Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1907-08-03

flung the door open, and had received
a hard whack on the head, and as soon
as ne had recovered from the surprise,
let drive at me with whatever was in
his hand. | did not stop to argue
with him in his belligerent state of
mind, but disappeared between two
boxcars and lodged around until the
head end of the train was reached,
when | began another search for an
inside berth. 1t was a car of coal
that finally determined upon and in
this, with both side doors wide open.
passed the night while the long
train wended its squeaking. jolting
way westward.
How it was that the "shacks" new
er disturbed me throughout the night
cannot, with any degree of certain
ty, tell; perhaps the fact that both
side doors were open led them to be-
lieve that no "bo" was contained
therein. At any rate shortly dropped
off to sleep behind breastwork of
coal and did not wake up until nearly
daylight. My car was at a stand
still, and as [ gathered my scattered
thoughts heard the familiar 'toot
toot, - and the jerking of cars when
the engine takes the slack out of the
couplings. But the coal car did not
move. Stumbling to the door could
see the shadow of the train. with the
brakemen swinging their lanterns,
moving away. A quick run brought
me alongside but there was no time to
look for open doors. The rods were
my only hope if | wanted to stay on,
and underneath | swung, glad that the
train was making not more than FIVE
miles an hour at the time.
The discomfort of dust. sand and
gravel, as we'll as cinders, may be
avoided in many walks of life, but
when fellow is holding down the
rods, and low ones at that, on
freight plowing over the desert wastes
of eastern Oregon or western Idaho,
more than mere discomfort is the re-
suit. Eyes, ears, nose and mouth be-
come prey to the whimsicalities of
flying dirt, and in remarkably short
time sharp edged cinders have worked
down your neck until, finally lodged
in particularly aggravating position
near the middle of the spinal column,
it remains to remind you that once up
on time there was feather bed in
an Eastern home where einders and bit
ling dust were unknown quantities.
Fortunately. did not have recourse
to the rods very long, At the next
stop daylight was gradually replacing
the darkAhadows of night. and under
favorable circumstances | would have
enjoyed the beauties of dawning day
on the western plains, but the inside
of any kind of a car appealed to me
more strongly than the changing won
ders of nature. AS | gradually and
cautiously made my way along the side
of the train, ever on the alert for an
unsealed door, | saw a pair of eyes
looking at me from the end door of
car. With one bound | landed on the
coupler, and a welcoming hand from
the inside helped me through. With
out a word the door was carefully
closed, and shortly afterward we pulled
out.
Throughout the day we idled away
the time talking, sleeping or eating
wheat. with which the car was loaded.
as the humor moved us. My compan-
ion had been in the car from Pocatella
and no one had disturbed him. Hunt
ington, a division point for all
freights, was reached early that even
ing. and here | parted with my com
panion, and also with twenty-five of
my precious pennies, which went for
a meal. the first since the day before.
| was somewhat elated over the long
jump to Huntington without being
compelled to "hit the grit. and, with
the meal on my inside. did not care
particularly whether | pulled out of
the Oregon city that night or the next
day. 1t is wonderful how roseate all
the world appears when the inner man
is satisfied. even though there is not
enough coin of the realm in your pock
ct to make noise. Slowly wander
ing back to the railroad yards, at peace
with the world. | little cared whether
"school kept or not. "
On the track next to the main line
stood a freight with caboose and loco
motive attached. 1t was quite dark
and the temptation to be on the move
whenever the opportunity offered be-
comes second nature with man when
he has once determined upon destina-
tion; it was so with me, and | could
M ,,,ora rasicf catching that freight