HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1928-06-28, Page 7A Runaway Trunk
By aHA LI;1TTE. HAM OND
No, sir,' etiid John, detertutnedlYe
4'we won't give a up 1f we have to go.
.on toot!"
"Well," said Elmer, "I don't see any 1
Wayenters We do go afoot, for we
have only get two dollars between ug,
and ,the tare to Portland is more'n two
dollars apiece."
"Pete Bateman got over harder spots
titan this," Bald John, '"and I Itnow wq
eau,'
"Yes, I suppose so," responded 1I-
mer, "Father tnight give me a dollar
or eo-to spend at the fair next week..
. Ie it would do any' good, I'd ask him,
but I might as well. ask the town
pump;' .
While the two boys aro laying plane,
'we'll And out who they are and what
means this planning of theirs.
John Sheldon, a bright, quick-witted
boy of "fourteen, le the son of a well -
•to -do farmer, The. other boy, Elmer
Hammond, is "the village doctor's eon,
.4 few months younger; The two aro'.
excellent ' friends, .•They have been
reading "Portents Adventures of Pete
Bateman, the Bey 'Sailor," Roused by
the daring deeds and wonderful es-
capes ;of the hero, a mania to go 'to
sea lasefallen upon them. They think
there's no good ie. asking' their fathers'
.advice, so they are laying plane in
,secret,
John has learned that the flatting
,•schooner Brittom rt
a sells for ' New-
eoundland the twenty-fifth, and it is
now the twenty-fourth.
The two boys start from beneath
the "High Top" sweeting tree in the
'orchard Where they have beeu sit -
•ting.
"lane there a, way to go on the
freight train?" asked Elmer, -throwing
:an apple core toward a chipmunk,
• chattering . du the stog-e wall,
"No, I guess not," answered John
thoughtfully. "Bat I've got do idea!"
he exclaimed exultantly, crumpling'
'up his, old straw hat and giving it an
Upward fling.
"Quick—out with it!" said Eimer,
"There's an old trunk. of grandpa's
up In the garrets Do• you see, Elnier?
Chuck what we want in that, get in,
and one of us gods as baggage. What
do you say to that?"
"You've struck it!" declared Elmer,
'Let's go at it. .I'm in for that. Why,
;you're as cute as Pete.' '
"We'll.have to start in the morning,"
.said John, "We'll have a gay time.
We'll see a bit ot the city when we're
through our business with the cap-
Min."
Not a doubt but that they could go
,ae • sailors had once entered their
beads. of course -Captain Daly would
Make them,
It was 'decided that Elmer should
get permission and come down and
.stay all night with John. 'He was to
take him -what he wanted, and they'd
pack what they could in the trunk,
Before Eimer started for home ,they
,stole softly up to the attic, brought
the trunlc down and put it ie a dark
scorner of the barn.
A Little after dusk, Elmer came over,
bringing his best "suit and his new
(baseball, tied together in an old hand=
kerchief. These, with some sof John's
possessions, were packed in the trunk,
leaving not a very roomy place for a
boy. Half• a dozen or more air holes
were bored in the sides. All was ready
• for an early start in the morning,
The boys retired in good season;.
'but not to sleep. At half -past eleven,
John looked at his watch.
"Why, Elmer„ if you'll believe It, is
isn't but half -past eleven."
The same was repeated at one,. and
again at half=past two. At three they
rose and dressed, went softly- down
the stairs and out into the cool. morn-
ing.•
Elmer had a little homesick twinge
as they started, but John laughed at
him.
Each taking a handle of the trunk,
they went''toward the station. They
:reached the stable'', as they hoped' to,
, before anyone was' about.
It required some talking 04 John's
part to persuade Elmer that he, be-
ing the smaller, ought to go -in the
trunk. There was fust room for him
to curl doses'. on his side.
He got in, John shut.the cove:, lock-
ed the trunk, and sat down beside
'11.
"How do you feel, Elmer?" he asked
at length.
"Sort of boxed up,' replied •Filmer.
