Emporia, Kansas

Traveling further west to find work for the Kansas wheat harvest, Sandburg headed to Emporia. The trip between Kansas City and Emporia was eventful. The young hobo hopped a train and snuck onto a car, but he was discovered by a "shack" (term used for a train brakeman) during the trip. After punching Sandburg twice in the face the shack left him to ride the train.

In his autobiography, Sandburg reminisced about an early interest in newspaper reporting:

I walked past the office of the Emporia Gazette but didn’t have the nerve to step in and ask the editor, William Allen White, how he came to write “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” I didn’t agree with it but I liked his style. After a big two-bit meal I went to the city park, where I lay on the grass for a sleep.

• Emporia, Kansas

  
  

  Listen to an audio description of Emporia Kansas

  Date created:

  04/09/2021

  Audio Transcript

  Traveling further west to find work for the Kansas wheat harvest, Sandburg headed to Emporia. The trip between Kansas City and Emporia was eventful. The young hobo hopped a train and snuck onto a car, but he was discovered by a "shack" (term used for a train brakeman) during the trip. After punching Sandburg twice in the face the shack left him to ride the train.

  In his autobiography, Sandburg reminisced about an early interest in newspaper reporting:

  I walked past the office of the Emporia Gazette but didn’t have the nerve to step in and ask the editor, William Allen White, how he came to write “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” I didn’t agree with it but I liked his style. After a big two-bit meal I went to the city park, where I lay on the grass for a sleep.