River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-07-30
The Conversion of
Slow Foot Robinson
By HARLE OREN CUMMINS
Copyright, 1908. By Daily story Pub. Co,

HTIEN construction train, Extra No.
wv $40 west, drew out of Bad River,
its 10 freight cars were supposed to be
carrying but two things-steel rails
and wooden ties for the track layers
on the new spur at Big Bend.
Orders had come from the general
managers office that the proposed line
of track on the mountain division,
connecting Big Bend and the Pass,
must be completed before July 1, and
the superintendent of the division
was working his men over time to have
those orders obeyed.
Indeed, in making up No. 34O, two
box cars had been pressed into service.
Now, box cars are hardly what one
would select from choice to transport
railroad ties on account of the time
lost in loading and unloading through
the doors However, the last order
from the dispatcher from the Pass had
read: "Send up nine cars of rails and
ten cars of ties. Rush." and, there be-
ing only II FLATS" in the yard, it had
simply been a case of Hobson's choice
for the other two cars.
Ihave said that No. $40 was supposed
to be carrying only construction ma
terial This supposition was incor-
rect, for snugly tucked away in the
rear of the box car next to the engine.
was an. exceedingly ragged and dirty
specimen of humanity.
He must undoubtedly have had
christian name at some time, but that
had long ago been forgotten, and he
was known by the very appropriate
sobriquet given him by his hobo fra
ternity-Slow-Foot Robinson.
He had waited around the yard
while the cars were being loaded, for
he knew that the train was bound for
the spur This being in the direction
he himself proposed travelling. he had
accordingly decided to beat his way
as far as Big Bend. As it was begin
ming to rain, the box cars at once at
tracted Slow-Foot's attention, and,
finding that the door of the first one
was only part way closed, he waited
in the shelter of pile of lumber until
the train was ready to start.
few minutes later Foley, the
freight conductor, came tramping
along through the rain on final tour
of inspection. Everything apparently
being in order, he waved the starting
signal to the engineer, who was lean
ing out Of the cab
There was a vicious little loot from
No. $40 in reply, and, amidst great
amount of wheeling and coughing, the
construction train slowly pulled out of
the yard.
At the same time ragged figure
shot out from behind the lumber pile,
ran along beside the train for a little
way, then, catching hold of the iron
rail just below the door, swung up
into the foremost box car. In loading
the ties there had been space left in
front of the doors about two feet wide,
and here Slow-Foot soon found him
self AS this was too conspicuous
place to suit his purpose, he scrambled
up on top of the ties, and, crawling
along to the rear, found an opening
between the last row of ties and the
end of the car, just large enough to
hold him, but with very little room to
spare.
Here's what I calls comfor he
chuckled to himself, as he pulled off his
wet boots, wrapped his coat about
them for pillow, and then laid down
at full length on the bottom of the car.
"Here l be in my side-door Pullman,
comfortable and happy as the presi-
dent of the road, and the best part of
it is that it don't cost nobody cent"
With which observation he turned over
on his side and was soon asleep.
Slow-Foot Robinson may have
worked at some time during his event
full career, but if so, no one was pres
emit on that eventful occasion to re-
cord it, He had begun life as
''prushun," or tramp boy, and had been
taught to beg by an old member of the
profession who undertook his educa-
ton, the same as other boys at his age
are taught to work.
For the past ten years he had been
drifting about from one city to an
other sometimes in the west, some
times in the east or south, covering in
all distance of over $4,000 miles. And
he boasted that for not one mile of
this extensive travelling had he ever
paid any railroad company cent.
Strange as it may seem, during all
this time there had never been any
criminal charges against him. Unlike
the majority of his fellow tramps, he
did not steal; he had never been pick
pocket or passed counterfeit money.
The trouble with Slow-Foot was that
he was born tired" as he expressed it.
He was one of the LATEST men living.
1t would have been a very simple
matter to have secured work, for.
owing to the heavy spring rains, the
roadbed on the Bad River division was
in terrible condition, and the section
bosses were taking on new help every
day. They were not over-particular,
either, as to whom they hired, for it
doesn't require skilled labor to WELD
a pick or shovel. But the habits and
THE WIDOWS MITE.