davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-18
GEORGIA HARPER.

The cartwhecl hat worn by Georgia
Harper in the third act Of "Nell
Gwynne," naturally leads on who Is
not acquainted with the history Of
The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-18
WEEKLY ASToRIAN.
THE WEATHER..

Western Oregon-Cloudy; probably
showers and warmer.
The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-18
Chorus.

Chorus.
Preislied (Paraphrase) ...
... Wagner Wilhelmi
Valsc dc Concert. ert.........,M Mnsin
Mr.. Eichenlaub.
Were My Songs With Wings Pro-
vided ......,..........h Hahn
A Little Winding Road 49,. Ronald
A Birthday ........,.. cowcn
Mr., Montcith
AT the Cloistcr Gate, ... Grieg
Solo, Chorus and Orchestra.
Soprano solo Mrs. Finch
Alto solo ............ Miss Conyers
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Great Railroad Yards.

Wilat a sight there is in those
yartis' Acres and acres OF tracks
with thousanes Of ears coming from
and going e every corner or the
country. II is TO wonder a shipper
has TO allow two or three days extra
TO get shipments through this great
center. our train being a through
freight we were not 10 90 Into the
city proper. but be delivered o the
Belt lne-a line operating In Chicago
10 transfer cars from one railroad
company TO another. IL was here that
the baltimore and ohio finished and
the Santa Re took me n charge
I'll never forget she sights / saw
30 the yards that cold wintf,- morn
ing. 1 was up and about lops before
deyllght and with the first faint rays
Of dawn ! saw figures moving in and
out among the tracks. scratching In
the earth near tho ears. Later when
old Sol had penetrated the banks Of
smoke enough TO enable me to make
out these figures ! found they were
women and children, mostly young
girl. scratching in the heaps for elm
ders. Some carried great sacks, some
baskets. while others gathered the
preciees eoals in their skirts turned
up. Nvrat a thought! To think OF
these poor creatures being reduced
to such penury. Possibly every day
during the winter months this same
scene Is enacted. and I learned from
yardmen that 1t Is a common thing
for one OF these poor creatures to be
run down BY one OF the scores of en-
gines which ply back and forth. in
and out. among the myriads OF cars.
And who Is 10 mourn the loss? After
all il may be that those run down are
the lucky ones. had a whole morn
ing Of these scenes duplicated up
and down the track.
About ! O'Clock we were in train
made up to go over TO the Belt. and by
s O'Clock the Belt had delivered US TO
the Santa Fe. There were no fast
freights out that night and the next
day being Sunday 1 knew that We
were in FOX a lengthy delay. I turned
in that Saturday night somewhat sore
on the systems that exist around
Chicago in handling freight, and If
were supposed to be in a special I
truly felt for the fellows in the ordi-
nary freightsi
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Another Long Delay.

About 5 o'clock Sunday morning
1 heard a marking On my car and
looking out saw an old Dutchman
making some hieroglyphies on the
door; we were side tracked on the
fats away of, it seemed miles and
miles from anything civilized.
I went out, and upon looking at the
old chaps MARKS, found he mad written
in flaming letters: bad Order-Re-
turn to Belt end transfer" Ny heart
touched bottom st that. for had al
ready experienced my share OF delay,
and now TO be sent back TO that Belt
line and have to transfer and break
up housekeeping! I followed the old
fellow down the long line of cars and
tried the influence Of my cigars and
persuasive powers to get him to rub
of those marks At first ne was in-
dignant at the suggestions. but finallv
he did condescend TO talk it over, but
no amount of argument would induce
him to release me, SO I had to give it
up and await results at the yard
when pulled IN for the yasJ. master s
inspection. We finally reached there
after four or five hours moee Of the
flats, and succeeded there TO the ex-
tent chat the yard master placed my
car ia the shop, although it was sun
day. and had the necessary repairs
MADE. thereby enabling me to get out
Of Chicago on the O'Clock Red Ball.
No. 80. Sunday night.
Maybe those engines on the Santa
Fe didn't speed US along, once they
got started Our car was what was
known among the train crews as
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
BY A. G. SHARPE.

