Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-04-08

But from this
great host OF casual workers-the despair of So
ciolOgists-the ranks of the traraps and the yegg-
mem 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
might be likened tn the non-commissioned officers
and the ye5emen TO the commanders of regi
ments and brigadels. These gay cats" are sim
ply the private soldiers But no matter by what
name they are known to penologists, they all
6pring 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
temptS on the part of the various railroads to
abate the tramp evil appears to be irrepressble
AS fast 1t is subdued on one road 1t Is sure to
break out another with increased force.
\ The gay cat" is the lowest order of the perpa-
teic underworld He is generally devitaliZed in
competent and lacking in physical courage. There
fore he sneaks into an empty box and makes
his journey slowly but in comparative comfort
The professional hobo. and some of the "yegg-
men, on the other hand. the freights and
disdain to ride anything but passenger trains.
especially the much-advertised limited flyers
they can boast about it afterward and vaunt them
selves around the campires 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 bridges, men of nerve and daring.
These ride either blind baggage tbetween the
front-dooress- of the baggage car and the
1 locomotive tenuefb 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 tircmen Holding down the rods though
| which is OF the slang terms for riding the
trucks 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
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 cay cats and others
risk their lives blndly 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 tIamps that
they have become tradition-almost classics OF
their kind One is the story of man now known
as portland Shorty" He 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 We're killed shorty, COW
cred with dirt and blood. and really very seriously
hurt finally succeeded in eXtrcatlnS himself IRON
the wreck and crawed out. by that time 1T was
daylight and the relief train with its surgeons mad
arrived. shorty was man OF educatlon ana
Intelligence Groaning with pain which was NOT
stimulated he let the company surgeon and claim
agent bend over him. He'll be MANNED for life
n he lives Better settle with him as we'll yon
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 lie
was taken TO the company hospital, cared for
and cured. Strangely enough he kept his money.