"Theta isn't any room to. spare."
Soon the station was opened. •
John bought his ticket, got his •chock
• and when the train came 'steaming
in, Ise first made sure the trunk was
puton, and then he got on board and
off they went.
John enjoyed the ride: Twice, only
had he been on the care before, and
never alone.:
At Dalton Station, to a yard behind
the station, were kept some deer, a
fox, a 'raven and other animals.
Their famehad reached John's care,
and, as there promised to be a stop
of fifteen minutes .for breakfast, ,he
left the car and wont • round to 'see
them; and•for•a time they qulte.drove
his 'sea voyage -from bis mind. There
came a sudden reminder, however;
when he heard the puff, puff of the
unglue and the rambling `ofthe cars.
Then he started and ran round to
the trout'of the depot, only to see the
train rushing off—without'55im,' Jojtn
felt badly, but did not show what. to,
do.
"Well, now, I'. wag a fool!" he
thought, as he looked actor the van-
lehipg train,
Ile, tusked a man standing near when
the next train went to Portland, •
"Net Se; seseeneop," w'as, answered,
This Was a blew to John, Added to
ltle desire to reach the city was not a
little anxiety as" to Eb ner's condition
In the trunk,
Whet a long four hours he bad to
waitl Time had never dragged '00
befot'eI
At last the longed -for train oama
and John reached Portland fe eafetY.,
The next thing was to Lind his trunk.
He want up to a man etandtug near
some baggage and asked him how
to get trguks,
"Whore's your cheok?" field the
pian,
John showed It.
The man looked among the trunks.
"There lbn't any trunk like that
here,, he said,
John •steod'a minute dismayed.
"There meet be one somewhere,"
he said, not a little anidous, "Ie there
another place to find trunks? '
"Not's I know of. Did your trunk
come along with you?"
"I've just come," replied John; "but
my trunk came this morning."
The man looked again.
"Well, the trunk isn't here, that's
sure," ho said:n
Poor John! What waseeo be done?
One thing was cel'talu—he must find
the trunk. He was sure 11 was put
on board. Where was it now, and
where was Elmer?
"Oen you tell me what to do to find
it?" asked Sohn, very earnestly and
anxiously,
"Don't worry, boy, I'31 help you all
I can," said themail good-naturedly.
"Did you say your trunk- came on the
early train? Did you see it put on?"
"Yes, sir," assured John. "I saw it
put on that train myself.'
"Well, well," said the man, consol-
ingly. "You wait here a minute and
Pitsea if I can find out anything about
it. I guess it's all right."
John's frame of mind was anything
but an enviable one as he stood await
lug the man's return. A few minutes
later he came back with Condector
Parker with him.
"You are John Sheldon, are you?"
asked the conductor.
• "Yes, sir," ,answered John, a little,
surprised.
"You've lost a trunk, have you, my
boy?"
"Yea, sir. Can you tell me where
to find it?" the Iatter. questioned,
eagerly.
"Did your trunk contain anything
very valuable?'
"Very," said Sohn, "and I must find
it," looking anxiously around at the
trunks.
"Any objection to telling me what.
your truck contained?"' pursued the
conductor.
John hesitated. Yes, he had decided
objections. He half wished himself
out of this scrape.
"There- was "a boy shut up in that
trunk, was there?" questioned the
conductor, narrowly, watching John,
who started visibly, "Do you think
a boy could live till this time shut up
like that?" added the conductor, in a
sterner vole's.
"I -don't know," said John, with a
catch in his voice.
Running away to sea thus far had
proved a doubtful pleasure.
"That's a thing you 'should have
thought of before trying such a fool-
hardy trick es this," said the conduc-
tor. "If you wanted to go to sea, why
didn't you do it Ilse a man, and -not
sneak off likea thief?'
John stood abashed, terror-stricken,
too, at the thought of what might
be Elmer's tate.
"You want to go to sea, do you?"
continued the conductor, Ironically.
"I --don't know," faltered John.
