The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-28
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
NEW YORK, Sept. 27.-Are the dare
devil prociivities exhibited by our
chief executive inherent in the Amer
lean boy?
This question is suggested by the
marked preference of many of our
youth for occupation which involves
daring and adventure. Now the old
frontier days being over and the Indians
all in captivity there is little chance
for the American boy to show his met
tie and assert his predictions, so he
sometimes takes odd ways of doing it.
Several times since the new twenty
hour flyers started running between
New York and Chicago a rather I'M
dersized youth of about sixteen years
of age has made attempts to board the
cowcatcher of the engine and ride on
the front of the train through the
entire trip.
This young man has not succeeded
in his erratic enterprise yet, but I'M
doubtedly he may do so soon.
The name of this young man is Hen
ry Beerman and his father is a we'll
TODD resident of New Jersey.
YES" said the ambitious young fell
low when questioned as to his plans.
Il would rather ride to Chicago on the
cowcatcher than go over Niagara Falls
in barrel. 1t takes more nerve.
Il have travelled across the United
States and back, taking a little circuit
in as well, and in five months time
have Travelled over $4,000 miles and
seen some of our principal cities, with
out it costing me a cent.
Il do not think" he confined, chat
l did anything wonderful at all, al
though there is quite some risk at
tending such adventures as 1 went
through.
Some Get Killed at 1t.
Riding in front of the locomotive
on coWcatchers, or on the iron bars
beneath freight and passenger trains is
all very we'll for experts, but some
greenhorns lose their presence of mind
and get killed at it. 1 never received
a scratch the whole time I was out
except a few cuts from a fusillade of
stones when passing at a very rapid
rate over the st. Paul & Minneapolis
road to La Crosse, Wis"
The speaker exhibited some skin
wounds on his face which looked like
such as might have been received in a
bicycle collision.
My first free ride" said the young
man, was to Buffalo. 1 boarded an oil
train between Granton and New Dur
ham on the Erie road, jumping on as
it was passing along, the only way
that a train can be boarded during the
daytime unless one pays their fare. I
had a comfortable seat on a plank be-
side the oil tank and managed to elude
notice until we got into Buffalo, by
lodging from one side of the tank to
the other, as the Shack or brakeman
came along. took little money with
me when 1 went away so that had
enough to buy meals when I wanted
them. A five dollar bill was my cap
ital and I returned with it intact.
From Buffalo took the first freight
train out on the Lake Erie & Michigan
Southern for Chicago. There board
ed a freight train and was lucky
enough to get into box car where 1
slept until morning and. arrived in
Cleveland, Ohio. Here 1 waited for
the passenger train. 1 boarded the
blind in front of the baggage car This
is capital place to ride as when once
started you are pretty sure not to get
put off, because it cannot be done
without stopping the train.
Hides in Empty Car.
when the train arrived at Toledo I
made for the freight yards and hid
in an empty car, sleeping until morn
ing.
Then bought supply of cake and
sandwiches and returned to the yards
to board an empty stock train for Chi
Cago This l was successful in doing
and laid over the hayracks, where 1
could not be seen by conductor or
brakeman until we arrived in Chi
cago between 6 and p. m. This is
one of the SofteSt snaps that the tramp
traveller can secure. The hay is kept
in an attic of the car over the racks
and in the partition between the racks
is manhole. By lodging through
this as the brakeman passes up either
side of he train his watchful eye may
be avoided. l may say here that when
q brakeman or conductor is short a
quarter or half dollar he will hunt the
car carefully from end to end in search
of a tramp, and will throw him off I'M
less he ponies up
My next trip was from the Union
stock yards to a place called Water
loo Iowa, which station 1 reached on
a great North Western freight train.
1T did not look promising, so I re-
turned directly to Chicago. My funds
were now getting exhausted SO like all