MY SECOND EXPERIENCE IN ST. LOUIS.
Bright and early next morning I gave my dime to the ferryman and pulled
out for the bustling city, where I was soon lost in the large crowd
which thronged the levee.
I left my satchel in a saloon and struck out to find Mr. Socks, hoping
he could give me some information as to mother and sister's whereabouts,
but I was sadly disappointed, he had left that part of the city in which
he lived when I knew him.
I put in the rest of the day gazing through the show windows, especially
of the bakeries, at the fat pies, cakes, etc., for I was getting very
hungry, my last meal being dinner the day before.
About dark I strolled up to a second-hand book store and asked how much
a bible, nearly new, would bring? The man behind the counter told me to
bring it around and he would give whatever it was worth. So I struck out
after my satchel; I hated the idea of parting with the book for it had
been presented to me by my late employer's mother Mrs. Moore, a nice
old lady who had taken a liking to me. But you know how it is when a
fellow is hungry, or would have known had you been in my shoes.
I got twenty-five cents for the bible and immediately invested fifteen
cents of it in a mince pie.
That night I stowed myself away in an empty dry goods box. I did not
sleep well, and when I did sleep it was to dream of snakes and other
venomous reptiles.
I put in the whole of the next day hunting work, but failed to find it.
I had bought a five cent ginger-cake for my dinner and now I got a five
cent pie for my supper; this broke me flat and I had nothing else that I
could sell; so I put up for the night in a pile of bailed hay, which was
stacked up behind a store.
The next morning I struck out again hunting work, but this time on an
empty stomach. About two o'clock in the afternoon I found a hack driver
who said he wanted to hire a boy to take care of his horses; he said he
would not be going home until about one o'clock that night and for me to
wait for him in front of the Court house on Fourth street.
Just as soon as dark came, I went to the appointed place and staid there
for fear my man would conclude to go home earlier than he expected. I
was exceedingly happy when the long-looked for hour drew near, for I
thought it wouldn't be long until I would have a good square meal and a
warm bed to sleep in.
About two o'clock, while leaning against a lamppost gazing up and down
Fourth street, a policeman punched me in the ribs and told me to "hunt
my hole" and that if he caught me out again so late at night he would
put me in the cooler.
I pulled out across the street and waited until he got out of sight,
then I went back to my same old stand, thinking that my man would
certainly be along in a few moments at the outside. Every hack that
drove by would cause me to have a spell of the blues, until another hove
in sight--soon to disappear again. Finally about three o'clock my
courage and what few sparks of hopes that still remained, wilted, for,
an empty stomach and sitting up so late had given me a terrible
headache, which was almost past endurance.
I was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, with my face buried in both
hands, crying, when someone touched me on the shoulder. I was scared at
first for I thought it was a "peeler;" but my fears vanished when I
looked up into the gleaming countenance of a small, red complexioned
man, who said in a pleasant tone:--"Is there anything I can do for you
my little man?"
His kindness proved too much for me, I burst out crying and it was quite
awhile before I could tell him my trouble. He was terribly mad when I
told him how the hack man had served me; he told me to watch for the
hard-hearted wretch next day and if I saw him to point him out and he
would teach him how to play jokes on innocent children.
He took me to his boarding place, a fancy restaurant, right across the
street; he said he was just fixing to go to bed when he spied me across
the street, acting as though in trouble.
When he found out that I hadn't had a square meal for three days he
remarked that it was a d--d shame and then told the night clerk, who
appeared to be half asleep, to have me a good supper fixed up and to
give me a good room. He then bid me good night and started to bed,
telling me to remain there until I found work, if it was a month, that
he would arrange everything with the proprietor in the morning before
he went to work. I thanked him with tears in my eyes, for his kindness.
I was so tired and sleepy that I never woke up until nearly noon next
day. After eating breakfast, I struck out to hunt a job, but failed as
usual.
Three days after, while out hunting work, I stopped an old man and asked
him if he knew where I could find a job? He smiled and said: "My boy
this is the fourth time you have asked me that same question in the last
three days. You must like my looks, for I have noticed you pass scores
of men without stopping them."
I told him I never tackled a man unless he had a pleasing countenance,
for I had been snapped up short by so many; I also told him that I did
not remember asking him before.
He finally, after asking me a few questions, said: "Follow me and I will
find you work before I stop."
