The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-29
RIDING THE TRUCKS.
Periis and rrinIs which the Impecuniou.
Tourist Has to Face.

| Nfitttu TOT the StHuunfu.
Few passengers taking their comfort In
the elegantly upholstered seats of Q rail-
way coach, and looking out ON the seem
cry through the plate glass windows. inn
agine il possible that, just beneath them,
perched on a slim shifting rod Of iron, his
bands desperately grasping q similar rod
above, some ~impecunious wretch, among
the rafting Of the brakes, the grinding of
the wheels, and the dirt aud dust of the
roadway, Is taking chances on his
life for the purpose Of getting a free ride.
his destination m direction generally a
matter OF utter indifference to him.
A few years ago instances of truck rid
ing were rare, and when one was discoy-
cred at a station. by the wheel inspectors,
he was an object Of curiosity even to train.
men but the fever Of rapid travel seems
to have caught n large proportion of the
class of perigrinating Migrants so that
now il is an instructive duty of trainmen
to examine the trucks at each station and
to inform the passengers of that class tina
they W. arrived at their destination
The feats of the experienced truck rider
are sometimes surprising ii not wonder
full when, DESTROYS of making a long trip,
he selects a night train for his purpose.
Standing In the shadow of a box car on
the siding or behind u water tank, he
waits till the train gets under good head
way, steps out and grasps the truss rod
beneath the car and, will an easy grace
that any conductor or brakeman might
envy. swings himself beneath the car on
to the brake beam. Working himself over
the swift revolving axle he seats himself
OH the half-inch lower brake rod, holding
on to the upper brake rod with his hands.
In this precarious position he will ride,
unless discovered, over long passenger
divisions. enduring fatigue, dust and
thirst with an accomplishing forbearance
worthy of n better cause.
But throughout the whole breadth of
the country the railroad mile-posts are
not more plentiful han the graves OF the
truck riders. Rarely that a car becomes
derailed but a line in the dispatches state
tnan ian unknown tramp stealing a ride
was killed." The writer saw the wheels
cut a stout, lusty young man abso-
friend nj Spokane Falls was present.
The grasp of the stiffened fingers of the
dead man was loosened from the upper
rod, and the lower limbs were actually
worn oil to the knees. The man who was
recently found under a culvert near Silver
Bow, With nearly every bone in his body
broken, was undoubtedly a truck rider:
more n twenty dollars and an empty
whiskey bottle were found on his person.
He was evidently preserving the former
TO replenish the latter.
A friend of mine, who is now able and
willing to pay first-class fare. gave me his
experience on the trucks: at was at the
| time of the Cour d. Alene mining excite
ment. Everyone i knew was going to the
mines and the stampede caught me, but ]
had only So in the world, and railway fare
was high in those days; so concluded 10
try and beat my way oil the train. The
first day | was bounced first from the
blind end of Inc baggage car, and then
from a box car. L began to despair of
ever getting II of Butte. However, | got
my nerve together aud the next day. just
before train time, when no one was look
train was late in starting and my
position was anything hut comfortable
but when the wheels did at last get to-
rolling l was in torture. The track was
rough and dusty. n | thought i should
choke. the wheels struck n
low joint it would jar me SO that il
seemed as il ! could not possibly hold on.
When the train stopped at Silver Bow i
had had quite enough of il, and started To
crawl out but just then | heard "All
aboard" The bell rang, n to avoid the
wheels, which had begun to turn, l
scrambled bach TO my perch and began a
desperate fight to hold my position and
get my breath. The train was late and the
engineer was making up time. The
speed of the whirling wheels so close to
tiy hthh was ifiehtihis tht mum NV
roar was deafening, every breath of air |
inhaled was thick with alkali dust. Every
now and then the fireman would shake
the CRATES and the hot sulphur fumes
would fill my throat and nostrils and that
devil of an engineer would open his
throttle another notch and the truck
would strike the curves with n jolt that
nearly broke my hold. To cap the climax
the long tailed linen buster / was wearing
over my only suit of clothes caught
fire ana before could prevent
il, buster, suit and parts of my flesh were
full of burnt holes. The train stopped at
Deer Lodge long enough for me TO get my
breath and senses and / crawled out. /
made up my mind ! would pay my fare
from Deer Lodge to Garrison, and ride
like other people. SO finding that my
precious IS bill was safe ! entered the
zach. The conductor came along. i
passed him up my IS bill, and il was with
n sad heart that l knew il was 10 be bro
ken, even though for n small amount In
my relief at my escape and my nervous
ness l had not reflected how my appear
anc must strike the passengers n con-
ductor, but II was not long before II was
evident they all knew where l had been.
The conductor, with a matter~of-fact air.
put the bill in his pocket and handed me
back a quarter, saying: The fare from
Butte to Garrison is S.T5. Here's your
change; thank you
~ gave him a glance of as whitening
contempt as | could under the circum-
stances and said: Perhaps you think l
rode the trucks from Butte to Deer Lodge
for pleasure
"As he turned to take up another pas
senger's ticket, he said, calmly; oh. no;
bur we nave only one class OF rates on
this road, and you have the privilege OF
the tirst-class coach, the smoker or the
trucks
.Every passenger on the car had been
listening to our conversation, and Mt this