The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1909-04-08

But from this
great host of casual workers-the despair of So
cdologists-the ranks of the tramps and the yegg-
men" are kept full. Indeed in this great aggre-
cation Of men that the city pushes forth each
spring and receives back each autumn the tramps
Knight be likened to the non-commissoned officers
and the "yeggmen' to the commanders of regL
ments and brigadiers. These gay cats" are sim.
ply the private soldiers. But matter by what
name they are known to penologists they all
sspring from the same SOIL the slums of the great
city or 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 rrepressibe.
AS fast 1t is subdued road it is to
break out on another with increased force.
T. The gay cat" is the lowest order of the perpa-
ytetic 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.
1.-The professional hobo" and of the "yegg-
men, ON the other hand, scorn the freights and
disdain to ride anything but passenger trains.
especially the much-advertised limited flyers, so
they can boast about 1t aferward and vaunt them
selves around the campires of their kind
There are not few gay cats" however, who
travel on 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
ront--doorless-end of the baggage car and the
locomotive tender) or on 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 firemen Holding down the rods" though,
which is one of the slang terms for riding the
srucks is more dangerous and dirty but less sub
iect TO interruption en- route 1t is when the train
takes curve at high speed that the gay cat
who is riding on the trucks goes on his last and
longest journey. Sleep or hunger or fatigue
NAV loosen his grasp for second and he goes
under the hurryng wheels. This manner of death
is called "greasing the rails" which is quite
graphic enough to warrant avoiding further de-
seriution Thousands of gay cats and others
risk their lives blindy 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
so,d en- often by gay cats" and by tramps that
thev have become tradition-almost classics OF
aheir kind One is the story of man now known
.as "portland Shorty" He was gay cat riding
the trucks on fast passenger train in the west
.ome wears ago There bad wreck during
tho night and many were killed shorty, COW
erred with dirt and blood and really very seriously
hrrt 6nally succeeded in extrcating himself from
the wreck and crawled out. by that tlme IL was
daylight and the relief train with It's surgeons mad
axrived shorty man or education ana
Intalliqenco Grooming with pain which was not
stimulated he let the company surgeon and claim
aart bend over him Hell be manned for life
80 he ives Better settle with him as well as you
ran +. he heard the surgeon whisper to the claim
a.apt 4Shorty" signed waiver OF damages In
riha ~ ten minutes and got $4,000 in cash. He
was taken to the companys hospital, cared for
rnd cured. strangely enough he kept his money