Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-23

70 the tram, almost sure ueatn. .
will remember how seven 'tramps'
were killed on a derailed freight train
In Iowa last summer. No trsmps
who has Q spark of pride In his pro.
fession will adopt this method CT trav
cling except as q last resort. One
Of the greatest snaps, however, is the
blind baggage and mail oars on pas
senger and express trains. These cars
have no end doors, and once seated on
the platform after the trsin is started,
you are sure to go until the next stop.
1t Is especially easy to work this In q
| dark night. The method is to jump
off at every station and run ahead or
hide behind something, and ast as
the train starts spring quickly and
noiselessly on again. For several
months In the summer, several years
ago, / travelled this way exclusively.
l became pretty skillful and could
work, on an average, $50 miles In o
night. Sometimes l would make a bad
break and get left, but not often.
Occasionally / have failed to make
connections In getting to my seat on
the blind mall car, o wing t, the rapid
movement of the train. In those cars
1 would catch the railing Of the last
sleeper on tho passenger, aud II q
trainman was standing there l would
walk on through the train and take
my chances tf getting to the next
station. If no one was present, as Is
usually the case, l would quickly
mount the back railing and climb on
top of the car, where l would lie fit
on my back.
AND STUDY ASTRONOMY
until the next station was reached. In
this way 1 was always invisible, and
rarely got caught. This method is
worked extensively in the north In
the summer and fall, but in the win.
ter 1t Ia too cold, and Is mostly con-
fined to the south, California and the
southwestern territories. Any mar
who has nerve can work 1t all seasons,
however. Ionce made 500 miles on
the Central Pacific, from Ogden west,
on the emigrant train. The oonduc.
tor only goes through the train once
and gives back no checks Well, l
got on at Corinth, about fifteen miles
west of Ogden, and watched the on.
ductor. He began to look at the
tickets Of the passengers at the front
end of the train. Well, I watched
him until we came to a heavy grade
and the traip was running very slow.
I simply jumped to the ground and
ran a car, getting or behind the con.
ductor. For the next twelve hours l
had no more trouble. When the next
conductor came on l repeated the
running act. This game I kept up
until I reached Reno, New, on ths
Utah & Northern Oregon and Colo.
RADIO roads. A great scheme is to
sugar the yardmaster and have him
seal you up In q freight car. The
party must have q sharp knife. With
this he cuts a round hole nearly
through in the vicinity of this lock
onthe journey, land when he arrives he
knocks a hole through the door, and
pulls the plug or breaks the seal fas.
tening the Dor, and walks away. On
the Louisville & Nashville, Illinois
Central, Atohison, Topeka & Santa Fe
and many other roads, empties are
run with open doors, afford,ng ample
facilities to travellers, though some.
times the tables are turned by q train.
man a-i i
WHO sLYLY LOCKS THE DOOR
which the traveller has closed In order
to be more solitary. I remember
coming over the icon Mountain noe
In q box car filed with cotton bales.
Some oficlous meddler showed the end
door together, and I remained In that
car four days, finally gazing upon
Gods sunlight once more In the city
of Cincinnati"
odd you ever get caughtW
"Not often, though I cannot tell .
lie, I do not wholly deny the soft Inn.
parchment. Years ago 1t was a com.
mon thing for twenty or thirty toughs
to board q train In California and ride
as far az they wanted. 1t was q
strange sight to see the old miners,
each with q blanket, riding on top of
the freight cars. The Central Pacific,
however, succeeded In getting some
very stringent legislation through,
and when fellows In small numbers
accepted the courtesy of q ride with
out pay, they were suddenly, severely
and heavily sat down IN. The scheme
there among'the knowing ones was for
the three or four, or as many AZ hap.
pened to be captured, to swear that
they had each paid some train man
half q dollar, and the Justice usually
dismissed the case, for II the allega-
tiou 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 are frequently sprung with
fish plates. The 'fsklr' gets In, tax.
Ing his fish 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 fish plate and walks
forth. The interior or mail cars, too,
it is said, furnish excellent facilities
for free riding II the mail agent Ia
properly fed The emigrant trains
are all easy to work, and q man who
can't work his way In a high toned
emigrant car from Chicago to San
Fran,isoo In ten days has not the stuff
In him out of which millionsirea are
made. If q fellow has q little money
with which to tip the conductor, his
journey will be as smooth and pleas
ant as the absence of rude remarks
aud unpleasant forebodings can make
1t. The last and Z
HIGHEST FORM OF FREE TRAVELLING
Ia on passes. usually go to the gen.
sral managers Of the roads direct.
Sometimes I'm q missionary, at other
times I'm on my way to locate huge
psper mills on the line, and sgain |