The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-01-27

s.To tell the truth, from st. Louis to
the East is about as good rs any. The
people of Indiana and Illinois are about
as green as YOU will find them any
where; but the Vandalia Company is so
strict that you can't get half a show on
that road, and it amt worked by the
profession now, at all. West of st.
| Louis, though, the roads are all easily
worked Pan out well, too, you can
| bet your bottom dollar. But, speaking
of Indiana, the best road in the State is
the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago
/ You recullect how Burke Dwyer
scared whole train load, got scads of
money out of one or two passengers,
| took up his cards and bounced off be-
tween Greencastle and Cloverdale. 1t
was on the same road that rich pass
enger, betting with him, gave him 4
deed for a saw mill and two acres of
ground, when his money ran out. But
| Burke was afraid to take possession,
and so it's been in the hands of the
| loOser since, as before. But Burkie'S a
game fellow, and stands by his boys.
| They work train, and jump, and when
one of them gets stuck the others hang
to him till they get him off, even if it
costs $4,000. But Burke is too well
known on Indiana railroads now. He
confines himself to Illinois, principally,
where the harvest is great, and the
reapers but few"
"How about being known? Don't it
require disguise, to prevent being re-
cogniZed on the same road?n asked the
reporter.
'' Yes, it does, when we're working
the trains. My costume generally was
stock drover's check-bag breeches,
blouse, and whip. Always knew the
mans relations, and took him for their
sake But you see, to equalize the thing,
we had these costumes made by poor
women, generally widows, who needed
the money, and we gave them big
prices. We helped the poor whenever
we could
Without further questioning as 20 this
Robin Hood sort of morality, where
Peter was robbed to pay Paul, the re-
porter asked if it didn't require a good
| deal of sssmartness" to transact this
business.
"Well, yes, it does; and our fellows
are always smart enough when out on
the road, but when they're lOafing about
they're the biggest fools you ever saw.
They spend their money just
| AS IF THEY WERE MILLIONAIRES,
and didn't care cent whether school
| kept or not. Some of them ruin them
selves this way, and again some have
good bank accounts. | know one man
who has tremendous balance in Wis
consin bank. But he's an exception.
| The fact is that wine and women are
too much for the most of them, and
sooner or later they smash. They so
Internal extravagant. I've known one
of the boys to give a boOtblack 50 bill,
and refuse change because the urchin
gave the boots a good shine. Good for
the boy, but bad for the man who gets
his money il such a precarious way"
81 suppose you have had adventures
in Your Time" suggested the reporter
Il lust have. About us lively Il time
as | can recollect was on the Chat
tanooga and Nashville Railroad. Two
or three of us were together,Iand were
working a train out to a little place
from Chattanooga. We struck a
greeny, and soon fleeced him out of a
thousand dollars. When the train came
to the first station after this we jumped
off, and thought we'd run back to Nash
vile on the next train; unfortunately for
US, the man we had skinned lived there,
and he made such fuss that the citi-
zens got after us and ran us into the
mountains We stayed up there waiting
for the next train, and at last got so
cold and hungry that we ventured to 90
to cabin in the hills. When we got to
the door, we saw light and heard
voices. Finally, we knocked and went
in. By Jerusalem! There sat the fel-
low we had cOnfidenced in the morning,
his GUN across his knee. He had been
out hunting for us; and was determined
to find us if possible. He leveled his
gun, and threatened to shoot if we
moved; and we didn't move, but stood
there while he made us fork over every
cent we had got in the morning. Then
he kicked us out in the open air."
"PleasantIn remarked the reporter.
"Yes, pleasant if one looks at it in
that light, but that wasn't what made
me quit the business. There's toe
much of fellow getting beaten at his
own game. There are men so old at
the business that you'll think that
you've got a guy, but when it comes to
guess at the card he picks it up every
time. He can run on in this way and
burst the bank. l know fellow who
is now a merchant in Middlebury, who
had his bank broken in this way, and
went into a more certain business"
"Where did you make your last ven
ture' Ned?" asked the reporter.
at was on the Ohio and Mississippi.
Road, near Olney. used to work that
road back and forth pretty thoroughly.
One day got an old fellows watch and
chain, all his money and even his plug
hat, and he squealed. The passenger
went crazy. They locked the doors
ierked down a section of the bell rope
and were going to hang me, whether o.
no. They had the cord around IN!
neck, but begged so that they changed
their mind, and, stopping the train
took me out, tied me to sapling an(
let me remain there. If it hadn't beel
for some hunters passing that way,
don't know how | ever would have go
out. Since that time I've been out o
the business, and mean to stay out.