The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-08-06
.AiSLuxUriOuS Ride

AiiCf 81 uMt nCtu ltNtlNtu ih Wy
telegraph-room o. one ~ The Chicago
newspapers a few nights ago, the Of
fee manager who. In his day, had
been a celebrated tourist" hlled his
sorncob pipe and regaled his fellow
knights Of the key with the following
tale.
1T was few months after the big
strike Of 49, when telegraphers an
over the country qult work at the sig
nal Grant Is dead, that / starred ous
as a tourist was in Detroit at the
time and had a good sit as assistant
train dispatcher but went out with the
others. One fellow who talked louder
at the meetings than anyone else was
the first 20 go back. and he was given
my place in the office. 1he oisciols of
the road sent for me several times, but
] ignored them. much to my sorrow, as
II afterward turned ont. OF course, we
lost the strike, and when Il came TO
casting about for another job little
Willie found that he had been black.
listed-at least where ] applied for
work ] was told there was nothing
doing.
Il had a friend who was chief train
dispatcher for the 7. & P. at Texar-
kama, Ark, and wrote to him, asking
II he could stake me to anything. In a
few days ] got a letter from him tell.
ing me to come on, and he would give
me the night trick at Terrell, Texas. 1t
paid only $40 per, but that was a
whole lot better than loafing. ! rode
the bumpers to st. Louis, where l land.
ed on a Sunday morning That after.
noon ( made two attempts to get out
Of town on the Iron Mountain road,
but each time was driven off freight
trains by the brakemeu. AS the walk.
ing was pretty good, hit the ties to
Jefferson Barracks, where ] side.
tracked until train came along after
dusk.
1T was through freight, pound for
Texas points, and / hoped aboard of 2
fat car on which were two broughams.
The carriages were covered with can.
gas and cleated, and said to myself
Jim, old boy. if you could only get ir
to one Df those wagons & Pullman
sleeper wouldn't i've in &C. crawled
up under The canvas covering and
tried the doors Of one but nothing 10
ing. Then tackled the other one,
and JUST as true as I'm sitting here
found one Of the doors unlocked.
There was luck Tor you! I crawied
into the carriage through a narrow
space-wasn't as fleshy then as / am
now-and, say, there were cushions
inside that'd drive man crazy.
didn't do a thing but fix up a nice bed
for myself and | tore off about nine
hours Of the most peaceful slumber
mat e mad ever been my good fortune
tc enjoy
The next morning the train got Ia
the end OF a division, where got out
and bought something 10 eat I also
quenched my thirst at the dcpot
pump, and as had something like
SO in my jeans, / bought some tobacco
and clay pipe. After the trair
PULLED out got back into the hacb
again unnoticed by the crew, and
enjoyed my smoke like those Turks
whose pictures YOU see ON the cigar
cite boxes
When we got to Walnut Ridge
about 225 miles from ST. Louis, ] lad
another opportunity 10 replenish the
commissary department That LASTED
me until got 10 Beebe, Ark. where
j filled up on goose plums anC
peaches
When the train reached Texar
kama, after a run of 500 miles from
81. Louis ] got out and hurried NJ
70 the chief dispatehers office of tn,
Texas & Pacific road knew th,
train would lay over at Texarkana Al
least half al hour giving me time e
see the dispatcher and catch my pri
7ate ear before she pulled out foI
Dallas,
The dispatcher was pretty busy
when broke IN or him, but ne tool
time 20 tell me that tbs Job at Ter
rell vas still open and to get ther,
at once. was delayed several min
utes in seeing him. and when I hike,
back to the yards where | had lef
my special saw it pulling out The
fiat car with the carriages or II wal
in about the middle OF tho train mex
20 car OF coal. stood behind al
oil tank. keeping out Of sighG OF ihl
brakes, and when Z saw the Goa
car come along with no fiat behind /
my heart sank. While ] was up a
the dispatcher's office they had Gu
out the fiat car, Texarkana being IT.
destination.
There was nothing for me TO d'
hui 60 back to the dispatcher's ofic'
; and brace him for transportation 4
Terrell. On my second visit to hi
Office found him not so busy, and II
r an offhand way l said:
! "'By the way. Jack, ! forgot to asl
You for transportation when wa
here a little while ago.
Eyes, said he. and was so bus
at the time l forgot sll about Il my
self
"He then wrote me an order on tn
E superintendent, which got me In
. pass. coaainued my journey witht
[ an hour o. passenges rain, ous
q would rathes nave been on The ia
car.
Since then / ntd riGden on som
Of the most luxurioGs sleepers tina
were ever pulled over road, but
never enjoyed trip so much as di
s-.t .fa. f~ou, O. n,tfc ~ rravarlron