- UT for Tessie I would have un-
- doubtedly gone across the Con
tinent TO the West coast in the
modern, up-to-date way, as my
people had done before me in five days
on Pullman. But the thought OF leav-
ing Tess after two and half years of
constant eompanionship was too much
for me. / parted with my family on
the steps Of their car at the new
Union Station, and made my way 70
the freight yards TO get the old box
car in readiness for the sixteen days
trip before me.
Tess is an intelligent little horse
From the time she drew her first
breath ana gamboled at old Rates
heels on the helds near Chevy Chase
I had played with her. carrying her in
my arms at the start. then taught
her tricks and later breaking her TO
harness and the ways OF 4 sure
enough" horse. She shows her ap-
probation OF all that is done for her
in so many ways that / willingly de-
cided TO give up the luxuries OF the
first-Ciass to hobo" IL IN a bcx car
with her.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Arrangements for Travel.

had heard all sorts OF stories about
the actions of horses when travelling
long distances. so I took precautions
against every emergency. One end u
the car L partitioned of into a large
box stall. I padded this all around
with stuffed sacks and loaded in quaa-
titles Of saWdust, so that the only
way in which my charge could get
any severe bumps was to turn Fer
r1s wheels" and strike the ceiling. As
Ibis feat had not been included in the
list of probabilities" described to me,
even by the widest Of my informers.
I felt thar Tess was we'll provided
for
Tor my own convenience 1 parti-
toned of a twelve-foot space, the
width Of the car. next to the horses
stall Into this / loaded my rations
box, a big sealed case with 4 regular
"SalmagundT' deal in it-everything
from baked chicken 10 crackers and
smokes" This. with the blankets,
alcohol cooker, anG oil heater, com
pleted nv outfit
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16

stop: when I went ahead 90 my own
car. Tess was all smiles 10 see me
back That was her FIRST spell alone
and she miss ID me. / could tell by
the reception she gave me; In fact
I couldn't go out of her sight IN the
car that she wouldn't whinny.
After that ride In the caboose I often
took my mandolia back and played
with the men there. but no sooner
would / commence to get acquainted
with the crew than we would reach
the end cf the divisioa. where We al
ways changed crews and engines.
Al In the morning OF the fourth
day out from Washington ! awoke
ia South Chicago-not like Mr.. DoOley
when he told about the wonders OF
the Pullman cars where you go 20
sleep one night in New York and are
still awake the next morning in Chi
cago-for really slept. / had more
room in my compartment than Mr.
Dooley.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16

away back the line, and as IL was after
? o'clock when they pulled into our
snow-clad village. they were all pretty
near the limit. The unconventional
little store seemed to have broken
the last barrier between classes for
the time and all were alike and en-
joying It. I, too, entered into the spirit
or the thing and enjoyed It immensely
after the days OF isolation I had had.
Twas ar this point. too. we saw our
first cowboys. A couple came across
the country in a cloud of snow, their
ponies humping up TO the train and
the riders looking Ike the kind you
read about They both claimed TO be
IN search of better halves.
About midnight. long after Tess and
I had turned in. our train pumped
out and we started on our upward
trend toward Ration. With three en-
gines 10 our train, we were TO climb
a grade of twenty-seven miles. going
to an elevation of 1850 feet Even
with our three engines we barely
era wled along. I could have walked
faster.
It took us until after daylight the
next morning to reach the summit and
never win I forget that experience.
Colds Wen I'll bet liquid air would
melt on these hills. Tess was blowing
icebergs from her nostrils and in try
ing to open my ear door my hand
came in contact with q piece Of metal
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16

% he delight CD Of -iding
across the continent for
sixteen days in a rail-
way box car, with
horse. is not given to
everyone to enjoy. This is what
a Washington man, A. G. Sharpe,
who formerly lived near Chevy
Chase, did. He recently removed
TO Corona, Cal, where he purposes
making his future home.
His trip from coast to coast was
an unusually eventfuI one, and he
has written a very graphic descrip-
ton Of it for The Sunday Times
readers. Travelling at it's best is a
firing, irlsome thing, but when 1t
is done in a freight car, without
springs with the hundreds Of
bumps attendant to the switching
that is done at nearly every sta
ton en- route, it is anything but
sublime Joy. Following is Mr..
Sharp's description of the rip:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Made Stln and Sore.

