Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-28
GETTING A FREE BAH.
While Stealing Ride on a Limited Ex.
press One Is Apt to Get Drenched.

While Stealing a Ride on a Limited Ex-
press One Is Apt to Get Drenched.
did you ever see tramp take bathw
| said the baggage master on the Congress
sional Limited short distance beyond
Trenton.
Il never did," replied reporter, who
was smoking on box.
"Would you like to witness such a spec
tacleP"
''It might be interesting, I should inn
agine. But the tramp must be caught
Grst"
1--WE got one now"
"Where?"
"In n trap"
The newspaper man looked around for
something like mousetrap on large
| scale with tramp in it, but there was
nothing to be seen but boxes and trunks.
81 don't see him." he said.
''He is on this car" declared the baggage
master. Sat this very moment he is rid
ing outside. No, you can't see him, be-
cause he is lying across the platform.
caught sighJ Of him just after we left
Trenton. He looked very comfortable,
and he doesn't know that anybody is on to
him. But have to keep sharp lookout,
for the reason that / frequently carry
money ana other valuaDleS."
why don't you put him Off"
Because we don't stop until we get to
Philadelphia, but he will have a nice bath
before he gets there"
"How do you meant"
"pll show you presently. You see, we
are just behind the tender of the locomo-
tive. J nave given a private signal to the
engineer, and he knows what is expected of
hi A,.I. II.
is water trough, where the locomotive
takes up water while going at full speed.
1t is a sort of ditch, that runs along for a
considerable distance between the rails,
filled with water. The locomotive takes
mp the water with kind of scoop. Just
watch!'
A moment later the water trough was
struck, ard spray began flying ont of the
top of the 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 a 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 like miniature Niagara against
the forward end of the baggage car.
''Just look at that" cried the baggage
master delightedly "Ain't he getting it,
though!''
In truth the unfortunate tramp must
have been getting it with vengeance, for
the tremendous flood of water spouting
from the top of the tank continued to fling
itself against the face of the baggage car
for fully three-quarters of 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 it's 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 frighten a 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
a figure that looked more like drowned
rat than like a human being crawl off the
front platform of the baggage car and
steal sorrowfully away. It was the tramp,
who had had a bath as well as ride at
the expense of the railway. Washington
Star