New-York tribune., 1902-01-12
TRAVEL IN THE WEST.
ITS PICTURESQUE ASPECTS HOME
SEEKERS WHO DO NOT RID
IN PALACE CARS.

IN PALACE CARS.
Passenger trafic in the West has been greatly
Increased in late years by homeseekers' excursions
and the like. the tide of emigration widening into
ver1table floods Of people at times when certain
LANDS are opened or unknown sections Doomed
by enterprising railroad companies And with this
increase come not few improvements in travelling
cars; the engineers cling more closely to their
schedule and Pullnans patronized unto
the point Of paying But the sumptuous elegance
the reserved demeanor and hurrying intent pre-
vailing in the East is nowhere be found upon
passenger train crawling a Western prairie
Homeseekers take trips easily than any OF
the travelling public out West. They are content
10 remain trains for days and nights without
so much stretching their legs over the platform
steps. Cold victuas. older coffee. black and strong
and hard bed on the dirty serve as Their
comforts upon journey to and promised
land. The women with their laps full of CRYING
infants take the hardshps as a matter of course
while the men are apt to smoke strong smelling
pipes and discourse in their native drawl upon the
future riches in for them in the land to
which they travelling Radiant indeed are the
hopes of these people.
On the principal trunk lines leading to such
countries as Oklahoma and Indian Territory the
homeseeker is predominant above all other classes
Special cars are reserved for the crowds Of them
coming from points east OF Chicago, where thew
congregate TO take advantage of excursion rates
Ihey are herded into two cars as the nuno.
Der may require. with excursion agent sent alons
Upon arrival this agent also is of material as
slstance in getting them good land at reasonable
rates OF course. 1t is the business of the railway
company TO look well TO its own affairs and the
agent places them as near his line as possible, Sc
as 20 catch all future travel Immigration agents
'"ho are none other than real estate men working
on larger scale) carry pockets full of passes thai
they may influence homeseekers to buy near their
roads.
In the West dining cars are patronized little
although The Frisco and one or two smaller
ROADS nave put them Eating stations along
the railways serve the purpose. and these are not
wei patronized. Most travellers of the poorer
class bring their luncheon along and eat 1t in the
cars. The stoves used for heating the cars are
often used TO cook victuals for those who have
the nerve 10 overlook train porter The smell of
coffee and bacon is not unusual in travelling in
the Southwest, more especially where the home
seeker is most numerous
Some queer incidents happen on trains going
through Western States. Marriages. fights murders
and even the trial of felony have been known
10 occur. in days of border strife 1t was A COM
mon thing for two more men TO engage in a
quarrel and fight 1t out while riding from one sta
non 10 another. The writer has been riding more
than once the Missouri Kansas and Texas
Railroad in the Indian Territory when a deputy
marshal boarded it. found a man for whom he was
searching and. being resisted in making the ar
rest. fired and duel ensued. The best shot won
often the passengers taking a hand to protect
their own lives. The most desperate murder on a
near Fort Gibson, Ind. T. several years ago
Jack" Goldsby, young Indian. shot and killed
Bill Rogers, a halfblood negro Indian and hung
his body TO the bell cord so that passers might
view 1T dangling there. The murder was provoked
through spirit Of revenge. Rogers having be-
trayed Godsby's brother the noted Cherokee Bill
into the hands of officers
Marriages are common on board Western trains
Only few weeks ago young woman from the
western part OF NewYork State was called TO Okla
homa by her sweetheart, fireman on a Choctaw
Irelgnt She met the freight at Oklahoma City, a
RED at intervals when he was not shoveling coal
There was no spare time for him to stop off for
the ceremony, so the girl took the next best plan
to become the wife Of the man she loved.
on train occurred on a Frisco passenger train
tain United States COMMISSIONED was anxious TO
clear his docket before another session of the Fed
eral Court. He did not live in the town where his
court was situated; and made the trip there in
Ierxals OF Two weeks Coming back from court one
in felony case The accused and witnesses were
TOT was along; not uncommon. however. for all
lived in the same town up the road nifty miles: The
case in a hurry, so he convened in the front
conductor as baiiifs and the case proceeded ArTV
ing at his station the train was held five minutes
1t happened that the man was convicted, his SEN
tence there pronounced, and the same train that
took him free carried him on TO prison con-
deTnned aeI his keeper being deputy delegated TO
Some Of the, the most amusing. INCIDENTS. in train
Lsnsa % bera St I'm may ne seen N MlssouTI ana Ar
extreme There are whole counties full of peopie
In either State who never gazed upon a train. and
men and women full grown have never ridden in
lima gine the action of such persons when
they take their first trip in the covered cars
Glngerly, indeed, do they take their seat, fright
ened within IAN inch of their lives are they when
the train starts. and relieved of a great burden
when the conductor inspects and finds their tickets
satisfactory. These backwoods folk afford great
amusement for the travellers of more experience
and many times jokes that intended innocently
enough prove disastrous.
a backwoodsman and his wife taking
their first trip on 1.-THE Iron Mountain through
Arkansas commercial traveller seated behind
began TO converse with his seatmate about certain
tunnel through which they pass He limited
in loud tone of voice that the tunnel had been
condemned, and he would sooner not ride through
IL. At the station preceding passage through the
tunnel he got off, his original plan. The
countryman and his wife followed, and ali per
suasion the part Of the conductor and agent
could not induce them 10 up the remainder OF
railroad ticket, already bought and paid for
On of the short lines in the West train
schedules are noticed scarcely at all. Western
Kansas affords good cUen and prairie chicken
shooting. and branch trains coming into Wichita
often bring baskets flied with these fowl. The
hands go for hours shooting. Such
are not calculated to harrow ones soul with fast
riding. The train crew live fresh meat OF their
own killing. business men seeking a little recrea-
a good deal of sport without leaving the
train which took them out.
Such a thing tip is unknown to train porters.
They would not know what say If paid for a
little Information. The Pullman company put
their cheapest coaches the roads of the South
west, adjoining the new countries. One cannot
patronage limited TO Fasteners and ''hoated West
err arstocracy.'' who do not know the difference.
Cattlemen usually enjoy the best there is
Western train, and they nearly always dead
heads. Drinking liquor is common. and man
considers it a breach of etiquette to pass his flask
in a crowded passenger coach.