] could stand IL, though knowing that
every jolt was q boost in the right d.
reetIon. although at times that car
would vibrate so that for hours my
sides would ache and I'd have to tie
myself up in a knot and wait for sid
ing or a watering station 20 get a
clear breathing spell. I'd take advan-
tage OF these stops to write postals 10
my family, telling them of Tay prsg-
resg.
These pOstaIs I'd have to save until
some fellow would happen near our
car at one OF the stops-when 1 would
get him 10 mail them.
I remember talking with a fellow in
The southern part Of Illinois. after he
had agreed TO mail my pestals for me.
/ was asking him about his village and
what was doing.
"Pard." he said, she's dead-not
even the unexpected happens here" I
don't know whether he'd been read
ing Puck or not, but his answer gave
me a good idea as to the possibilities
OF some OF these little towns we were
going through.
Occasionally we stopped at one of
those little Western towns in Kansas
for water, and I took advantage of
the chance to get a glimpse of them.
Most of the stores. as a rule. clustered
on one or two streets near the railroad
station, and such surprises as ] struck
In these stores from the outside they
appeared to be the regulation "coun-
Jry-jake," one-hOrse affairs. in little.
low buildings, but inside they were
usually modern in every respect. every
equipment that modern up-to-date
city store would have, ana they all
seemed to be doing a thriving business.
Great raw-boned clerks! Every one of
Chem seemed to be at least six feet
tail, and for politeness most OF them
could teach the Eastern fellows a
thing or two.
At Kansas City We took on another
zulu" just ahead of US, a man and
his son, with six horses, a dog and
their household effects. going TO ore
gon. The first night out the lad bub-
bled over and wished he had gone on
ahead with mamma, expressing some
what the sentiment I felt at times.
At Dodge City our clocks slid back
an hour and 1 found that while we
left Wright, station seven miles east
Of Dodge, at 1880, we reached the fat-s
ter at IL O'Clock. a feat that should
make old Father Time sit IN and take
notice I'd been having hard time
disposing of the time as it was. and
TO have another thrown in like this
was .'sorter rubbing It in, thought.
1t was along here that We had a
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16

and a good portion Of the hand -
there yet-at least Il hadn't thawed on
when I left the car. IL was a sight
in those mountains, thought I got up
long before daybreak and had my oil
stove working ana my coffee boiling.
I then wrapped up 81 my army blanket
and stood Ia my observation oompart-
ment" TO watch the sun rise.
Ration City, one-half way down the
grade, we found to be a real Western
town. Cowboys, Mexieans, and In-
dams en- al sides; saloons. with their
little gaming tables, going full blast.
The main street racing the depot, com
posed OF about thirty stores, twenty
eight Of them saloons. one the post
office, and the other a souvenir card
parlor.
AT Albuquerque we had another 60
cident ] was the lucky one again, two
ears. just ahead OF mine on the same
train, jumped the tracks at a parting
Of a switch. The wheels plowed
through the ties. tearing them COM
pletely IN TWO for fifty feet along the
track One OF them was the Oregon
zulu" and such scrambling as there
was among the horses-luckily. though.
we were going very slowly. and no
serious harm was done Ny car never
even LETT the track. This cost Us sew
eraI hours delay, and when we pulled
out we had more company IN the
shape of six cars Of "squeelers' or
hogs. going 10 Los Angeles. The old
chap who had charge OF them had
travelled the country for years. and
I found him great company in pointing
out places Of interest along the way
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Twenty.fOur Hour Behind.

Each freight train carries a crew OF
at least two brakemen and one con-
ductor beside the engineer and FIRE
man. The caboose as a rule, is ftted
up very nicely with cook stove, water,
hunks, etc. I might have Travelled in
them had I so desired, but I pre-
ferred 10 be with the horse. as I had
no idea what capers she might cut II
/ left her. II took us until the next
morning to reach Washington juno
ton, the first glimpse Of civilization
and out OF doors We had. Another
hour saw us in Frederick, and there,
owing TO the fact that We had lost
the daily fast freight from Wishing
ton. we waited until O'Clock the next
morning and caught the fast freight
Just twenty-four hours behind sched-
ule
Another eight hours saw US in
Cumberland. away up in the noun
tains, surrounded on every side by
great peaks, and once in here one
could hardly figure out how it was
the trains ever managed to get out.
There didn't seem TO be a passage
way out on any side. And oh, that
thump we got there! We were be-
ming 10 get ''accIimated" and were
IA rest getting a little breathing spell
when suddenly my coffee pot went
one way. my ham and eggs another.
and I both ways. I don't know how
Tess took il, for 1 was somewhat
taken up with my own affairs at the
time I think. however, she stood il
better than I did, for as soon as
could collect my self I saw that she
was alive and kicking. / think that
engineer must have been working on
pile driver or possibly he had
grudge against US, for he backed half
way up one Of those big mountains TO
get a good start and rub it into us.
We stood it though, and II was just
as well we were initiated then, as
there were plenty more Ike bumps to
follow From 10 a. m. until $50 D. m
We switched" around those tracks In
Cumberland and nothing Of much i'm
portance happened until we struck
Chicago Junction.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Start in Snow Drizzle.

