Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-01
FUN WITH THE MoToRMEN.
Halloween Brought Out the Boys,

@AoAAo w Sh ADiouSIS oNS ShN ADOJ - Who Played Their Usual Tricks. The boys in Union City and Nauga- | tuck and those this side of both places had a barrel of fun with the motormen and conductors on the Naugatucke line last night. It was Halloween night, and it was the one night that the boys have considered their night ever since boys were first created almost. It is the night when mischief of all kinds
 can be worked and the rascals will
 generally be allowed to escape scot free. It is the night that the young lads and perhaps a few older boys, look forward to with much interest and many preparations. The fun on the Naugatuck line began early and lasted
 until the last car had entered the West
 end barns. Almost every motorman
 was made the victim of some prank
 and they all took it good-naturedly
 nevertheless. It was nothing to see lighted match burning at some one of
 the white posts along the line, a signal
 that usually caused the motorman to
 slow up at these stopping points ready
 to take on a passenger. When the car did slow up the expected passen-
 ger was not there. The light had van
 ished like a twill O the Wisp,' only
 to appear later at some other point
 on the line. Many times during the night did a thrill of horror run through
 the mCtOrman as he turned a sharp curve on the road, and running his car at pretty good speed, as he observed
 what appeared to be a man lying
 across the track. Several times his
 best efforts failed to stop the car until
 it had plunged over the supposed body
 or tossed it to one side. When the car did stop the frightened motorman was the first to get back to the man@led re-
 mains, as he believed. only to find that tho body was a stuffed one. and as the sllricks of laughter came from the woods on either side of the road. he
 realized that he had been the victim of Halloween ioilcrs. When this man of straw had been bruised and beaten out of all semhlancc to the shape of man. tho boys turned their attention to another and more firm shape. A life-SiZc tin figure of a man advertising clothing house had been nailed to one Gf the posts along the side of the road. This was soon ap- proDriated by the boys. and then the m0tCrmon were startled to see well dressed man apparently walking along the track and refusing to get out of tho way as the bell was changed again and again. Several times this also was bumped by the car and was fast becoming 8 disrcputable looking fig ure. One of the late cars up had the most exciting experience with this figure. A new mOtOrman was being tried, and he was doing his work nice lv and was congratulating himself on the good results of his maiden efforts when he received a shock to his nerves that he will remember for many day. It was at dark curve of the road and the car was bowling along at the snccd limit. On the front platform with the motOTman stood the old hold CT of the lever. who was coaching the novice in the' running of the car and several passengers, who were sm0k- ing. Suddenly there was an cXclama- ton from all those on the front plat form. and the new recruit suddenly re- aliZed that, his dreams of a successful first lesson were doomed to be only dreams In sitting position on the track about twenty feet ahead was a man. apparently dead asleep. My God. there is a man on tine track: sllriekcd the motorman. as he reversed his lever. and sent the brake handle around with twist that told of the strength that was in the arm, and proved very conclusively that novice though he is. he has a lot of nerve and a good presence of mind in an emergency. It was too late, however, to avert the collision. as the distance was too short. There was crash that sounded as if the sleeping victim was encased in armor. Into the bushes at the side of the road was hurled the body and back to the spot soon came the motorman. conductor and passengers. It didn't take long to find the 'rcmains" and then there were othcr shricks of laughter from the woods. The motormen joined the others in the hearty laugh that fol- lowed the discovery, for the life-size tin figure had been reduced by half, and the sitting man was formed. While there was much fun for the bows. the motormcn were all grad when the Inst car had passed uD the line and the Halloween for 1900 was over.