Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-17

only be reached by going under the car
at the end and climbing up over the truck.
Once up in this space there is plenty of
room for three men to ride on the stills,
but as one has TO hang on all the time il
would be death to sleep there, and while
it is safe from observation, ii would be.
in case of accident, the most dangerous
place on the train. 1t was under these
coal hoIpers we all rode that night from
Hinton TO Clifton Forge, and when We
reached the latter place Saturday morning
/, for one, was most heartily glad to get
out of the perilous position.
We decided to stay here until Sunday
night, and with that end in view selected
beautiful place for camp about a mile
up the river from the town. While making
preparations for dinner We were Joined by
two more knights Of the road" in the
persons Of 'Cincie Dutch" and st. Louis
Kid, but before they had been long with
us the boys found the latter parsonage
was infested with seam squirrels" body
vermin), and he was incon tinently fired out
of camp. Dutch stayed with the gang until
they reached this city.
During the afternoon Oakland bought his
keg of beer, and on its arrival in camp il
was voted unanimously TO hold IL until the
next day and then TO celebrate the day by
cooking a ''mulligan." Now mulligan is a
stew of large proportions and many in
gradients, and. as IL would require consider
able hustling TO get together the stuff, We
all started early. To my share fell the
tomatoes and potatoes. Army was 10 get
coffee, suga-, salt and pepper. and the
rest were to provide meat. bread, and II
possible, chickens. The chickens were forth
coming, and right here let me say IL they
were stolen, and / have no assurance that
they were, they were the only things /
knew of this party appropriating while
was with them.
Regular Feast.
In the morning one OF the boys borrowed
a large iron kettle from a house near by.
and in a few minutes ''mulligan" was over
the fire. While Army and Lowell Slim look
ed out for the cooking. the res; of us shaved
and washed up, and at about l O'Clock we
all sat down to dinner. Mulligan was a
monumental success. Eaten as IL was from
an old tomato can with a wooden spoon,
the product of Oakland's ability with a
knife. IL was the best stew / have eaten
In years.
When the meal was over. the cans were
filled with the remainder Of the stew, the
kettle cleaned and returned wood was gath
cred for a fire to last all night; and from
then till midnight the camp was turned
over TO Bacchus. The keg was preached.
and soon the gang was in the most hilar-
ious spirits, but, even in their cups there
was no quareing, all were friendly full
of good willard beer. A little after 1? a
passenger train came along, bound east
and we all made the hind baggage, but the
crew found us at Basic City, Va, and We
were again "stoughed" Cput ofTD
We tried in every way TO get out but il
was no use. Every train was watched and
SO alert were the train hands that in WAS
an impossibility to get on a train anywhere
without detection. We were there for two
days. and at last took the only alternative
ana walked to the next town, Alton when
AFTER snort wait, We caught a freight
tram and once more rode the coal hoppers
TO Charlottesville Here We separated,
came on to Washington on a pass 1 OBJ
tanned on my credentials, and since my
arrival have met, one at a time, all the
members of the gang Of hobos / Travelled
with across the Virginia mountains