The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-04-04
WHERE ONE HOBO RODE.
1t Was Under the Locomotive PILOT.
and lie nccauic Sorry.

1t Was Under the Locomotive Pilot.
and He nccnnic Sorry
~ st. Louis railroad man. while talk
ing with reporter, related IL curious
incident OF his early road life which
happened while he was braking on the
Missouri Pacific out Of st. Louis.
I'm 1S93," said he, II was running on
freight between st. Louis and Sedn-
liza, Mo-. and it was during that winter
that l ran across something that laid
1t over all ever saw In the way Of ho-
boing. Now, of course, I've seen buns
riding in all ways and places imnginu-
bic, and to see IL man hanging to the
rods of fast freight or pcrchcd on the
pilot Is not surprising to nc, but this
well. let me tell YOU.
I'VE had been some time out Of Se,la-
lia, hitting 81 pretty good gait toward
st. Louis. That winter the hobos along
the line OF the Mop were Il fright. and
tho whole crew WAS Kept busy chasing
them OFF the train. AS far as | was
concerned personally. they could have
all had transportation for have
been OH the road myself and believe
that when Il man is willing to take
such biz, 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 different
views In regard to the matter. and we
| mad TO chase them or lose or. That
| highland 1t was cold enough TO freeze
tile whiskcrS Off Il polar bear-I made
over Il 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 or course this
sounds to you like pipe coming
from an old shack, but It's so.
"Wcll. 1t wasn't long before VIC pull
ed into Jeff City, and while the cngi-
neer oiled around l started out with
two Of the crew to chase hobos. Just
as we got to the end of the train Old
Brennan, the finest eagle eye who ever
| jcrked n throttle, called to Dan Hines
his fireman. to back up, so that he
could oil and wipe his links. Dan was
| cleaning his fire ut the time; SO. giving
1t final swlpe with his slash bnr, he
backed up; but, being little careless.
he pulled back too far. bringing the
| pilot half way over the pile OF rcdhot
Goals he had just rakcd from the fire.
box.
Just about that time l thought old
| man Brennan was going to throw a 1T,
and got pretty severe shock myself
Before Dan could let go the throttle It
| seemed to me bedlam had broke loose
under that engine.
"'Lemme out! yelled some one. Lem.
! me out. Move her up! Oh. Lord, I'm
burnin up! The sounds came from un-
der the pilot Rushing round to the
front. We saw hobo, not on the pilot.
| but sQulrming around on the cross
braces underneath 1t, yelling for all
that was In him..
I'm a moment Dan had moved the
machine up so as to put the poor fell
low away from the fire. and while he
beat out with his dirty paws his blaz-
ing coattails he still cused, coughing
all the while like an engine coming up
q grade.
"'How in Sam HILL roared old Bren-
nan, not relishing the dressing dvwn
the hobo gave him-'how In Sam Hill
did you git under my pilotY
"'I got here when dis bloomin tea
kettle wns cver de pit at Sedalia, but
youse fellows needn' try to barbecue
me for dat, need your
"Oh. but old Brennan was wrathyi
Come out O. dat, ye dirty porch climb
er, or I'll set ye back over the fire.
"'How en- I git out wild dis track
under meT the hobo yelled back.
'Tink en- dig trough itT
Brennan saw that 1t was impossible
] for him to come from under the pilot
till another roundhouse was reached.
This enterprising 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 an
other pit was placed under him. Al
though he lad plenty of room to sit, it
was very hazardous place to ride, for
In u wreck death would be certain.
When we reached Chamois, % miles
farther on, where there was round
house, the poor devil was released.
But he wna sight &c SEE. Ills coat
tails were burned off, his whiskers 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 a
travelled top spring on rainy day. -
MQmDhfa ScimifQr