Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-04-10

them "gay cats
But from this
great host casual workers-the despair of So
ciologists-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 lkened to the non-commissioned officers
and the "yeggmen' to the commanders of regi
ments and brigadiers These gay cats sim
ply the private soldiers. But matter by what
name they known to penologists. they all
spring from the same soil; the slums of the great
city the factory town. Freight trains carry
most of them about the country. Despite the at
tempts the part of the various railroads to
abate the tramp evil it appears to be irrepressible
AS fast as it is subdued one road it is sure to
break out 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 empty box 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 muchadvertised limited flyers. SO
they boast about it afterward and vaunt them
selves around the campfires of their kind
There not few gay CATS however, who
travel on passenger trains, and these curiously
enough, those whose trade is setting the steel
big buildings or bridges, men of nerve and daring.
These ride either blind baggage (between the
-doorless-end of the baggage and the
locomotive tender). the trucks of the wheels,
under the themselves Riding blind bag
gage is comparatively comfortable, but the riders
are liable to have Jumps of coal thrown at them
which is 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 a curve at high speed that the gay cat
who is riding on the trucks goes his last and
longest journey. Sleep hunger fatigue
may loosen his grasp for a second, and he goes
under the hurrying wheels. This manner of death
is called egreasing the rails" which is quite
graphic enough avoiding further de-
scription. Thousands of gay cats" and others
risk their lives bIindly in this way every hour of
the "a. This item in the butchers bill of the rail-
ways is enormous.
There some travellers tales that have been
told often by gay cats and by tramps that
they have become tradition-amost classics of
their kind. One is the story of a man known
as Portland Shorty He gay cat riding
the trucks fast passenger train in the west
years ago. There was bad wreck during
the night and many killed. Shorty
cred with dirt and blood, and really very seriously
hurt finally succeeded in extricating himself from
the wreck and crawled out. By that time it
daylight and the relief train with its surgeons had
arrived. Shorty of education and
intelligence Groaning with pain which not
stimulated he let the company surgeon and claim
agent bend him. Hell be MANNED for life
If he lives Better settle with him as~well you
can he heard the surgeon whisper to the claim
agent Shorty signed a 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