The first place we went into was the Planters' House, on Fourth street,
between Pine and Chestnut, and he asked the clerk if they needed a bell
boy. "No," was the short answer he received.
He then asked where he could find the proprietor. "Up in his room,
No.--. on first floor," was the answer.
We found the "boss" busily writing. My new friend plead my case like a
dutch uncle and told him if I didn't prove to be just what he
recommended me to be--a wide-awake, get-up-and-get, honest boy, that he
would pay all damages, etc.
That seemed to settle it, for I was told to go down to the office and
wait for orders.
I was too happy to live. I thanked the kind old gentleman from the
bottom of my heart and offered to pay him for his trouble as soon as I
earned some money. He told me I could pay him for his trouble by being a
good boy.
After waiting a few minutes in the office, the proprietor came down and
made a bargain with me. My wages were to be ten dollars a month. He gave
me one month's wages in advance, to buy clean clothes with.
I was put on the forenoon watch which went on duty at eight in the
morning and came off at one in the afternoon. There were five of us on
at a time.
We would always make from twenty-five cents to five dollars a day while
on duty, for we hardly ever went to wait on a person but what they would
give us something in the shape of money. Gamblers generally gave us the
most; sometimes a lot of them would get together in a room to play
cards and send down to the bar after their drinks and may be send a ten
or twenty dollar bill and tell the bell boy to keep the change. With
this money we used to have some gay old times taking in the city after
coming off guard.
The next fall, nearly one year after landing at the "Planters," I had a
fight with one of the bell boys, Jimmie Byron. He called me a liar and I
jumped aboard of him. When it was over with, the clerk, Mr. Cunningham,
called me up to the counter and slapped me without saying a word.
I went right straight to my room, packed up my "gripsack" and went to
the proprietor for a settlement.
He was surprised and wanted to know what in the world had gotten into
me.
I told him the whole thing, just as it happened. He tried to get me to
stay but I was still mad and wouldn't listen to him. I had made up my
mind to buy a pistol, come back and get square with Mr. Cunningham for
slapping me.
I left the house with eighteen dollars in my pocket; jumped aboard of a
street car and rode down to the levee. I left my valise at a saloon and
then started back to find a gun store. I finally found one and gave ten
dollars for a fancy little ivory handled five-shooter.
I then started for the "Planters" still as mad as an old setting hen. I
had not gone far when I came across a large crowd gathered around one of
those knife rackets, where you pay a quarter for five rings and try to
"ring" a knife.
I watched the thing awhile and finally invested a quarter. I got a
little "Jim Crow" barlow the first throw. That made it interesting, so I
bought another quarters worth, and another until five dollars was gone.
This did not satisfy me, so I kept on until I didn't have a nickel left.
But wasn't I mad when I realized what I had done! I forgot all about my
other troubles and felt like breaking my own head instead of
Cunningham's.
I went to the levee and found out that the "Bart Able" would start for
New Orleans in a few minutes, so I ran to get my satchel, not far off,
determined on boarding the steamer and remaining there until kicked off.
Anything to get nearer the land of my birth, I thought, even if I had to
break the rules of a gentleman in doing so.
When the Purser came around collecting fares, I laid my case before him
with tears in my eyes; I told him I was willing to work--and hard, too,
to pay my fare. He finally, after studying awhile, said, "Well go ahead,
I'll find something for you to do."
Everything went on lovely with me until one evening when we stopped at a
landing to take on some freight, mostly grain. We pulled up by the side
of an old disabled steamer which was being used for a wharf-boat and
went to work loading. The job given to me was sewing sacks when ever one
was found out of order.
There were two sets of men loading, one in the stern and the other in
the bow, and I was supposed to do the sewing at both ends. When they
came across a holey sack, if I happened to be at the other end they
would holloa for me and I would go running through the narrow passage
way, leading from one end to the other.
I was in the stern when the sound of my name came from the other end; I
grabbed my ball of twine and struck out in a dog trot through the
passage the sides of which were formed of grain piled to the ceiling.
When about half way through I thought I heard my name called from the
end I had just left; I stopped to listen and while waiting, being tired,
I went to lean over against the wall of sacked grain, but instead of a
wall there was an old vacated hatchway and over into that I went. There
being no flooring in the boat, there was nothing but the naked timbers
for my weary bones to alight upon.