Twas showing, one OF those sticky
"elingy-" kinds when old St. L. .aad 3.
F. 22iUI backed up at the slip about
p IN. for as 90 get aboard
Tess snorted and trod easy like"
in crossing the plank, but once in her
stall she felt at ease and that bundle
of timothy aIlayed any further fears
she may have had for the moment.
But poor Tessie was all of a culver
those first few hours. Owing to the
weather we were delayed in starting
and consequently didn't catch the fast
freight We were booked for. so for
Two hours we switched back and forth
in the Washington yards. one bump
after another. as we would couple on
TO the various cars in making up the
train
II Is easier traveliLs on a car near
the engine, SO the shipping clerk had
arranged for us to set our start that
way. We were right behind the ten
der, and when the old iron horse would
lurch forward with his powerful snort.
which could b5 heard for blocks. with
tbs flashes from the fire box showing
through the cracks in our car, casting
weird fantastic shadows, Tessie gave
UP and JUST whined like baby:
even timothy and oats losing their
effect FOR a time. and when a second
monster would come blowing its Wav
by us on the next track the moor
little animal would tremble and hide
her head In my sweater in ostrich
style Twas enough 10 scare her
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16

passenger train pulled back with a
hunoyed hungry travellers looking for
fodder" II was truly a novel sight
10 see the buBeh OF Rexicans. Indians
negroes. cowboys, Cinnamon. Anglo
Saxon. and others all scramble down
from the cars and trudge several hum
dred feet in the snow 10 the little
store FOR the anticipated neal
There was an imitation restaurant
connected with the store, with ac-
com7lodations for about six, 50 it
didn't take long for an overflow when
the crowd took possession Of the
premises. Men, women, and ohildren
crawled over the counters grabbing
doughnuts, cheese. crackers. canned
goods. etc.-none. suppose, with IN
tention 10 "swipe" put each afraid
that the supply would not hold cut
After a tithe the appetites we're all ap-
pea5ed, when the whole crowd went
in for a snowballing while wait
ing for the train 10 proceed again
The storm had absted somewhat and
there was just enough snow falling
10 add TO the sport. There were In
dams. and dainty Games IN white
slippers snowballing back and forth
along with the pullman porters and
the bunch OF Chinese coolies. In fact.
I never saw such cosmopolitan
crowd mixed up IN the same melee.
IT seems that they had not had
chance TO get anything 70 eat since
about six that morning at a station
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Drawing Made BY Mr.. Sharpe Of Hin
self and Tessie in the Box Car.

regular old Kansas blow. Gosh! how
it did push. I realized then the neces-
sity OF low houses and the cyclone pits
OF which I had seen many. At times
it seemed almost as though our car
would blow from the track turned
in early the night of the gale TO get
away from it all. and the next morn
ing / found that the blow had some
thing to back it up. for we We're creep
ing along in a binding snow, the
wind squeezing and crowding the
flakes through every nook and crack
in our car II wasn't so cold, but
felt sure from the conditions outside
that we wouldn't even be creeping
long. as the snow was binding and I
could hardly see the trains on the next
track to Us. Sure enough, II wasn't
long before we were sided at a measley
little station, with the report that
there was big wreck ahead Further
particulars disclosed the fact that
twas a head-on collision.
The first section Of Red Bail, No. SO,
ran into northbound freight train.
iniuring a brakeman and mangling
two carloads Of sheep that were next TO
the engine, just where we would have
been had we Travelled on the first sec
ton. SO. while we regretted the delay,
we felt in luck to be alive and kicking
even though we were booked FOR a
twelve-hour delay, waiting for the
tracks to be cleared.
Our station was the nearest point
to the wreck where anything could
be found to eat. About o'clock a
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Mr.. Sharpe and His Horse, Tessie, il
the Midst Of an Orange Grove
at Corona, Cal.

