Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-03
A NIGHT OF MISERY.
RIDING, in A LOCKED BOX CAR WITH
TWO SCARED MULES.

fion of War Seem Like the Descrip-
tfon of n Sunday school Picnic.
"Well," said the Footprint to Slug
Seven as he settled down on his stool
and began to throw in "A handful Of
type, IF didn't have time of it get
ting down here out of those noun
tains"
Been up in the mines?'' inquired
Slug Seven.
"Yep," replied the Footprint. Just
came out Footed it from Angels to
Milton yesterday and rode into Stock
ton on a side door sleeper last night. a
side door sleeper. continued the Foot
print, sis not the most comfortab ble
to ride ON red cushion, but the heart
less and exorbitant demand of the rail
road trust for spot cash compelled me
to walk or come as freight. | came as
freight.
Sure, said Slug Seven.
1.-The unpleasant feature of the trip,
continued the Footprint. was the base
betrayal of confidence on the part of
the brakeman with whom | negotiated
fer an undisturted passage. For a cash
consideration of six bits and drink of
liquor he verbally contracted TO waybill
me from Milton to the division end at
Stockton. We went up street to take
the drink and-well, you know how one
word brings on another. By train time
the 81 khad sunk in my jeans had been
fshed to the surface and sent across the
bar for red liquor.
THE brakeman was full when he
started for the yards. So was l when l
started after him. The brakeman con-
fided to me on the way through the
yards that be owned the whole train
and could ride anywhere and any way
WANTED to. | told him that was sur
rounding at least quart of Milton
whisky and if il was all the same to
him and he had nice, dry, empty box
car | would be shipped as an unbroken
original package He agreed, AID we
went over where the train WAS stand
ing made up to find that erpty. The
brakeman ran a door open gave me a
hurried boost in and ran the door shut
and locked it. After bit struck a
match to look about and what do you
suppose that cuss had done?"
''Give it up," said Slug Seven.
"Billed me as live stock. by gum
Factl There was locked in box with
two mules, both loose, and all of us
good to keep company to the division
end. What was that Sherman said
about war? Said it was hades, didn't
he2 Well, it amt It's only an imita-
tion- The real, orthodox, rose colored
hades is to spend night in locked
box car with two mountain ranch mules.
''It isn't long run from Milton in,
and l concluded after the train had
bumped along about three miles and
those scared mules had begun to charge
around and kick a rata tat -tat-tat on
the sides of the car, that the only plan
of campaign left to me was flank
movement and sudden mounting of
one of the animals 1t wouldn't be
dream of pleasure on that mules back,
but it would be safer than dodging four
rapid fire hind heels unlimbered for ac-
tion. got ON the mule all right, and
after little bucking he steadied down
tolerably we'll The animal was evil
IDENTIFY scared to death and seemed to
take comfort in being straddled by a
rider.
''Well, | was just chuckling to my
self over the state of affairs in the live
stock department of the Espee railway
and figuring that another hour would
see us in the division yards, where my
friend the brakeman would open the
door, when the train stopped, evidently
at a siding, as knew we weren't near
station. We bumped about bit and
took double wrap in the mule s ears
then We stood still while some other
cars were bumped about and then /
heard two short toots of the whistle and
a rumble that gradually grew fainter.
The train had pulled out and we were
side tracked
''We staid there till morning, too,
and 1 rode that son of jackass, with a
backbone like the ridge cf church
roof. up and down and around that car
every weary minute of all that weary
night. To quit riding meant to go to
sleep, fall eff and have the liver and
high lights and half tones trampled
and kicked out of me by two scared
mountain mules.
Il estimate that rode that mule 136
miles and three furlongs in that car, |
and the car Travelled II miles before be-
ing side tracked. The remaining three
miles of the 90 between Milton and |
, Stockton | made on foot, thus complet-
ing journey of 156 miles 8 fur
longs in straight line between two
given points that are but 90 miles
apart, mathematically impossible feat,
accomplished by one jackass with the
aid of two relatives on the male sM of
the house.
The Footprint sighed as he paused to
bite off a chew of tobacco. and Slug
Seven took advantage of the opening to |
remark that man who had travelled SO
far under such circumstances must be |
dry.-Chicago Inter Ocean.
New York City of Auctions.
New York is the city of auctions |
There are 500 reputable auction houses
and three times that number of auc-
II