibly prevent n
thers from following his footsteps
Ie said that to force a boy to stay at:
iome after he has once started to
vander, is almost impossible, as the
naxim, "once a tramp, always a 1
raunp," has been many times proven
o him by actual experience. as he hast
aet many a boy of fine family and r
iome who never knew of the filth, mis- L
ry and dangers a tramp comes con
,tantly in contact with, yet can not I
esist the ca!! to wander. Had these
ads read a book like his own or Jack C
.ondon's or Josiah Flint's, showing
he pit , dark side of tramp life.
>erhaps they would never have left
heir home and friends in exchange C
or a roving, restless existence. si
When asked why he did not stop, he s
oplied: "Do you know that the call P
o wander is so irresistible that often,
n dark and rainy nights I find myself 0:
alking about railroad yards looking I
or a chance to move on? You would 01
Lot believe me, yet it is a fact, that I c
ealize that my end will be the same
,s that of 90 per cent. of all tramps- p
,n accident. This g why I have at F
east provided for a decent burial. In B
894 I received $1,000 cash and a beau- oj
ifiw '=edai from the Police Gazette C
or traanping from New York to San G
rrancisco in eleven days and six
ours, and with $750 of this prize I p
~ought a tomb'stone in a cemetery in t<
amridge Springs, Pa. Seems strange G
hat almost every night that silent a
hite monument seems to beckon from$
onder green hillside in my dreams
.nd entreat me to stop my roving.
7his I have tried to do many times,
iut in vain, and my epitaph, which I
Lope will 'be a silent everlasting warn-b
rg to others who seem to be afflictedb
vith this strange longing to roam, very
eptly call'ed 'wanderlust,' is simply: t<
"A No. 1, t
"The Rambler,
"At rest at last."
He stated that 'he could not remain
n Newberry as 'he was affected 'with
that he called "wanderlust," and
iaust be moving on.
Deacons Elected.
At a congregational meeting at the
autheran Church of the Redeemer on
sunday, the following deacons were
c
1ected: J. C. Goggans, S. J. Derrick'
F. M. Kibler, W. G. Houseal, E C.
~onnenberg, J. B. Hunter, Geo. W
summer, H. C. Holloway, Jno. C. Hipp
Ld C. T. Summer.
The pastor, Rev. Edward Fulenwid-t
r, was granted a vacation of two
veeks, which, with his family, hfe will
.pend with relatives at his old home
n North Carolina.
c
LAD EILLED BY TOY CANNON.
son of Mr. T. Bissell Anderson, of j
Charleston, Dead as Result of
Accident'.
Charleston, Dec. 17.-John Turner
nderson, fifteen years of age, son of
Vr. and Mrs. T. Bissell Anderson, of
Co. 4 Lucas street, died at the River- ~
side Infirmary yesterday evening from ~
shock and injuries sustained to his
eg yesterday afternoon at about 5 t
>'clock through the premature explo- t
;ion of a toy cannon. The buckshot, '
with which the cannon was loaded, f
ire a greaot hole in the right leg of
the lad, ar.d aldhough he was accorded t
immediate medical assistance and was t
rushed to the ihospital, the loss of t
blood and shock proved too much for t
hir to stand. Young Anderson died 21
before' e doctors dared to undertake ;
n operation. 3;
JONES HILLS PEARLSTINE.
Prominent lBranchTille MIan Shot int
Postofice.-Dispulte OTer Ac
count.
Branchville. Dec. 15.-Abe Pearl
tine, one of the most prominent
young business men of Branchville, 1
this morning was shot and killed by t
John J. Jones, a well known attorney<
of this place. The killing, which (s'- t
cur.,d a t+e potofice at 9:45, fo!-,
o:c a lsticun arisg 01 of a iis
>ute regarding an account which
ones, it is said, had collected from
"earlstine, but had not turned in to
he firm which had employed him to
rake the collection. Jones was ar
ested and taken to Orangeburg,
vhere he is now in the custody of the
heriff.
