Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-03-19
A Wonderful Night Ride.

We have often heard and read of the
wonderful manner in which some per-
sons have managed to ride over rail-
roads without paying their fare, by
concealing themselves somewhere in
side the cars or in some ingenious
manner riding on the outside of the
coaches; but the bOldest and most
reckless act of the kind ever commit
ted we believe to be the one which oc-
Cured over the Ohio and Mississippi
Railroad on Thursday night. Hun
dreds of persons would not fear the
danger of booming cannon all around
them, but there are very few persons
who would have the hardihood or the
nerve to attempt the feat boy per-
formed on the above railroad
The night train left st. Louis for this
city Thursday night about 7 o'clock
with o good load of passengers, who
were comfortable and warm in the
sleeping-coaches, although the air
without was rather cool and chilly.
Before the train started, lad between
16 and II years of age stole softly un-
der one of the sleeping-coaches and
straddled himself across truck about
llNc luCIlcS Wlucj uuo lying vi lib
stomach, his hands clutching cold
iron bar above for support and his feet
entangled in chain below, he pre-
pared himself for an all-night free ride
over more than 800 miles of road. Did
he think that at any moment he could
be jostled off his insecure hiding-place
and perhaps left in some uninhabited
portion of the country through which
the road passed, alone to die? Did he
consider that sleep might overcome
him while on his perilous trip and
death ensue, or that numbness might
creep over him and his hands thus fail
him as support ? Doubtless not; he
was only thinking probably of reach
ing his destination, which was his
home that he had but lately left.
The train moved on, the boy clutched
the iron bar tighter, and Rugged his
support more closely. Off shot the
train, the iron-horse screeching its
loudest; faster and faster, until its
speed at times reached o mile min
ute; but still the boy, only about four
feet from the ground, kept fast hold,
never closing his eyes for minute.
What thoughts must have flashed
through his mind, young as he was.
Minutes must have seemed hours, and
hours weeks. But the night at last
was done; the first streaks of dawn IL
Illuminated the horizon, and when the
train reached OtiscO, Indiana, about
twenty miles from Jacksonville, the
boy was still safe and sound.
Some of the chains of the brakes
had become broken, and in repairing
them the men found, to their aston
ishment, the boy still lying there, UNI
concerned and even laughing. He
was taken off by the conductor, stiff
and cold and covered with dust from
head to foot. The conductor ques-
toned him as to how he attempted
such ride. He replied that he lived
in Jacksonville, and that short time
ago he went to st. Louis with an elder
brother, who ran away to California,
leaving him in large city alone and
with no money; that wishing to get
home he undertook this new method;
"and," said he, ~ didn't mind it
much, except for the dust" The con-
ductor said that as he had ridden thus
far free, he might take the best seat
inside the cars and ride the rest of the
way at the same cost.
On the back of his coat were little
rents, which had been made during
the night by the slight pressure of the
car on his back. Expressions of SYM
pathy were rendered by the passen-
gers as soon as they heard of his peril
Gus journey, many of them saying
they would have been willing to have
paid his passage had they known Of
his reckless determination. 1t was
indeed a wonderful ride, and betokened
extraordinary courage on the part Of
the boy.-[ Louisville Courier-Journal,
Feb DSth