"But I want to find the trunk."
_'Naturally You do," mercilessly said
the conductor. "I should suppose you
would after leaving a boy in a danger-
ous situation like that"
"Oh, sir, if you know anything about
Elmer, please tell me!" with a sharper
catch in his voice.
"The best tiring you can do is to
go home and learn the result of your
lolly! You may be in time to attend
the funeral.
Poor" John! No one to blame but
himself. He feared the worst had
come, and •certainly wished himself
Where Canada I'I(yes to Mahe al Record
6,111101111 ' 11 UM( Nineli null
tM MIl111111'r11,11111 IM I(1111 IIGl11nl llnr1111111111i1W1111p11l1 111111I1,Rlf 11110.1'
s.
.S
ete118NUQirl1111f1 .1llfllfli1''1111I1f1111'Oillll 1r<hliflllll'1O11flNftfi®d'tilifefeieiiYii'titllilllllil'fillffllltlrifllfllll!6>r+.
THE OLYMPIC STADIUM AT AMSTERDAM
An ale view of the new stadium whioh seats 40,0.00 now ready for the Olympic games. Canada will be well
represented by Isar leading amateurs,
at home—more, that he had never left
hone,
The conductorturned away, saying'
that he had an engagement of a few
minutes, and that John could wait
there if he liked till he came back.
Unhappy John! He waited; for he
didn't know what else. to do.
Meantime, let us return to Elmer In
the trunk.'
Fortunately,, the trunk was put in
right side up, and, for a time, he went
quite comfortably. At one of the sta-
tions where more trunks were put
what a wretched, homesick boy he
was.
"Well," asked the conductor with a
dry smile, "do you want to keep on
and go to sear"
Elmer.'s longing for the sea had
cooled, His experience in the trunk
had taken the romance opt of a sailor's
life for him.
"I'd rather go home than do any-
thing
nything else in the world," said Elmer,
with more energy than he lied before
displayed.
Conductor Parker knew the boy's
• Bilingualism ..
London Times (Ind.) : Bilingualism
15 an asset of thegreatest importance
in the life of any nation. The caps-
city to speak two tongues has an
educational value that English educa-
tionists are only now beginning to
realize. Border peoples who, from
sheer necessity, have to speak two or
more languages are said to be excep-
tionally intelligent. The ancient and
modern influence of the Scots both in
England and on the Continent and
in, one came crash on top of Elmer's. father, and he decided to send Elmer throughout the British- Empire has
The cover cracked and Elmer shrank home He had looked through the been largely due to their gift for
,down. train for John, tl}inking to see if his tongues. The bilingual Scotsmen had
"Gracious, that came near smashing mind had changed; but no boy mi-
me! ' he thought. "Hope they won't swering hie description was found, as
put in many like than' we, who remember his adventure at
His. bones were beginning to ache, Dalton Station, know. ancient Scottish exemplar have
and he felt stiff from being cramer
ped But Elmer, a sadder and somewhat invaded London in emplar andf various
in one position so long. wiser boy, was left to take the next industries, not excluding politics, with
He tried to stretch—in vain. He train home, notable success, while the Welsh in -
then tried to •turn a little, with, a like Quite late in, the evening there was
result.a rap at the Sheldon door, and a vasion of Oxford and Cambridge dates
"Oh, dear!" he groaned. "This Is shame -faced, though light-hearted, boy from the thirteenth. century. For some
anything but Pun." was let in. seven centuries universities, Indeed
All this time other trunks were pit- Running away to sea was never a from the date when their own great
Mg up about him; thus lessening his Pleasant subject to the two boys after. monastic 'schools disappeared. Bt -
supply of fresh air. To add to his ward•
discomfort, he began to feel sick. Ins
head, ached—yes, and he ached all
Oyer.
