The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-03-08
WHERE ONE HOBO RODE.



Il Was Unaer the Locomotive Pilot.
and He Became sorry.
A st. Louis railroad man, while talk
ing with reporter. related a curious
incident Of his early road life which
happened while he was braking on the
Missouri Pacific out of ST. Louis.
I'm 1893" said he. II was running on
freight between st. Louis and Soda
liza, No., and it was during that winter
that / 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 imagina-
BILE. and to see man hanging to the
rods OF fast freight or perched on the
pilot is not surprising to me, but this
well, let me tell you.
1--WE had been some time out of Seda-
liza, 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 off the train. As far as was
concerned personally. they could have
all had transportation for l 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 different
views in regard to the matter, and we
had to chase them or lose out. That
highland it was cold enough to freeze
the whiskers off a polar bear-I made
over a 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 pipe coming
from an old shack, but>it's so.
well. it wasn't long before we pull
ed into JEFF City, and while the engi-
neer oiled around l started out with
two of the crew to chase hobos. Just
as we got to che end Of the train Old
Brennan, the finest 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 at the time; so. giving
it final swipe with his slash bar. he
backed up; but, being a little careless,
he pulled back too far, bringing the
pilot half way over the pile of redhot
Goals he had just raked from the fire.
box.
Just about that time l thought old
man Brennan was going to throw fit,
and l got pretty severe shock myself.
Before Dan could let go the throttle it
hoI
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 a hobo, not on the pilot,
but squirming 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
a grade. 49, -+s, ---.
"'How in Sam HILL reared old Bren-
nan, not relishing the dressing down
the hobo gave him-'how In Sam Hill
did you git under my pilotr
"I got here when dis, bloomin tea
kettle was over de pit at Sedalia, but
youse fellows needn' try to barbecue
me for dat, need you?
"Oh. but old Brennan was wrathy!
Come out O dat, We dirty porch climb
er, or I'll set ye back over the fire.
"'How en- I git out wild dis track
under me? the hobo yelled back.
Think en- dig trough itY
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 had plenty of room to sit, 1t
was a very hazardous place to ride. for
In a wreck death would be certain.
When we reached Chamois, % miles
farther Ga, where there was a round
house, the poor devil was released.
But he was sight to see., His 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.
Memphis Scimitar.