The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-11
HID UNDER THE PILOT.
very Dangerous Riding Place Sc
lRGfAd nv rErn

Aecteu ny q Tramp.
Ihoueh that remarkable type, the hobo,
has been with US since the advent of
steam railways, and, for that matter, will
pc with US always. few persons have any
ldea OF the many ingenious and often
RISKY methods resorted to by these pennt
less tourists in beating the roads saws
the Memphis Scinitar.
Inc true hobo. not a tramp, scorns to
throw his feet in order to get over this
country of ours. He would rather wait
at tank station two days on short ra
lions and take his life in his hand on the
rods" of a freight train,
MT. Henry Hooper. a st. Louis railroad
man VINO is now in Memphis for a few
days, while talking with a Scimitar re-
porter, related curious incident Of his
early road life which happened while he
was breaking on the Missouri Pacific out
of st. Louis.
III 1888" said Mr.. Hooper, 'I was run
ming ON freight between st. Louis and
Sedaiia, Mo-, and it was during that win
Ter that ran across something that laid
AZ over all L ever saw in the way of hobo
ing. Now, of course, I've seen buns
riding in all ways and places imaginable.
and to see man hanging on the rods of
fast freight or perched on the pilot is
not surprising to me, but this-well, let
me tell you.
we mad been some time out Of Sedana,
hitting pretty good gait toward St.
Louis. That winter the hobos along the
line of the Mop were fright, and the
whole crew was kept busy chasing them
OH the train. AS far as 1 was concerned
personally they could have all had trans
portation,' for l have been on the road
myself, and believe that when a man is
wiling to take such pig chances of life
and limb to get over the country a fellow
need not put himself out Of his way to
find him. But then the company had
different views In regard to the matter,
aNd we had to chase EN- or lose out.
. That night and it was cold enough to
freeze the whiskers off a polar bear, I
made over dozen poor fellows 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
"Well, 1t wasn't long before we pulled
into Jeff City. and while the engineer
oiled around, I started out with two of
the crew to chase hobos. Just az we got
to the end of the train Old Brennan, the
finest eagle eye who ever jerked throt-
tie, called to Dan Hines, his fireman. to
back up, so that he could oil ana wipe
his links. Dan was cleaning his fire at
the time, so, giving final swipe with
his slash bar. he looked up. But, being
a little careless, he pulled back too far,
bringing the pilot half way over the pile
of red-hot Goals he had just raked from
the fire box
Just about that time I thought old
man Brennan was going to throw a fit,
and l got a pretty severe shock myself
Before Dan could let go the throttle it
seemed to me hell had broke loose under.
that engine.
'Lenlme outw yelled some one. Lem
me out: Move her up! Oh Lord, I'm
burnin' up!' The sounds came from
under the pilot. Rushing around to the
front we saw a hobo. not on the pilot,
but sQuirming around on the cross braces
underneath it. yelling and swearing for
all that was in him.
In moment Dan had moved the ma
chine up so as to put the poor cuss away
from the fire. and while he beat out with
his dirty paws his blazing coattails he
still cussed, coughing all the while like
an old Rogers engine coming up q grade.
How in Sam HILL roared old Bren-
nan, not relishing the dressing down the
hobo gave him. How in Sam Hill did
you get under me pilot, We dirty sasse-
nach?"
Il got here when his bloomin' tea ket-
tie was over de pit at Sedalia; but youse
fellows needn't try to barbecue me for
dat need your
"Oh. but old Brennan was wrathy.
Come out O. that, We dirty porch-climber.
or by the holy poker, III set we back over
the fire.
How In de hell en- get out wild dis
track under me?'' the hobo yelled back.
'Tink en- dig trough it?'
Brennan saw that 1t was impossible
for him to come from under the pilot till
another roundhouse was reached. This
enterprfsing tourist had crawdef into the
pilot while the engine stood over the pit
in the .Sedalia roundhouse, and of course,
could not get out until another pit was
plenty of room to sit, 1T was a very haZ-
ardous place to ride, for in wreck death
would be certain. When we reached Cha
mois, twenty five miles further OH, where
there was q roundhouse. the poor devil
was released. But he was sight to see
His coat tails were burned off, his whis-
kers and hair were singed, one of his
lamps was groggy from sulphur smoke
and flying grit, and on the whole. to quote
old man Brennan, he looked like raw
eled top string rainy day"