"I'd give ten dollars to be out of
this," he thought. "I wish a hadn't'
in old days no difficulty in acquiring
the classical langauges and theaFrence.
tongue. In quite recent years the
Welsh have been following this
The Jew •
�D V. Dinsdale in the Leeds Mer -
come in this sneaking way." eery: In times not long past, with (London): Europe has no ambition
He grew sicker. He wondered if he land, social and educational oppor- to become a pawn in the game of
were going to die; he was sure he tunities, rights of citiensthip—ale American 'party politics. That in a
felt sick enough. wrested from him, money (earned by word explains the attitude on this.
At last he could endure it no longer. ftbe sweat of his brow) remained his side of the Atlantic towards the sen -
He heard men in the car, and he cried ; only weapon wherewith to fight the saional project of the Washington
out' world and win for himself that equal Government for the Renunciation of
"Let me out!"
lingualism Iles 'behind much of the
success of the Celts who have tra-
veled into new lands.
Renunciation of War
Leo Meese in the National Review
"Hello, there!" exclaimed one of
the men. "What's that?"
They stood still a minute, listening.
"Let me out! Oh, let me out! '
came id' mued tones to their ears.
"place in the sun" to vab4ch, in cam- Ward . . Having been once bitten,
mon with all mankind, he was justly we are twice shy. We went through
entitled. Society became to him an a similar performance eight years age
all but impregnable fortress, where under the auspices of a former Ameri-
"every door was barred with gold, and can President, who broke all preced-
opened but to golden keys." Per-, ent and came hotfoot to Europe for
"Robbers!" shouted the man, jump- haps as Yet he has scarce learnt to the express purpose of "making the
ing back. "Thieves in here!"
And for a few minutes there was
quitea lively time in the car.
The trunks" were pulled out, and society at large are necessary to per
guided by a rather stifled howl, El- 'made lblm to sheathe a weapon now,
mer's trunk was broken open, and a we hope, grown rusty,and to enter by
miserable; haggard, homesick boy was every door with noother passport
Lound. than his own true and undeniable
The conductor came along, and merits' to recommend him; whore his.
Elmer, in a very shamefaced way, con- skill and justice In business, loyalty
fessed alt about the sea -going plan, and generosity in rlendship,"sociabil-
but.only after various questions from ity, adaptability, and natural talents
the conductdr. Eisen John might have will speedily •prove him an asset to
forgiven him for telling, if he had seen any community of worth.
oease flourishing that once so magic world safe for democracy" through
"open .sesame." IP so, only time and. the instrumentality of the League of
a less frigid welcome on the; part of Nations, which its author conceived
as a Super. State (to wilt, "the United
State of the World"). with complete
oontrol of international relations, and
therefore in a position to make inter-
national wars impossible. •
She—"Love-making Is the same as
it always was! "- He—"How can you
tell?" She—"I've just read of a Greek
maiden who sat and listened to a lyre
all night."
THOUSANDS VIII GARDENS AT HAMPTON COURT
Sunday oroWda enjoy the bla6a of glory in the gardens of this historic 0 Id seat of Royalty in England.
seeing this beauty spot,
!'env Canadians who visit linglaad mise
Canada Fostering
Land Settlement
by the British
COminittee on Imnugration
Pre, its Report to
the ,Hsentsouse of Com-
mons
Ottawa—A reduetton In ocean
✓ ates' of £10 for 13rltieil immigrante
Is recommended tri the report of the
se?eot standing committee on agri-
culture and Immigration, tabled in the
reoent Parliament; While in tire
opinion of the committee the rotenone -
Witty grid contest of the selection of
immigrants, no matter by whom, re-
cruited,, meat recut solely with the'
Government ot Canada, It suggests
that special efforts be made to ex-
tend the field of activity of the prov-
inoial autheritles, startiriularly in the
matter of the placement, settlement
and supervision of immigrana, and
that the Federal Government coneld-
er 'oontriituting to defray the cost of
provincial co-operation.
To prevent expeaae and unneces-
eery Incouvenienee to the would-be
Immigrant it is recommended that
greater care be given to the physical
examhlationa before leaving the home
lands, and that in the British Isles
local doctors, under the control of the
Canadian medical autboritles, should
make these examinations, Approval,
in the report, is given to previous ef-
forts to encourage the young British
immigrant, and it recommends that
the age limit ter boys be extended
from 14 ot 19 years.
