Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-02-19
How Tranips Travel.

! & tramp in relating his exreri-
ence to q reporter of the PhiIadeI-
phia Press, said: nI'll tell you what
done once. There's an express
train leaves Detroit for Chicago at
about IL o'clock st night. 1t stops
at Wayne Junction, Ann Arbor and
Jackson. Between Jackson and
Chicago,I think, il only stops twice.
When the train pulled out of the
Detroit depot, one March night, in
1877, l bounced the front of the ex-
press car. The door of the express
cars on those big through trains, you
know. are always kept locked and
barred. The messengers carry big
sums of money. and are afraid Ct
being robbed. One time some men
did get on the train and sawed their
way through the front door of the
car, but the express messenger was
up to snuff and shot one of the gang.
The other two jumped from the
train and escaped. Well, as | was
saying, | got on the platform and
rode through to Ann Arbor all right.
My racket was to get off the train
when we stopped, and keep on the
side of the cars from tho station I'M
I'll they started up. At Ann Arbor
the brakeman must have seen me
get on, for when we had pulled out
about two miles the train stopped
and l was put off. The moment
they started i jumped on again.
They saw me, and by the time the
train had stopped the second time
the conductor and brakemen were
tearing mad.
"'lf 700 get in here again. the
conductor said, III break every
bone IN your body
III got on, though, al! the same,
but this time on the cow catcher of
the engine. As luck would have it.
they didn't see me when | got on.
at Jackson | went back to the ex-
press car again and rode clear
through to the grand crossing at
Chicago without being bothered.
It's terrible wearing on fellows
nerves, though that kind of buei>
ness.
Engineers and firemen never
give q fellow away. They're the
best set of men all the way through
| ever met. They always seem 10
like it when they zee . tramp Civ
ing the conductor and brakemen
trouble. Many's the time Eve rode
on engines when the fireman and
engineer both knew it aud wouldn't
give il away.
Another big ride | made ia ono
night was from Toledo, O., to Gin
l left Toledo at about 1890
on the night express of the Cincin-
natl, Hamilton and Dayton railroad.
1t was so dark you could not SEQ
your hand before you and il was
raining like fury. When the train
pulled out | stood on the platform
OF the second car from the rear aud
Just in front of the Pullman. The
conductor passed through and said
tickets i told him | was just GO
ing to ride out to the Airline juno
ton, three miles from the city. He
said. All right be sure you get off
there The moment the door Of
the sleeper closed after him | got on
to the brake, reached up, caught
hold of the top of each car at the
ind and pulled myself up. You
know how Pullman is made on
top? Well, just laid down fiat,
and, holding on to the ventilators
with my hands. i rode clear through
20 Dayton. There's a covered de.
pot at that place and | knew it,
When the train pulled in | stood
very innocent-like on the platform
md got off with the res. of the pas.
'engers. When it pulled out man
;;oSaSddf6t6a SET came TOP itS5a jpn ea'ofS tRs
| was in Cincinnati. Tramps
,sll that road one of the hardest in
he country to work."