El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-10
LINK AND Pin. !.

A TRIP FROM Ell PASO
Through New Mexico And Arizona
Over The Southern Pacific
Railway In The Cupola OF
Caboose $50 As The Guest OF
montana Bill" [Wm. Meedon.l
montana Bill" is known by every
"a .lroad man and knows every foot Of
road between the Big Four slap track
at Cincinnati and Dogtown Los An
geles. He is of medium height, red
hair and short five teeth. Neverthe-
less, he has q pleasant tntellig ent
face and very seldom laughs. On &C.
count of a peculiar gain and tw1tch he
give one of his eyes, if before jury
81 was born on this earth some
years ago." his peculiar expression
would cause eleven of the twelve jury
men to decide ne was lying.
The time I arrived in Ell PasO and
almost the first person I knew in my
ride of 1000 miles when stepped into
FL PasO post Office was Montana
Bill" we had hearty shake, not hav-
ing met since I discharged him in Gin
cinnati for being absent from duty
three days attending the Latonia
races] Ga account of the death of
relative, and leaving me short handed.
By later investigation learned the re-
lstive he claimed to be no other then
II. 81. Holmes, the arch murder who
was hung in Chicago, and the relation
chip to be through our first parents,
Adam and Eve.
When he learned had reached Ell
Paso over the Texas and Pacific Ry.
he went on with an illustrated discrip-
ton of The Southern Pacific between
New Orleans and Ell Paso. That would
drive Mr.. 5. F. B. Morse, the general
passenger agent, to hard drink. But [
stopped him saying: "Bill" you make
me feel so bad because [ missed such
q route, let US change the subject. At
this he seemed little nettled and
promptly changed the subject by in
Sunset Limited or the mail"
I was not aware of what q high class
train the Sunset Limited was at that
time, and without thinking was leav-
ing an opening for q shot that would
have listed the Oregon, 1 answered, 81
arrived on the Limited. She was lit
tie late With q look from him shall
never forget he off handedly said:
eyes. she can't make time with forty
get off but there was none of the
eighty others in toe same car with you
when you get off," I said did not
notice particularly, but where did they
all go to? And as we turned into the
park on our way to the Southern Paci-
fic depot I could hear bim humble
ITO the pens to be unloaded."
OF course this was all meant for my
arrival on sheep train, but as "Bill"
pretended ignorance OF his remaks,
in ordered that 1 might hang on to
crumbling dignity, when looking for
work, as long as twas possible. He
then invited me to q ride In his
csboose 356 to Tucson. The train of
30 cars was all ready; called to leave
at 4 o'clock P. M. And as we stood
with our backs to the S. r. passenger
depot looking towards the top of that
of the track "Montana Bill' exclaim-
ed: SIT is now four o'clock and must
look after my train. You may remain
here and catch our train as the caboOse
pass.
You will notice all along the road
through New Mexico and Arizona
wooden crosses on the tOpmOst points
OF the mountains. These crosses are
patterned after q large dark cross that
appear on that mountain you are now
looking at every afternoon at 4:3O
O'Clock.
If it is like tell you, promise me
you will not give me another electric
shock by requesting me to change the
subject and will give you some in
teresting information about q trip over
the desert plains of New Mexico and
Arizona. All the way from Ell Paso
to the Colorado river. AND as "Mon-
tana" finished his remarks he was off
to his train.
Sure enough at 4:3O o'clock the beau
tiful setting summer sun fashioned q
large rough dark cross on the point of
the mountain, and as our caboose
pulled out jumped on and at the same
three flying hoboes cauRh the
bottom rods under q refrigerator car.
Thereby giving "Montana" the double
cross, because he thought he had them
beaded of, but they cuuningly took
advantage of his attention to
the cross on the mountain.
NV fret word was "Bill, saw your
cross and you are all right. What you
say, hereafter goes"
We were now rapidly drawing away
from Ell Faso and attaining q high
rate of speed through q wilderness of
adobe huts. flashily clad seporitas,