Extension of the assisted passage
privileges to the families of Immi-
grants from Great Britain is re -cum-
mended by the committee;' but it does Unemployment
not feel that th,e 3000-tamtly settle- Nation and Athenaeum (London):
most scheme be turther extended un- If we are beooming gradually less
tit after thepreaont experiment has hopeful that unemployment is about
been tested.
The committee approves of the ex-
tenstoa to other provinces of the tri-
partite agreement with the British,
federal and provincial governments
for the encouragement of land settle-
ment by British immigrants, Under
this scheme the Provincial Govern-
ment .provides the farm, the British
Government supplies $1500 for stock
and equipment, and the Canadian
Government recruits the settler and
promises settlement and supervision
free of eherge, and, in addition,
shares on a 50-5D basis any loss on ac-
count of stock and equipment.
A review be the oommittee of the
present immi ration policy shown
that the British immigrant is in a
specially favorable position as com-
eared with the continental, while all
citizens of the United States are eli-
gible to emigrate Provided teat they
508 !physically and mentally sound
and in a position to maintain them-
selves uutii employment can be secur-
ed, With them as with the British
no passport is required.
The committee held 36 sittings and
called upon 29 wituesses. including
Robert Forks, Minister of Immigra-
tion and Colonization; Sir Henry
Thornton, •president, Canadian Na-
tional Beltways'; E. W. Beatty, presi-
dent, Canadian Pacific Railway;
mambersof Parliament and officers of
social welfare and Immigration or.
ganlzations.
Canada Building Many Motor
Where Britain
Beatsthe World
Merl of Scientific Ingenuity
and . Practical Appli-
cation,
London. --Sir Alfred Mond, M.P.,
addressed the Chemical Industry Con-
ference at Westminster Me 0010150110
research as applied to industry,
"Wo have had our share, a very
fair share,• of the most eminent men of
Holmes° the world bas eves' seen," be
said.
"I have -seen leaders of industry in
every country In the world, and I can
say without fear of contradiction that
we have to -day In this country men.
with more ingenuity and more prim*" „'
cal application of scientific principles
to scutal ;manufacture than in anY
other country in Use world.'
A good deal of nonsense was talked.
about research. Soma people dhbuglit
research could be ordered like a split
of clothes, An inventor was barn,
not made.
Re was optimistic 'emit .the com-
plete picture of Britain's Industrial
future. It wns• 22u4 041:1.4ere were
industries which were in backwater,
and that there were industries which'
were bankrupt.
Those industries which had applied
the principle of the science of organ.
1
zation were prosperol,s .and Progress
aive, Those which had failed to
utilize the opportunities which this
soience offered were depressed and
retrogressive.
The great advantages of amalgama-
tion were the way it enabled the tat
ants of every industry to be collected
in a common pool.
Highways
Montreal.—Reports from all prov-
inces received by the Canadian' Good
Roads Association indicate that higher
expenditpres will be made this year
on Canadian highways than during
any past year in their history. The
great increase in motor traffic in Can-
ada, combined, with the annual sum-
mer influx of motorists from the
Iinitted States, are causes behind the
increased expenditure on highways.
Last year the enormous total of 3,153,-
800 automobiles entered Canada Prom
the United States Your • touring pur-
poses, and it is expected the motor
tourist traffic from the South this year
will break all records.
New Canadians to Celebrate
Winnipeg, Manitoba.—Naw Cana-
dians of Canada will stage a Folk
Song and Handicraft Festival in this
city to demonstrate some of the cul-
tural contributions they are making
to Canadian life. The festival will
be presented by fifteen racial groups
in picturesque costumes, songs and
dances, illustrating the wealth of are
and music • brought to Canada bye re -
emit settlers from Europe.
