The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
Old TIME TRUNK JUaeLTNe.
How Billy Skaggly Transferred the Bag
gnge for q Time at Prnirie Junction.

Rnge Tor n limo at Pra1r10 Junction..
1T has always seemed to me that about the
slickest thing in the way Of trunk juggling that
I ever saw said an old railroad man. was
something that a baggage man named Billy
Skaggly used to do at a place called Prairie
Junction on the NJ. N. and T. road. Billy was
running then on the old G.. X. and O.. which
was at that time an independent line. but prac-
tically a branch of the NJ. N. and T.. coming In
at Prairie Junction. running along back
OF the station at an angle and striking
the NJ. n. track a hundred feet or more
to the west. This inclosed a sort OF
a V-shaped open space. like a V lying Town on
its side. between their track on one side and
the station and the NJ. N. track on the other
the widest part being back OF the station. This
part was planked over. from the station to the
G. Y. track. making a broad platform there.
and when trains came In on the g.. x. and Ga
man used. to roll a baggage truck across this
the baggage out on It, and then he'd roll iis
hack + ! across the broad platform to the station:
Billy came-the way they do it under like cir.
cumstances everywhere;, but Billy said that
E Eo soon a5' /" p %ef into o. o 15msi 1ooG here ae a t trHnSfte: s snc
ten of his own by which he easily put the
trunks over alone.
The trains on the G. X. used to halt with
the baggage car right back Of the, rear door Of
the station. From the door Of the station to
ever knew, I don't know but what further; but
OVER vel He ma !" "a Fast IN the be middle nadf % 81 'f the pl s@
door mat. Where he learned how to do iris or
how he got the skill he had l don't know:
fore where there was a platform like
f hSsnts to the e9vs sTste or TT II m msy The be s that he
blank tn he could hit the mark. but certain IL
QpUn car and throw n trunk In anNh n mAnnQR
that it would land, with, one corner on the
t6rn n t pad s and d bound q, up fbs and si.f en- plumb avo1S
time. was running then on the NJ, n. on a train
that stoned at Prairie Junction. and We used
i've, looked out down back Of The station, where
the branch came y; to see Billy BOUNCING ne
two in the air all the time; starting one on its
9rched course through the air from the car
disappeared through the door Of the baggage
room. And this went along just as nice and
ec22mtoEtabls as could be till. as usual. some-
Billy pulled down, from the stack in the car
one day, and rolled along on its end 70 the car
Handle with Care, Bi!ly had seen the words
handle with care before. and he had also
marks on this massive trunk did not impress
way. seized IT by the handle, lifted It and
Is"n fhc it it thT0HGh the R siy; Very likely thls
missed with this one il the handle hadn't brok-
en- Just as he let go OF It.: but 1t missed the pad
the hard platform with a bang that busted that
corner wide omen. Even as It was. the trunk
knobs on its corners to protect IL and
the plank it, struck on was springy; but it
was detected at another angle: and as 1t rose
snakes began dropping, out Of its busted lower
corner. A man who could easily have got out OF
the way. hut for the fact that he was sort OF
fascinated by tho sight OF, the falling snakes,
vas knocked down by the flying trunk ena, had
transfer system at Prairie Junction. The super
said they were proud OF Billy as a baggage
In one way ant another more than the hire OF
II man to carry the baggage across would cost
them for i've years, and the first thing l knew
the bouncing pad had been taken up and the
man was back with the baggage truck. rolled
FINN Him N.n y