The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-04-07


them gay cats.
Bat from this %'-
great host OF casual Nori;c:S-tlle despair of
cioogists-ihe ranks cf tire .gamps and the yegS
Mon arc kept fH'i tslaead in this great aggre-
CATION of men thai the city pushes forth each
spring and receives bark each autumn the tramps
might be iisc.eI 10 The om:,;ssioredo officers
ard the s'ycSgmeu'' TO the commanders of regi
rnens ana Grisad;eTs. These gay cats are sim
ply the private soitiirrs Eat 10 matter By what
name they are kroTa 10 penoiOsists. they all
spring FROGS the sane so: the s!ums OF the great
city The factory town. Freight trains carry
most Of t,rsss about The country. Despite the at
tempts OH the part nf the various railroads to
abate the trau!. evil it appears to be irrepressbe.
As fast AZ it ii: su!'tned road it is sure to
break out "a. saotler with Increased force.
The gay cai" as the .or.es. order of the perDa-
tctic underworld. te is generally devitalized. in
competent and lacking IN physical courage. There
fore he sneaks into eTpty box and makes
his journey s:cHy. bat in comparative comfort.
The professional; hobo ard some of the "yegg-
men, The other hand, sccrn the fre;ghts and
disdaiH to ride on anything hut passenger trains.
especially Tie uUritaav c-tiSed limited flyers
they can boast about Il attegward ard vaunt them
selves arouId the caE,pli.es OF their kind.
There are not !, fey gay CATS however who
travel passenger tTaiG. and these are curiOusly
enough. th"se whose trade is setting the steel on
big buildings 0; bridges, iIcn Of nerve and daring
These ride either blind baggage (between the
frOnt---dcor.c.s of the baggage and the
locomotive .cnda-,, On the trucks of the wheels
under the q. .. Gt-c':rs Riding blind bag
gage ts co:G,sc comfortable but the riders
are liable I" i'are 't,i1,s OF coal thrown at them
a,y the fircnen. Holding down the rods" though.
which is of The slang terms for riding the
tracks, in isors dangerous and dirty. but less sub
5ect to iaterrapkDw ,Du.e 1t is when the train
takes cufxe at high speed that the gay cat"
"hO is riding: or the trucks gees his last and
longest Journey. S;e:D or hunger or fatigue
may loosen his grasp for second and he goes
under the huriy,ae wheels. This manner of death
is called "gycasae the rails" which is quite
graphic enough 10 warrant avoiding further de-
scription: thousands OF gay cats and others
risk their iiycs b:ind,y in this way every hour OF
the "a. This itcN in The butchers bill of the rail-
waysis enormous. -... =. 49, .a..-a.
There are some travellers tales that have been
told SO often ty gay cats and by tramps that
they have become tradiion-almost classics Of
their kind One is the story Of man now known
as Portland Shorty He gay cat" riding
the trucks on a last passenger train In the west
some years ago. There was had wreck during
the night and taany were killed. Shorty" COW
cred with dirt aud blood and really very seriously
hurt. finally succeeded in eStricating himself from
afAe wrccs sand era wted- out By that time it was
daylight and the relief train with its surgeons had
arrived Shorty man OF education and
Intelligence Graaains with pain which not
stimulated he ses Inc company surgeon and claim
agent bend over him. Hell! he manned for life
IL he lives. Bctjar settle with him as well as you
can" he heard the surgeon whisper to the claim
agent Short signed waiver of damages in
aide of ten minutes and got Sc. 600 in cash. He
was taken to the cOmpanys hospital cared for
and cured Strangely enough he kept his money.