The extensive areas avattablo for
barns settlement in Western Canada
have been attracting immigration not
only from Great Britain and the United
States, but also from the Continent
to cure itself, we are also becoming
less concerned about its continuance.
Now !t
le, no doubt, very na-
tural to be less` worried about large-
scale unemployment when it has con-
tinued for seven or eigtit years in-
stead of only three or four. But the
unemployment itself does not become
one 'cubit less serious. On the 'con-
trary, it becames more serious The
longer unemployment' Lasts, the more
formidable become the distress, the
Loss of skill, the less of habits of in -
Misery, the demoralization of chars
actor, the numbing effects on the ris-
ing generation in the industries and
areas where the unemployment to
mainly concentrated.
Canada's Immigration
Problem
J. E. M. Clark in the. Nineteenth
Century and After (London): Can-
ada in these days appears to furnish
an excellent Illustration of the man-
ner in which the old order of things
has failed to keep pace with changing
conditions. As viewed through the
medium of bank clearings trade re-
turns, and company balance -sheets,
all is well; but there need be no delu-
sion as to the signiflcanse of a declin-
ing
eclining birth rate coupled with a slacken-
ing of the flow of immigrants and a
constant exodus of the native born in
a country of 9,000,000 people. . . .
The idea so long prevalent that i3 re-
turns on invested funds are satisfac-
tory and the "key" "men well looked
after the fate of the residuum to
really not of much. a000tlnt ,seems to
call with increasing urgency for inodt-
ficatlon.
One in Every Nine Has' Car
Ottawa, Canada.—Of the ,945,675
motor vehicles in Canada, not includ-
ing farm implements propelled by mo-
tor power, the Province of Ontario _
leads with a total of 436,120, a 'per-
centage of 13-7 per 100 of population;
Quebec comes next in point of total
vehicles with 128,459—equal' to 4.9 per
cent, of population; Saskatchewan
third. with 106,599 vehicles, and 12.7
Per cent.; British Columbia, 77,617
and 13.5 per cent.; Alberta 73,830 and
12 per cent.; Nova Scotia, 30,059 and
6.5 per cent.; New Brunswick 24,544
and 6 per cent.; Prince Edward Island,
4,388 and 5,1 per cent; the Yukon Ter-
ritory, 156 and 4,5 per cent, For the
whole of Canada there are 9.9 vehicles
for every 100 of the population.
Anglo-American Co-
operation
Wickham Steed in the Review of
Reviews • (London): Within the next
few years we s,bell have be face a
number of difficult .questions %in whioh
quality ot our relatiousltip to the Uni-
ted
nited States may prove to be a decisive
tactor. By 1931, at latest, the unsatle-_
factory position left by the break
01 Europe in considerable numbers, i down of the Geneva Oonferenca will
and this festival is expected to prove kava t0 be faced. 11, by that time,
au important factor In bringing the oordial agreement With the United
,various. races tno friendly contact with States has tLot boon reaoh�ed, rat
• outer and insuring a fuller ap-i shall be confronted by the unpleaeaat
predation of the contribution each is 1 alternative of giving the Big Navy
making to Canadian national life.
ti
The Typical Englishman
London Sunday Times (Cons.); The
reason why people of all patties up
and down the: country like Mr. Bald-
win is because he speaks their
thoughts aloud for them, He is In a'
Party in America an additional rear
son to agitate for a preponderant
navy, er of entering upon what will,
in effect, be naval competition with
America, however, decently it may be
nsasked.
i)
This Is frets'. .directions to the we-
real sense the "typical EnglIshmaze men students in au Amfican Col.
Again and again is [!tsar- .'oI,11s lege: "Students who marry during,
the colnitioll-hioitina lest;;' - - Gdi their• coiitse 'v1ll no bs permitted to
bo very profound,. but it is always remain in Gallego. - Further, students
plain and it appeals to the'' pubiic's who aro already married must either'
bettor nature. Mr. Baldwin makeslive with their husbattds or make
the man In the Street articulate. tether. 6rreto,,aaients With the Dean."