The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-07

press company running between Chicago
and Omaha, ut % meeting of several old
time express messengers.
Jake has seen '}3 years of service with
the great forwarding concerns and is one
of the veteran bullion carriers of the United
States. He has carried gold and silver
bricks sufficient to replace the famous good
intentions pavement of place that shall
he namelcss here And yet, - he says, al
never let one slip out of my hands
The nearest approach toanything of the
Kind" continued the veteran twas one
night when, near Marshaltown. / thought
! heard n peculiar noise overhead The
train was rushing along at u terrific speed.
but above the racket made by the wheels
there came occasional sounds that con.
WINGED mo That some one was sliding along
the roof of the car. Looking ND discoy.
cred, pressed against the glass OF one of
the deck windows Il human face with ewes
trained on three bars of silver ranged along
the forward end of the car Bullion is not
placed in one position in Il car. We scatter
II here and there so that the weight will
not rest on one side of the ear or over ont
truck. 1t so happened that tho fellow could
see the three bars in the cornc- and it aft.
crward developed that ho was figuring on
getting possession of one or moro of them
AT present market price u silver pig is
worth about 5000.
When the train stopped 1 called
brakeman and we went after the fellow
overhead. We induced him to climb down,
and the brakeman caught him by the foot
suddenly, without giving us an ink linr of
his intention, he jcrlScd his foot out of the
boot, and, lcaping from the opposite side of
the car, he ran like II whitehead In the
boot, however, had been sccrcted IN object
wrapped in channels skin. 1t was pulled
ont when the foot was so hurrictlly cxt.i.
Gated. IL was n pair of bits and u small
saw. The man had evidently provided
himself with n brace, and with the tools
hnd intended to cut n hole in the end of
the car near the silver bullion. He could
have easily lowered himself on the forward
platform and made the opening between
the regular stops OF the train. He evident
~ figured that the bricks could be rakcd
out and then probably thrown from the
train near stopping place, from which
the thief could go back and picl. them up
or secrete them until opportunity to dis
pose of them offered itself
While present shipments of silver bullion
are small as compared with other DAYS.
the old timers tell Of heavy cargocs of the
white metal handled by them. While
bar is rarely missed, the value of the
freight requires care and attention only
second In importance to the handling of
coin and currency. a messenger carefully
counts tho bars mt least twice when it is
taken into the car. People who stand
around arc naturally curious and ask uucs-
tions at tho rate of u hundred in second
Others want TO feel it and rub their fingers
over the surfaces, while there arc still! 9th
crs who would be willing To give up dol
lar for the poor privilege of Juggling an so
pound pig about the PLATFORM
Gold bullion is never exposed to view,
even ut transfer points. The bars, Of vari-
Gus weights, are scwcd up in canvas or
chainois skin and are slowed away in the
stationary safe in the car, which can be
opened only mt certain points. There arc
never more than five or six bars Of gold in
II shipment, but few of these arc required
to represent q value of 500, 900. Some of
them weigh 10 pounds, others $50, while
they run down to small bricks Weighing
only % pounds. AT transfer stations they
are placed in steel chests and truckcd from
one train To another heavily guarded.
Il used to think it Il grand thing to he
mt in charge Of cargo of bullion" said
Charley PicrSon, another messenger on
the Chicago and Northwestern between
Chicago and Omaha. Il was then a boy
living ut AIntoy, Ills. I'd wander down to
the Illinois Central depot, look into Tie
cars under packages in which I'd catch Il
glimpse of what had been told was pure
silver Then I'd look up VI the messenger
il lis oycra!ls and Ginsha,a Blouse and