The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-25
STRANGE THINGS SEEN ON TRAINS.
Conductors Know Certain Occasions
as Freak Nights.
From the Philadelphia Times.


Freak night on a railroad train"
The conductor of the express for New
York, which leaves the Reading terminal
every morning five minutes after midnight.
spoke slowly. There's not many people
know what freak night is; hardly any
one but we conductors, and then mighty
few of US. But it's a fact that certain
trains on certain days of the week have
freak nights It's so regular that you
know when to expect it. It's sure to come,
IT'S this way continued the conductor.
ION this midnight to New York emigrant
tickets good on the smoking car are issued
at a reduced rate. Six nights of the week
we have just the poorer people that walt
all day, sit in the car all night and are
walked IN New York at 4 O'Clock in the
morning, all for the opportunity of going
over for so cents cheaper. They're the
kind of people you see everywhere aud
anywhere on the streets. But on one night
of the week. just as regular as death or
taxes, all the queer fish that are travel
ing around seem-to gather together on one
train. They are people you would stop
and look al when they passed you. They
are very fat very thin or very drunk;
funny looking people ugly people; in fact,
freaks They never travel without each
other You don't see one freak in a car
load of ordinary people. All are plain
everyday people, or else all are freaks
It's got so that I can predict what a train
load is going to be. If l see one or two
ordinary people getting on, why I know
it's an ordinary night; but if l see one
of these freaks, then / know I'll have
only freaks They generally come Sat
urday or Monday nights, but there is no
rule. Sometimes we won t have any for
month, and then Wen have three or
fN,, sfr-1, IL ,,9r Tn, 7
counted we had between forty and fifty
about one night a week, you see. II
you'll come into The smoker I'll show yon,
for it's freak night Tonight"
There were five people only in the car.
Freaks don't carry heavy as a rule. Away
up in front a stout man was embracing a
friend, and both were singing the German
welcome song, "IIaileei Hailowr' for all
it was worth. You don't see anything
peculiar in that maybe, but III show
you" Stop that singing" he said, loud
ly. There's a woman in the car, and she
wants to Sleep Both men turned around.
They were Enthusiastically Irish "And
singing a German song. too" chuckled
the conductor. Two others in the car had
freak" written all over them. One was
a man who must have been six inches over
six feet tall. He was thin and dressed
in rusty black. He had turned over the
seat ahead of him, and, by putting his
leeC up, mao elevated ms Knees In1n ana
gaunt, two feet above his head. The
other was a strange locking foreigner re-
markable for his ugliness. Belonging to
some eastern race he was dressed in or
binary clothes, which did not fit him. His
face was pitted, and a hairlip drew his
mouth into an evil position. At first
glance he seemed to have no nose, so
small, so sunken was it. Wouldn't like
to meet him on a country road at night"
said the conductor.
There was one other person in the car,
a woman, one of those small swarthy
Italians, who patronize the owl trains so
often. mo, there's nothing freakish
about this woman on first sight But
come up here with me-" He led the way
to the woman. Look there" he said.
On one arm the woman held a baby; on
| the other arm another baby; on the seat
| a third baby. They were triplets. so you
| see it's freak night" said the conductor
| genially. Its a good thing for you you
| didn't get in that smoking car"
| An inquiry among the conductors of
| trolley cars had revealed the curious fact
| that the same conditions prevail there.
| They, too; have freak nights" although
| but once a month on the average. Just as
on the railroad, the freaks travel only at
night in the "owl' cars. They are never
seen with ordinary people, but flock to-
| gether. Although they have this affinity
| for each other. their neighbors' peculiari-
| ties never have any interest for them.
| They have occupied the center of inter-
est too long; they are too accust toned to
| being wondered at. So they never wonder
| themselves,