THE COUNTRY BOY 141 



a half-dozen pies and cakes, some hard-boiled 

 eggs, and an assortment of pickles, as a light 

 lunch to eat on the train. 



I was not certain just where New Orleans 

 was and as the day approached when I should 

 leave, I became very nervous, owing to the 

 fact that I didn't have a dollar to start on the 

 trip with. I hinted so strongly though, the 

 day I left, that the publisher of the Mercury, 

 determined to make the experiment a success, 

 gave me ten dollars. He had had a banner 

 painted that I was to present to Dempsey as 

 he came from the ring victorious. In getting 

 the transportation, he was unable to get it fur- 

 ther than Fort Worth, Texas, and return; 

 but the railroad official, who was T. W. Lee, 

 afterward general passenger agent of the 

 Lackawanna Railroad, told me the railroad 

 company would have the balance of the trans- 

 portation for me when I reached Fort Worth, 

 Texas, which they didn't. Wednesday night 

 the train started over the Union Pacific Rail- 

 road, and the carload of sports advertised in 

 advance, had dwindled down to one, myself, 

 and such a tame looking sport that the com- 

 pany decided they hadn't better send a special 



