The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-05-01


But from this
great host of casual workers-the despair of So
cioIogsts-the ranks of the tramps and the yegg-
men, kept full Indeed in this great aggre-
cation Of men that the city pushes forth each
spring and receives back each autumn the tramps
might be likened to the non-commissioned officers
and. the 'yeggmen' to the commanders of regf
ments and brigadiers. These gay cats" are SIM
ply the private soldiers. But no matter by what
name they are known to penologists, they all
spring from the same soil; the Sums of the great
city the factory town. Freight trains carry
most Of them about the country. Despite the at
tempts on the part Of the various railroads to
abate the tramp evil 1t appears to be irrepressbe.
AS fast as 1t is subdued road it is to
break out on another with increased force.
The gay cat" is the lowest order of the peripa-
tetic underworld. He is generally devitalized In
competent and lacking In physical courage. There
fore he sneaks into an empty box car and makes
his journey slowly, but in comparative comfort.
The professional hobo" and some Of the "yegg-
men," the other hand, scorn the freights and
disdain to ride anything but passenger trains,
especially the much-advertised limited flyers,
they can boast about 1t afterward and vaunt them
selves around the campfres of their kind
There are not few gay CATS" however who
travel passenger trains and these are curiously
enough, those whose trade is setting the steel on
big buildings or bridges, men of nerve and daring.
These ride either blind baggage" between the
Dd6SoSc
locomotive tender) or the trucks of the wheels,
under the cars themselves. Riding blind bag
gage" is comparatively comfortable, but the riders
are liable to have Jumps of coal thrown at them
by the fremen. Holding down the rods" though.
which Is one Of the slang terms for riding the
trucks is more dangerous and dirty, but less sub
ject to interruption route. 1t is when the train
takes curve at high speed that the gay cat
who is riding on the trucks goes his last and
longest journey. Sleep or hunger fatigue
may loosen his grasp for second, and he goes
under the hurrying wheels. This manner OF death
is called 'greasing the rails" which is quite
graphic enough to warrant avoiding further de-
scription Thousands of gay cats" and others
risk their lives blindly in this way every hour of
the "a This item in the butchers bill of the rail-
ways is enormous.
There are some travellers tales that have been
told so often by gay cats" and by tramps that
they have become tradition-amost classics of
their kind. One is the story of man now known
az Portland Shorty" He was gay cat" riding
the trucks on a fast passenger train in the west
some years ago. There was bad wreck during
the night and many were killed. Shorty" COW
cred with dirt and blood, and really very seriously
hurt finally succeeded in extricating himself from
the wreck and crawled out. By that time 1t was
daylight and the relief train with its surgeons had
arrived Shorty" was man of education and
Intelligence Grooming with pain which was not
stimulated he let the company surgeon and claim
agent bend over him. Hell be MANNED for life
IL he lives Better settle with him as well as you
can" he heard the surgeon whisper to the claim
agent shorty" signed waiver Of damages in
side Of ten minutes and got $500 in cash. He
was taken to the company's hospital. cared for
and cured. Strangely enough he kept his money.