The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-22
where one Hobo Rode.


Mr.. Henry Hooper, a st. Louis railroad
man, who is now in Memphis, related a
curious incident of his early road life,
which happened while he was braking on
the Missouri Pacific out of ST. Louis, says
the Memphis Scimitar.
In 1885," said Mr.. Hooper, IT was run
ming on a freight between ST. Louis and
Sedaia, Mo. and it was during that win
ter that ran across something that laid
1t over all / ever saw in the way of no.
boing. Now, of course, I've seen buns
riding in alh ways and places Imaginable.
and 10 see a man hanging 10 the rods Of
fast freight or perched on the pilot Is
not surprising TO me, but this-well, let
me tell you.
I'VE had been some time out of Sedalia,
hitting a pretty good gait toward St.
Louis. That winter the hobos along the
line of the Mop were a fright and the
whole crew was kept busy chasing them
off the train AS far as I was concerned
personally they could have all had trans
portation,' for I have been on the road
myself and believe that when a man is
willing to take such big chances of life
and limb to get over the country fellow
need not put himself out of his way to find
him. But, then, the company had differ
emit views in regard to the matter and we
had TO chase 'em or lose out That night,
and it was cold enough 90 freeze the whis-
kers off a polar bear, l made over a
dozen poor devils unload from the decks
and rods and felt sorry for every one of
them when they hit the grit through the
snow. OF course this sounds TO you like
a pipe coming from an old shack, but
it's so.
Gwen, ii wasn't long before we pulled
into Jeff City, and while the engineer oiled
around 1 started out with two of the
crew to chase hobos. Just as we got to
the end of the train Old Brennan, the fin
est eagle eye who ever jerked a throttle,
called to Dan Hines, his fireman to back
up, so that he could oil and wipe his links.
Dan was cleaning his fire a the time, so,
giving a final sw,pe with his slash bar.
he backed up But, being lttle care
less, he pulled back too far, bringing the
pilot halfway over the pile of red hot
Goals he had just raked from the fireboX.
Just about that time / thought old man
Brennan was going to throw a fit, and
got a pretty sever shock myself. Before
Dan could let go the throttle it seemed to
me bedlam had broke loose under that
engine.
"Lemme outr' yelled some one. Lem
me out! Move her up! Oh, Lord, I'm
burnn' up The sounds come from under
the pilot. Rushing round to the front we
saw a hobo, not on the pilot, but squirm-
ing on the cross braces underneath it,
yelling for all that was in him!
'In a moment Dan had moved the ma
chine up so as to put the poor fellow
away from the fire, and while he beat out
with his dirty paws his blazing coattaits
he still cussed, coughing ALI the while like
an engine coming up a grade
Z" How in Sam HILL roared old Brennan,
not relishing the dressing down the hobo
gave him. chow in Sam Hill did you git
under my pilot?'
81 got here when his bloomin tea kttle
was over de pit at Sedalia; but youse fell
lows needn try to barbecue me for dat
need your
"Oh, but old Brennan was wrathy Come
out O. dat We dirty porch climber, or I'll
set We back over the fire.
How en- I git out wild dis track under
me?' the hobo yelled back. Think 1 en-
dig trough it?
Brennan saw that 1t was impossible for
him to come from under the pilot till an
other roundIhouse was reached. This en-
terprising tourist had crawled into the
pilot while the engine stood over the pit
in the Sedalia roundhouse, and of course
could not get out till another Dit was
placed under him Although he had plen-
ty of room to sit ii was a very hazardous
place 20 ride, for in a wreck death would
be certain When we reached Chamois
TWENTY-FIVE miles further on, where there
was a roundhouse the poor devil was re-
feased. But he was a sight to see. His
coattaiIs were burned off, his whiskers
and hair was singed, one of his lamps
was eroggy from sulphur smoke and flying
grit. and on the whole, to quote old man
Brennan, he looked like travelled top
spring on a rainy day