Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-03-24
Railroad /" Beats.v


cago Times reporter. "a great
scheme" said he, sis to fee the yard
master and have him seal you up in a
freight car. The party must have a
sharp knife. With this he cuts round
hole nearly through in the vicinity of
the lock while on his journey, and when
he arrives he knocks a hole through
the door and pulls out the plug, or
breaks the seal fastening to the door,
and walks away. On the Louisville
and Nashville, Illinois Central, Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe, and many
other roads, 'empties' are run with
open doors, affording ample facilities to
travellers, though sometimes the tables
are turned by trainman, who slyly
locks the door which the traveller has
closed in order to be more solitary. l
remember coming over the Iron Noun
tain once in box car filled with cot
ton bales. Some officious meddler
showed the end door together, and
remained in that car four days, finally
gazing upon Gods glorious sunlight
once more in the city of Cincinnati"
"Did you ever get caught?"
"Not often, though 1 cannot tell .
lie. l do not wholly deny the soft iml-
peachment. Years ago it was a COM
mon thing for twenty or thirty toughs
to board train in California and ride
as far as they wanted. 1t was astrange
sight to see the old miners, each with
a blanket, riding on top of the freight
cars. The Central Pacific, however,
succeeded in getting some very strin-
gent legislation through. and when fel-
lows in small numbers accepted the
courtesy of ride without pay, they
were suddenly. severely and heavily
sat down on. The scheme there among
the knowing ones was for the three or
four, or as many as happened to be
captured, to swear that they had each
paid some trainman half dollar. and
the justice usually dismissed the case,
for if the allegation came to the ears
of the general officers of the Central
Pacific they forthwith dismissed every
man on that train. The doors Of
loaded freight cars are frequently
sprung with fist plates. The fakir'
gets in, taking his fist plate with him,
and an outside party springs the door
back. When the traveller has gone far
enough he springs the door open with
his fist plate, and walks forth. The
interiors of mail cars, too, it is said,
furnish excellent facilities for free
riding if the mail agent is properly fed.
The emigrant trains are all easy to
work, and man who can't work his
way in high-toned emigrant car from
Chicago to San Francisco in ten days
has not the stuff in him out OF which
millionaires are made. If a fellow has
little money with him with which
to tip the conductor his journey will
be as smooth and pleasant as the abb
sence of rude remarks and unpleasant
forebodings can make it. The last and
highest form of free travelling is on
passes. l usually go to the general
managers of the roads direct. Some
times Pm missionary, at other times
I'm on my way to locate huge paper
mills ON the line, and again l am the
editor of leading metropolitan paper.
Very often 1 approach man, repre-
senting myself as the general manager
of the Sitka, Panama and Cape Horn
route; or some other line. Sometimes
| boldly announce that my name is the
same as that of the general manager
whom address, and then suggest that
1 have forgotten his name. The
freight departments can usually
be worked in case of failure
with the general manager. l
quietly say to the generalfreight agent
that I have one hundred cars of string
beans that l want to ship in week,
but must arrange for their reception
at destination. Will he give me pass
over his line and connections to Yoka-
homa and return? To be sure he
will"
Speaking with general superin-
tendent of one of the leading Western.
roads, he told the reporter that
freight train had not left Chicago for
ten years that did not carry deadhead
either under the trucks, in some freight
car, on the engine, in front of the en-
gine, or Just back of and behind the
cowcatcher, in vacant place in which,
if tramp once gets snugly slowed, he
is safe for ride until the train stops.
The number Of passes issued by the
railroads has of late years grown to
enormous numbers. Some Of the great
Western roads, it is stated, issue as
high as FIVE thousand annual passes,
while trip passes are munificently
handed over to almost anybody who
has the assurance to apply.