The record-union., 1898-03-02

Jew. HE innate modesty and dislike
of notonety robbed the public of mucn
that is interesting concerning him, but
the following episode, vouchad for by
one of the most disreputable tramps ia
the profession. is an Illustration of the
vicissltutes of their life.
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
Railroad recently put into service Il
very fast express train. 1t leaves CHI
cago at 10 o'clock in the morning.
reaches Omaha at 11:50 the same night
and Denver the next day at 1870 D. n.
Nearing Omaha, after crossing the Ms
souri, RIVER bridge, there is a stretch Of
twenty miles straight. The other day
there was a tramp waiting at the end
of the bridge on the Nebraska side hop
ing 10 ridc from there into Omaha on
the platform of the baggage car. But
( he made a miscalculation There are
. no platforms on those baggage ears.
They Gene out flush like box car. in
the darkness the tramp didn't notice
this. lie swung on board the tank of
the locomotive, worked his way over
the coal to the rear and jumped down,
expecting to light on the platform
which wasn't there. 1t had taken him
a few minutes cautiously to reach the
edge of the tank, and by the time he
had got to the jumping-off place the
train was going at its regular gait, only
a shade or two faster.
The engineer, realizing that this was
the place to make up a little lost time,
had pulled her out just a little. she
got to going, and going good. She was
doing her incest. and gracefulest when
that tramp jumped.
Now a curious thing happened. Ev-
eryone has seen an amateur magician
put a dollar coin on the flat palm Of
his hand and move the open hand so
swiftly through the air that the coin
didn't drop off. and the magician pre-
tendad that it wasn't there just because
ii didn't drop Well, that was what
happened to the tramp. He was like
the coin in the fiat palm. He rested
against the blank front end of that
baggage car like a fly on a window
pane. There wasn't anything below for
him 10 stand on or anything above for
him 10 hang to. He was just held there,
as l say, by that force which came
from the fast forward motion of the
train. Below him there was space and
car wheels. 1t was a pretty ticklish po-
sition. No wonder the fellow roared
and shouted and said as many piots
things as he knew how, and said them
very loud. Of course he understood
that when the train began to slow up
for the Omaha yard that force would
diminish and he would drop down ara
be macerated.
Well, he was q lucky tramp. Just as
they were passing Bellevue. four miles
out of Omaha, the fireman heard him
and hurried back and saw him. He
was a cCick-witted fireman and yelled
to the engineer not to shut off just yet,
and reaching one of his long pokers
over. caught it into the clothes of the
hobo and tried to pull him off and iHlo
the safety of the tank. But he couldn't
bulge him. Then he got to reasoning,
and he saw they'd have to shut off and
ease down before the adhesive force of
the speed would let the man be pr!e1
off The engineer slapped on the air
and threw the lever over, and after two
miles of easing they got her to a pace
that admitted of loosening the fellow.
The tramp says that he never before
experienced such quick service ard
courteous treatment at the han1s of
any railroad. and heartily recommends
1.-THE burlington No. l Fast Express
as being the most desirable train out
of Chicago for Omaha and Denver
Railway and Engineering Review.