The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-17
FREE 10000 MILES.
A Boy Crosses the Continent Three
Times Without Paying Fare.

Times without Paying Fare.
Thomas Torney, Kittanning boy i
well known in this city. He has spent
the last twenty-three years in roaming
around the country. He arrived in
town yesterday morning from Kansas
City on freight train, having m ade the
distance in four days. A reporter ran
across him at Duncan's Hotel, on Chest.
nut Street, Allegheny. last night, and
touna MIN In very indignant frame of
mind.
II was held up for the first time in nv
life yesterday" said he. When NV
train. the east-bouud freight, reached
Mansfield. Ohio, two policemen with
drawn revolYers came up and asked me
what 1 was doing on that fat car. Rid
ing said L. Then they jerked me off
the car and pointing a revolver &C nv
head, searched me, and, finding no
money on me, turned me loose. I got
away and climbed on another car. If
! they find man WAC has money they
| gobble him and take his valuables, and
I then send him to the Workhouse for
thirty days. If they do not find anv-
thing they let him go. 1 have been a
roamer for twenty three years" he
CONTINUED, land during that time
travelled over 80 900 miles and never paid
a cent carfare and never begged meal.
But have had some lively experiences.
l came TO Pittsburg when was 10 years
old, and, after knocking around for a
few years, learned the stonecutting
trade.
Il have gone three days and a half
without food, out never asked anybody
for anything. l always pay for what l
get. When l made my first trip to
California | was not more than 16 years
old, and have made three trips across
the continent since, and an only SO wears
old now. My next trip will be down
SOUTH"
How do you work your way on the
trains2"
"Oh, it's easy when you get accus-
toned TO it. The best riding is in blind
bsggage-caFs. They are cars that have
no entrance at the ends. A man can
crawl into one of these cars, and when
the whistle blows to stop he can get on
top OF the car and wait until it pulls out
of the depot, and then get down on a
comfortable seat inside. l have bad
some rough rides. Once found a coffin
in car. There was a corpse inside, but
it never worried me. I hadn't done
anything to him, and he wasn't bother
ing me. Altogether he was about the
quietest travelling companion l ever
hae. We didn't quarrel, but tell you
it was doleful. Another time l had
arranged to be in a certain place at a
certain time, and had to go. The best
accommodations l could get was in
between lot of tombstones. The moon
shone on them, and l got little IN
easy, but wanted to go just the same.
The toughest riding ever did was on
a car of coke. 1t wasn't the softest
seat in the world, but there was 3 lot of
satisfaction in it, as l was getting the
best Of corporation. l would rather
pay a brakeman 81 than a railroad
company ten cents for carfare.
'One time when another fellow and
myself were crossing the plains a brake
man found us and ordered Us off. The
train was going about eighteen miles an
hour, and he tried to throw US off. Ny
companion got the best of him, and he
was left lying along the road. I never
heard what became of him.,
Torney says he has worked on some of
the principal contracts for western
railroads and earned good wages, but
never stayed in the same place longer
than three months. When asked if he
had ever met any cowboys, he said:
Yes, and they are q first class set of
fellows. They always pay for what they
get, unless they are out of funds, and if
a man trusts them he is sure to get his
money at the first opportunity. knew
one fellow; he was called slap Jack
Bill He was a road agent, and would
hold up people for whatever they had.
and then would go to some town and
play until he lost his money. II he
wanted drink he would get it by point
ing revolver at the barkeeper, but if he
ever came back and had money he
would settle.
You made pretty good time on your
way east this trip?" suggested the
reporter.
Yes l came with a load of cattle.
When l couldn't get on the caboose or a
aat-car l went in with the cattle.
have ridden with pigs, and have got on
top of hor es, and made out pretty well,
but when it comes to riding on oxen a
fellow has got TO look out pretty sharp
for his eyes"
What dy you intend to do now 2" we
asked.
Il believe I'll go down the river on q
and get all the work at clock fixing l
can. There is money in 1t. 1 am a
mechanic, and one time when I took a
similar trip made quite stake. We
had cargo of springs, watches and
clocks, everything of the cheapest kind.
When l got to Sewickleg made 50 in
one day mending clocks. Sometimes l
would get 81 for fixing a clock that was
In better repair before began at it than
when tur 1ed it over. 1t was an easy
thing to get clock to 60 until you got
out OF town. think l will go to clock
repairing on my trip down south, where
l will get work at my trade again"
As an evidence that he was not penni-
less, Torney pulled out a roll of bills
half as thick as a tomato can to pay for
refreshments ordered for the house a
few moments later-Pitts6urg Dispatch.