The Girl With a Tag and a Basket, Half a World From Home

Hilda Kanniainen, a little Finnish girl 14 years old, arrived in this city over the Great Northern road at 6 o'clock last evening, having traveled alone half the distance around the globe, though she cannot speak a word of English. She left her home in the north of Finland on June 5, and is going to visit her sister Sophia in San Francisco.

At Mission, B. C., yesterday afternoon when the passengers bound for this city were transferred from the Canadian Pacific to the Great Northern, an odd-looking little girl, dressed in a black dress which came to her heels, emerged from the emigrant car and was helped into the day coach by one of the train boys. She is a pretty little girl, with a round, olive-tinted face, with great, large eyes, which seem to be so full of sadness that any one with a heart would pity her. Fastened to her side by a string was one of the tags of the New York immigration service, stating that the girl's name was Hilda Kanniainen, and that she was going to San Francisco to her sister Sophia. She carried a little round basket on her arm, and this was labeled Miss Hilda Kanniainen, Brannan street No. 318, San Francisco.

The passengers all took an interest in her immediately, but, as Hilda could not speak a word of English, almost nothing could be learned. A lady who was going to Portland took the girl to her side and made her comfortable until Seattle was reached, when the little Finn and her newly-found friend got off the train.

Hilda's train will not leave for San Francisco until 9 o'clock this morning, and the lady was anxious to leave for Portland last night, but she did not like to let the girl remain here all night alone. Just then Mrs. W. V. Rinehart, jr., and a lady friend who were waiting for the Northern Pacific train spied the little woman, and of course were immediately interested. She looked so tired and sad that Mrs. Rinehart took her home with her. Quite a throng soon gathered about her, and Isaac Cranston, who had been in Finland, stepped forward and soon had the girl's story.

She said that her sister works in San Francisco and had saved enough money to send for her. She left Finland for Stockholm June 5, took the cars for Gothenburg and steamer for Glasgow, where she took one of the big ocean liners for New York. Thence she came by rail over the Canadian Pacific to this coast. Her transportation was all supplied her at the start. She said that people had been very kind to her and that she had not been lonesome at all.

Mrs. Rinehart took her to her home last night and this morning she will be put aboard the train for San Francisco.