Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1898-03-05
THINGS SEEN ON TRAINS.
Conductors Know Certain Occasions as
Freak Nights and Look for Them.

Freak night Oh railroad train
The conductor Of the express for New
York, which leaves the Reading termin-
al every morning five minutes after
midnight, spoke slowly. There's not
many people know what freak night
is; hardly anyone but we conductors,
and then mighty few of us. But it's u
ract that certain trains on certain days
OF the week have freak nights Its
so regular that you know when to ex-
pect 1t. It's sure to come.
Its this way" continued the conduc-
tor. 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 wait all day, sit in
the car all night and are walked in New
York at o'clock in the morning. all
for the opportunity of going over for Il
half dollar cheaper. They're the kind
OF people you see everywhere and any
where on the streets. But on one night
OF the week, just as regular as death
or taxes, all the queer fish that are
travelling around seem 10 gather to-
gether on one train. They are people
you would stop and look at when they
passed you. They are very fat, very
thin OF very drunk: funny looking peo
pie, ugly people; in fact, freaks They
Eever travel without each other. You
don't see one freak in a car load of or
~ no,,10 ,J.,;,, a
people, or else all are freaks. Its got
so that can predict what train load
is going to be. If | see one or two or
binary people getting ON, why know
It's an ordinary night: but if | 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 We'll have three
or four freak nights together. In 1896
| counted we had between forty and
hfty-about one night a week, you see
Ii you'll come into the smoker III show
you, for it's freak night tonight
There were five people only in the
car. Freaks don't carry heavy baggage
as rule. Away up in front a stout
man was embracing a friend, and both
We're singing the German welcome
song, 'Hailee. Hailow" for all it was
worth. you don't see anything pec,l-
iar in that maybe, but III show you.
Stop that singing he said, loudly.
There's Il woman in the car and she
wants to Sleep Both men turned
around. They We're Enthusiastically
irish. "And singing German song.
100, chuckled the conductor. Two
others in the ear had 'freak" written
Ill over them. One was Il man who
must have been six inches over six feet
al. He was thin and dressed in rusty
black. lie had turned over the seat
ahead Of him and. by putting his feet
lp, had elevated his knees, thin and
gannt, two feet above his head. The
other was Il strange looking foreigner,
.emarka BILE for his uglnrSS. Belonging
% some Eastern race. he was dressed
II ordinary clothes. which did not fit
,im. His face was pitted and Il harelip
lrew his mouth into an evil position.
At first glance he seemed to have no
lose. so small. so Sunken was it.
Wouldn't like to mcel him on Il coun-
ny road at night" said the CONDUCTOR
There was one other person in the car,
1 woniaH. one of thnS" small. Swarthy
italians who paronizc the owl trains
10 often. NO, there's nothing freak
sh about that woman on first sight.
But come up here With me- He led
The way to the woman. "I.cok there"
ae said. On one arm the woman held
baby. on the other arm another baby;
IN the seat a third baby. They were
rplets. $50 you see it's freak night
laid the conductor, gcnially. ITS
rood thing for you YOU didn't get in
hat smoking car.
An inquiry among he conductors Of
rolley cars had revealed the curious
'act that the same conditions prevail
here They, too, have freak nights
although but once a month on the aver
age. Just as on the railroad, the freaks
travel only at night In the 'owl" cars.
They are never seen with ordinary peo-
pie, but flock together. Although they
have this affinity for each other, their
neIenhorS' pecuiaritins never have any
interest for them. They have occupied
the center of interest too long: they are
too accustomed to being wondered at.
So they never wonder Themselves
Philadelphia Times.