"DUTH FORK" IN RICHLAND.
our Townships Involved Favor a
Change-May Help Free
Bridges.
olumbia State.
The rich Dutch Fork section of Lex
gton county has been made a part
f Richland, according to returns re
eived yesterday from three of the
>ur townships involved, and the vote
i the other could not change the re
ult, although there are indications
dat those who voted there were in
ivor of annexation.
The area involved amounts to about
6 square miles and this addition
ieans much to Richland county, tak
ig in one of the richest sections in
e State, one long-ettled and pro-1
ucing some of the best citizens.
Some time ago the agitttion was
tarted, the people in that soction be
ig dissatisfied with conditions and
inking that it would be easier to
ach Richland court house than the:
exington county seat.
AREER COTTON MILLS COMPANY
apital Stock of New Concern to be
Five Million Dollars.
Columbia, Dec. 17.-The Parker
otton Mills company, with a capital
bock of $5,000,000, bas been commis
loned by the secretary of State to
urchase, erect and conduct cotton
iLIls in South Carolina. This is thie
rganization of the proposed cotton,
ill merger announced several days
go. The books of subscription to the
ympany will open in Greenville.
The petitioners as given in the ap
ication for a charter are: Thomas
Parker, Lewis W. Parker, H. J.
aynesworth and David Jennings, all
Greenville; J. H. M. Beattie, of
olumbia, and M. L. Marchant, of
r'eer.
In the petition it is stated that the
rincipal pla.ce of business of the cot
n mills company will be located at
reenville. There will be 50,000.
ares of the capital stock valued ait
L00 per share.
The proposed merger of a number
Sthe mills of the State was announc
i several days ago'from Charleston
y ewis W. Parker, who is one of the
est known and most successful mill
residents in the South. The first an
ouncei capital stock of merger was
be $10,000,000. It is thought that
iere will be an increasie.
OEE FROM DRUNK
AND FOUND A WIFE
rnest Brooks Walker Did Not Enow
He Was Married.-Has Marriage
Annulled.
he State.
Spartanbu'rg, Dec. 17.-For want of
onsent on the part of the plaintiff,
irnest Brooks Walker, of Greenville,
yrmerly a ticket agent at~ the South
rn station in Spartanburg, Judge T.
.Sease, sitting in chambers, has an
uled the marriage contracted be
een Mr. Walker and Miss Ida Jor
an, a pretty telephone operator of
1s city 'on August 20, last
In his complaint Mr. Walker de
lared (he was so drunk when the
iarriage ceremony was .performed
at he had no recollection of it and
id not know he was -married until he1
roke up in the Argyle hotel the fol
>wing morning and found Miss Jor
an with him and she told him she
ras his wife.
Admits Allegations.
In her answer to his suit, Miss Jor
an admitted all his allegations. Rev.
V. M. Whirtesides, pastor of Green
treet Baptist church, who married
tie couple, said 'that when they came
a him it was evident that Mr. Walker
ad been drinking, but he was in per
et command of all 'his senses.
"I talked 'to them both for some
ine," said Mr. Whitesides, "telling
hem what an important step it was
hat they were taking and asking
hem if they had fully made up their
ninds. Mr. Walker said he and Miss
ordan 'had been sweethearts for two.
!ears 'and were determined to be mar
jed."I
In asking for' the annuIlment Mr.
Valker said that on August 20 and
he day preceding, 'he and other young1
nen had been drinking to excess in
'reenville. He was drunk that even
ng and while in that condition went
o Spartanburg, arriving about 9
>clock. He entered a hack at the sta-.
.ion, bought a pint of whiskey from
he hackman and took a big drink,
'and soon became oblivious to all
ra.spiring events and unconscious of
5 More Shol
UNTIL CHI
Do Your CHRISTMAS
AT
Anderson's
THIS LOT 101
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Anerson
One of t ~h0Uid
pping Days
RISTMAS
SHOPPING Today
10 c. Store
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