The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-27


che bottom of the car. Hold on to these, ;
quitting my hands on some iron cross bars.
Keep your knees up this way, and lookout
for your legs on q curve He added hur-
riedly; Pull your hat down and keep your
face over your arm. Better wrap a hand
kerchief over this hand IL you got one.
Then he was gone and heard him sQueez-
ing in on the other side of the truck. In
another moment the train started.
"Have you ever stolen ride under a cara
Well, it's the toughest thing you ever heard
of. had no idea of it. The sand began to
whirl up and | understood what the man
meant by telling me to keep my face over
my arm. Some of the sand got In one of
my eyes, but l couldn't let 60 either hand to
wipe the grains away. Then pebbles and
small stones struck me In the chest and
head. The roaring sound wasterrif1c. Pretty
soon the position became mighty painful,
but did not dare move. My hands began
TO burn and my arms to ache. OF course
/ realized after awhile that l was not on
a way train, and began TO shiver as
thought in q confused kind Of a way that
perhaps the forty minutes run of the ex-
press would be too much for me. To let go
my hold meant instant death. man will
hold on long time when letting go means
giving up life. But my pains got worse,
and before half an hour had gone fancide
soon lose all power to grip the iron. could
push my right hand over the bar so
as to bring the pressure on the fore
arm This helped me for little while
until my arm began to lose all feeling.
This arm finally gave way. The other held
out little longer. We had been going
over thirty-five minutes, but, OF course, it
seemed like many hours. had just made
I'D my mind to drop upon the track when l
. IL arr1e hU tho aQkIa Tha
other fellow on tae truck had tight hold of
me. When fell forward bis hold kept me
from falling, but the edge of the truck
nearly broke my ribs. ! wondered why
didn't faint and was wishing | was dead
when the steam brakes acted and we came
into the station.
my fellow traveller dragged me into the
shadow of lumber pile and asked me how
/ felt, NV hands were bleeding and my
shirt was stained from the cuts on my side.
When got rested little and had some
whisky from little cologne bottle the man
had with him, said, Are you trampP
yves he said, q kind OF a tramp
"tYou amt printer, are your l said.
Yes, am be said.
de was pretty hard customer to look
at but he had saved me from being ohewed
up under that parlor car, and blew In my
last SO on a supper and lodging and break
that town in the office of a pew newspaper.
But he got restless at the end OF the fourth
day, got some money and disappeared, l
never saw him again.
"After that / never tried the truck ride
except as last resort. found out other
tricks. One of these tricks was 20 sneak
into the baggage car. ] generally had COM
pauions In this racket. When the conductor
or express manager finds you out you have
to put up something. IL they Ike your
shoes you have to give them up. Perhaps
your hat will strike their fancy and maybe
they'll give you an old one for it. gave up
INV collar and vest the first time. But
cot a Stride for it. Yes. it is pretty rough
steering on the floor among the boxes. but 1t
is better than riding under the car often
gave M clothes when l had money about
me: il was cheaper in the end. But this
sometimes left me in a mighty shabby
state. | looked like a tramp and felt like
tramp. -,
"Sometimes fell In with queer crowd.
Orce met two bad actors who were trying
e. noake another town. When the baggage
man found us he raised an awful row. But
we talked up TO him and the actors started In
to give a regular entertainment. Inc con-
ductor came in, aud the Pullman car con-
dnctor too and one actor did the Shake
speare act while the other Clipped III a
song and dance. ! had pocket harmonica
and gave them solo. besides Playing an
accompaniment for the song ana Dance
man. D; that was q great nlgnt, snas was
speaking Of music reminds me OF an-
other time when was taking ssraign'