Rock Island daily Argus., 1892-12-27
GETTING A FREE BATH.
r>,e Stealing Ride on a Limited Er.

WIZ SCeatiDg u fIuc on n Limited
fress Ono Is - p: Go Get Drenrhsd.
did you ever see u tramp take p baths"
said the baggage niast,r on the Congress
sional Limited short distance beyond
Trenton.
81 never did," replied a reporter, who
was smoking on a box
"Would you like to witness such a spec
tacle2"
at might be interesting. l should i'm
agine. But the tramp must be caught
frst.'
I've got one now"
"Where?"
ain trap"
The newspaper man looked around for
something like a mousetrap on large
scale with a tramp in it, but there was
nothing to be seen but boxes and trunks.
81 cont see him." he said.
HE is on this car" declared the baggage
master. "At this very moment he is rid
ing outside. No, you can't see him, be-
! cause he is lying across the platform.
caught sight of him just after we left
| Trenton. He looked very comfortable,
and be doesn't know that anybody is on to
him. But have to keep sharp lookout,
for the reason that l frequently carry
| money and other valuables"
w ny don't you put him oH7"
Because we don't stop until we get to
Philadelphia, but he will have a nice bath
| before he gets there"
"How do you mean"
'I'll show you presently. You see, we
are just behind the tender of the locomo-
| tive. have given private signal to the
engine er, and he knows what is expected of
| him. Only about mile ahead now there
| is water trough, where the locomotive
takes up water while going at full speed
1t is sort of ditch, that runs along for a
consid cradle distance between the rails
| filed with water The locomotive takes
up the water with kind of scoop. Just
watch"
A moment later the water trough WAS
| struck, and spray began flying out of the
top of che great iron tank on the tender,
the lid of it Tapping up and down while
the reservoir filled itself from below. This
did not occupy more than half minute,
at the end of which the engineer should
have pulled up the scoop. Instead of that.
| however, he permitted the tank to over
flow in cataract. which was flung back
ward ike q miniature Niagara against
the for ward end of the baggage car.
JUS look at that" cried the baggage
master delightediy. "Ain't he getting it,
thought
In truth the unfortunate tramp must
have been getting it with a vengeance. for
the tremendous flood of water spouting
! from tte top of the tank continued to fling
| itself against the face of the baggage car
for fully three-q quarters of a minute, which
must have been nearly sufficient to drown
any human being on the front platform.
So copious was it that the water flowed in
below the door and threatened to inundate
the freight
"If that fellow is still alive" said the
baggage master when the cataract had
finally suspended its activity, he has had
| enough to give him a distaste for water
| for the rest of his life. There isn't any
| thing that will frishten q man like a dose
| of that sort, according to our experience.
Coming on him unawares it scares him
most to death, besides half drowning him.
! He doesn't know when it is going to stop.
and he has to choose between standing it
| and jumping off the train"
When the train slowed up an hour later
near Philadelphia the newspaper man saw
\ figure that looked more like a drowned
rat thar like a human being crawl off the
front platform of the baggage car and
steal sorrowfully away 1t was the tramp.
who had had bath rs well as ride at
the expense of the railway. Washington
Star.