Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-10-01
WHAT I SAW OUT WEST.
BY DAVID HILL.

Reno as we'll as other towns along the
line. They are an INDECENT set, living
principally in tents and small houses
outside of town limits and subsist
upon rabbits, sage hens, roots and fish
taken from the Truckee river. Work
is out Of the question with them es-
pecially among the Washoes. The
squaws among the Piutes go out
doing washings, and a few of the
braves condescend at times to do
days work; but this is an exception,
not the rule. They swarm about the
the stores and around the station, and
gather in knots upon the square to
gamble, and amusements of which
they are very fond of. Although there
are hundreds Of them about the place,
they generally mind their own bust
ness, are always careful to keep out
Of the way Of other people, and they
seldom steal. Their chief delight seems
to be to dress up in new government
blanket Of bright colors, wear broad
brimmed hat and a pair Of buckskin
gloves, and TO strut up and down the
sidewalks to the envy, [ suppose, of
all eyes. 1t matters not if their other
clothes hang in rags and tatters; if
they can dress up in those articles
they seem to feel extremely happy.
"Only tramp killed." and every
body laughed.
1t was Sunday morning. In the little
railway station at Reno New, all was
hustle and excitement. A terrible
wreck has occurred on the Central
Pacific near Saliva in which one
brakeman and fireman had sacrific-
ed their lives. Several others were in
jured. Two long freight trains with
four great moguls attached had col
ided in a rocky cut through some
of orders. The tele-
graph wires were kept busy repeat
ing the news. In the little office,
around the window Of which we
crowded, the sounder clicked without |
a moments cessation. Finally the OPP |
orator laughed aloud. HWhat is it?''
was asked by some member present. |
His answer was the one given above.
"Only tramp killed."
Later On and three more were adj |
ded to the list. Their crushed and |
bodies had been found wedg-
ed together beneath the broken tim
bers Of an empty car. This piecerof |
only seemed to elicit /
more applause from the people pres
emit. Some hours before, when the |
news of the disaster had first arrived,
there had been weeping in that sta
ton, and words Of condote nee had |
been spoken. to the relatives and |
friends of the dead trainmen. They |
were not hard hearted, those men, as
1 had witnessed; but they had no love
or sympathy to waste upon dead |
tramps. Tramps were nuisance. The
more Of them out Of the way the bet
ter. Therefore, the death Of these |
four was the cause of much laughter;
and coarse remarks and rude jokes /
were cracked at their expense. ANY
more news?" was asked by new ar !
rival.
"Only four tramps killed, that is
ALL" exclaimed one from the crowd;
the rest. tOnly four tramps killed!'
I began to wonder if tramps were like
human beings. Did they look like |
other men, Or did they resemble dumb |
without a soul like all ami
mails. wondered if they were capable |
Of an affection, Or could love, or ever
knew what real love was. [ wanted to
see these four and see what they look
ed like. Perhaps then, [, too, might |
laugh with the rest. Learning that
their bodies were to be brought to
Reno [ waited for their arrival. In the
afternoon an engine backed up to the |
station with box car attached, and |
in it were four rude pine collins. They
contained the bodies of the tramps.
When the dead trainmen had been |
borne away, earlier in the day, there
were tears, and bowed heads, and |
silence in the vast throng that had |
gdU00rOO arOuuU UuOul. w udU con-
trast as the same crowd gathered |
around the collins of the four tramps. |
Not tear, not a bowed head, not a
sign of grief was visible; everybody |
seemed pleased to think that four
tramps had been disposed of. Every
body laughed and joked as if such
things was an every day occurrence
[ followed the remains to the charnel-
house. Down in dark alley the wag-
on was backed up to a door and the
collins unloaded. In the evening the |
manned and dirt begrimmed bodies |