zulu meaning live stock and emil
grants cars. They have right of way,
and are rushed with all possible speed.
and for miles we made from twenty
five 10 thirty miles an hour. This
speed on q freight car. with stih
springs under a light load. is going
some. The old car bounced so that
boxes Weighing three or four hundred
pounds would bounce from one end OF
the car 10 the other in going a very
short distance. and IL was impossible
20 do q thing while the car kept up
this gait. To ear was out Of the CUES
ton. for a fellow would make two OF
three passes at his mouth before max
ing connection, and 20 drink was be-
yond ali reaCOn.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16

-seeasrS, Ns4a4 -olis4es tl4e l1ua
AN" showed me the town, a quaint
typical Western place, There a fellow
Jan see most every type imaginable,
rom the sQUaWs, who meet the trains
with their beads and other Indian
curiOs TO the Cinnamon. driving the
teams, and the Indians IN the stores
IT did seem strange to see 50 many
different types filling positions which,
in the East, seem 10 be held by the
same uniform classes from place TO
place / peeped into a saloon at this
plaCe-fnot a habit OF mlne)-cut OF
curiosity, and there were representa-
lives from almost every cline seated
around one table playing the games OF
chance. / had thought in reading OF
such things in books that they were
oVerdOnc. but the scenes I saw Ver1-
ned the widest pictures. Twas true
e was not the wild and woody West
so often pictured, but so radically dif-
ferent from the disciplined East that
I couldn't help but take Notice.
Needles is the gateway to California
on the Santa Fe, and 1 can't say the
scenery was what 1 had pictured Tor
the country. I learned later, though,
that I looked too soon for the reaIiza-
ton of my dream and Tesgie's release.
All around us and below we could
see the fertile valleys What a con-
trast IN that short distaneei From
perpetual snow as one often finds on
those mountains to continual summer
in the valley and such a valley as Il
IS. too. Who can ever estimate it,
Tessie and 7 would not leave this land
of perpetual sunshine and flowers and
fruits and birds for the life IN the
East It's worth the sixteen-day trip,
and I'd take another twice as long TO
get back II I should, by some freak OF
fate, be transported away. Poor. stiff
Tess was glad 70 strike terra firrnaf'
again when we reached our destination
in Gonna, California. She fairly leaned
the gang-plank IN leaving the car.
Well. I enjoyed the trip, but that
was only the means to the end. and I
can conscientiously say that the end
has more than justified the means.
N ~
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-16
Coz 10 SIeep La Night.

I had steeled myself for the worst.
though, and was not discouraged. but
did want TO have It over with so
I dispatched a quick feed OF cold
chicken and rolls. wrapped myself In
nay blanket and sought my DUNK. one
thing about me I can sleep If given
the slightest chance. and IL wasn't
long before Tess, box car, and ali
were forgotten, and I was eating the
golden fruit IN the grove with my
loved ones at my destination. But,
alas, this dream was one of the things
temporary. for suddenly / felt an aw-
fui jolt at my head. Tt was some sec
onds before 1 could collect my
thoughts sufficiently to place myself
and then L realized what had happen
ed. II had been too much for Tess
when blew out the light. She stood
II for a time, then reached over the
partition that divided US, and jerked
the pillow from under my head.
I talked TO her. telling her all was
we'll and finally allayed her fears for
awhile. but no sooner bad 1 dozed on
than il happened again, and, after the
third time. got up and tied her close
so that / might sleep IN peace She
was too wise Tor me. though. for after
this she snorted so that finally gave
it up ana spent the balance Of the
night quoting the poor animal.
II must have seemed strange and
fearful 20 her. for IL was so TO me,
and / had planned the thing. Fortu-
nately during my sleep we had finish
ed the humping preliminarfes and
when I awoke ali We could hear was
the measured thud OF the car as Il
sped from rail 10 rail beating time
with its steady thuds to the tunes
that would fit through my head.