The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-04-28
Stealing the Rolling Stock.

Speaking of hand cars, if we live to be
forget our first ride on hand Car. It
was about twenty-five years ago-let's
see, twenty-five and sixteen is forty-one
yes, We were sixteen years old then, and
it must have been twenty-five years ago,
though it does not seem more than six
months. 1t was soon after the railroad
was built TO Whitewater, and from there
to GAINESVILLE. The section men had
hand car, one of these old-fashioned cars
that run with q crank and belt, and
to see four of those Irishmen whoop
through the town it looked too easy, and
all the boys had an insane desire to ride
on one. One Sunday morning there
were six of us hoodlums down at the de-
pot, and the hand car was on the track,
and the section men had gone to attend
mass, and it was splendid opportunity
to steal a railroad, or as much of one as
any of us would ever own. One of the
boys suggested that we take the car and
run down to GAINESVILLE, some twenty
miles, and have some fun. Another boy
said we could have dead loads of fun,
MASKING the girls, and get back i'll the
evening. They didn't call it "nashing"
in those days. We have forgotten the
exactly, only different name. Another
boy said he knew more than twenty girls
there, as he WIS down there once TO
lynching, and they were just boss. We
didn't go much on girls at that early day,
but as the boys began to pile on the car
we didn't propose to get left, so just as
the car was moving we caught on. We
thought if pair Of white linen pants
and q red necktie, and low shoes, and
boughten straw hat couldn't make an
impression, while the other fellows were
getting solid, then we would walk home.
-Four of the boys pumped at q time, while
two rested. We wanted to rest consid-
cradle, but the boys wouldn't have it,
and we pumped, and pretty soon the car
went whirling through Lima, every boy
looking as though he owned the railroad.
Between Lima and Milton an accident
occurred. Our coat-tail got caught in
the belt and we were thrown over the
crank, and before the thing could he
stopped, one tail of the coat was ripped
off, and we fell to the deck of the car
with a "dull thud" We didn't care
much for the lame back, but there was
a black grease spot on the elbow of the
white pants as big as milk-pan, and it
was on the same side of the house that
the coat-tail had been torn off. No boy
can be a success at capturing the fond
affections of a Jauesville girl, with one
coat-tail torn off, lame back and tar on
the hind leg of pair of white pants, and
we knew it, After leaving Milton the
road was all the way up hill, and there
were six backs broke, and on arriving in
GAINESVILLE about noon they were six of
the sickest, Understanding country
galoots that ever lived, and they lay
down on the depot steps to rest, and fig
ured up how much money was in the
party to buy dinner There Was twenty
cents all tod, and after a crackers and
cheese banquet the boys started home,
part of the time walking behind the car
and pushing it, and a part of the time
letting it slide. The crowd arrived home
after dark. and as the car stopped at the
depot the Irish section hands jumped on
to the boys with sticks and fairly made
them sick, and when they got home,
their parents repeated the dose, and that
Sundays experience fairly broke up what
might otherwise have been splendid
gang of mashers. Since then many rail-
roads have been stolen, but it is believed
the stealing of that hand car was the be-
ginning of railroad stealing. Geo. w.
Peek