Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-09-07

plle. Nkueefs am IL, now lOlkS Will
lieg But on de udder side of der
street struck ferst-class layout and
no wood to cut Betcher yer lifeI was
in luck"
The others had been similarly fortu-
nate and were now in condition TO
sleep and wait for train which ]
learned would not come along until
night. 1t was only twelve miles to
Osago City and l proposed that we
walk, as we could get there in time to
catch freight-train that night. My
proposition was scornfully rejected and
/ set out for Usage City alone. / stop
ped at a farmhouse about noon and
asked II 1 could get soma dinner. The
lady looked at me from head to foot
and l think was on the point OF telling
me no when stated that / could and
would pay for the accommodation. A
pleased smile took the place of the stern
frown on the face of the lady. got
the dinner and she got quarter.
Fifty cents paid to brakeman Sc
cured me a ride to Topeka was now
getting closer to Kansas City and the
buns became more numerous, as did
also the difficulties OF deadheading.
Two days we're consumed getting
from Topeka to Lawrence. got on a
freight train, but was bounced before
the train got out of the yards. ! found
some consolation in the fact that was
not alone in the misfortune. So many
deadheads were in town that it seemed
to me Topeka's hospitalities were se-
verely taxed The conductor of a
passenger train fred me off the blind
baggage out in the country with the
pleasant assurance that he would kick
my liver out if got on the train again.
l was careful to refrain from getting on
his train any more.
At Lawrence my patience gave out
as did also the basement of my overalls,
and paid my way into Kansas City.
At 6:45 p. m. the "Eli" train on the
Burlington route had me for a passen-
ger with a ticket for Liberty, the
county-seat of Clay County, Missouri.
Arriving at Liberty walked up past
tho engine and when the train came
past swung onto the blind baggage
Another fellow was there ahead of me
but he graciously welcomed me. He
said he was bound for Quincy, ILL.,, and
that he was friend of the brakeman
and thought he was all right for a ride
all the way across Missouri.
"The ELI" is a fast train and makes
few stops. When it did stop we two
dead-heads would drop off on the side
opposite the depot so we could not be
seen.
After leaving Cameron Junction the
run of almost two hundred miles was
made with but few stops, and at two
o'clock in the morning l was in Quincy.
l stopped there two days to rest and
to balance my books. 1t had cost me
over $40 to get from Wichita to Kansas
City, although the regular fare is only
Sc. Thus it was plain that as tramp
I was simply an amateur. But from
Kansas City to Quincy l had saved
about 81, so that not counting my time
as valuable, l was few dollars ahead.
Every mouthful l had eaten had cost
me cash, and the only way could get
meal at the farm-houses and small
villages was to preface my request fol-
food with the statement that / was sol
vent and was paying my way. And
then at times l was treated with humili'
ating contempt 1t is plain that a man
who retains a particle of self-respect
must get awful hungry before he will
ask for food,
/ left Quincy again on the "Eli" and
got as far as Macomb, when daylight
enabled the conductor to see me and
my ride was ended. There were sew
eral buns in Macomb that morning tC
welcome me. Two were from nowhere
and were striving to reach Chicago,
while several others were professionals
and did not care where they were going
so long as they were moving.
engaged one of the latter in conver'
sation. He proved to be veritable
mine of information, as he had been on
almost every road in the United States.
l told him that l was going from
Chicago to New York, and asked hin
which road to take out of Chicago.
"Ill tell ye," he said. ''You take
the Fort Wayne road to Fort Wayne
and then take the Pittsburgh. Yor
won't hev bit of trouble. Why" he
continued, growing enthusiastic, they
don't haul nothing but empties ovei
that road goin' east and ther are from
fifty to one hundred buns on every
freight train. There are so many
blamed buns thet the train men dom
even try to take up collection from
them"
II had been thinking Of trying the
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern"
said.
Don't ye do it, was the answer
"Why, that road actually seals up the
empty cars and has a rock ballast OF
the road bed the whole way" and my
informant shook his head gloomily ovel
this outrageous action of the railroad
company.
/ was told that l would have NJ
trouble going from Pittsburgh to Phil
adelphia, and that from there to New
York there is road running up pas
Scranton that ye want to take. On tina
road three out Of five of the passenger
conductors will carry ye through if "
give en- stiff about being hard up ant
havin' job waitin' for ye in New
York