Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-26
R1pK HE RODS

with huge chunks of coal The conductor
began heaving these, in his frenzy. upon
the tramp. There was no way of getting
back at him. The tramp had his choice
of jumping from the train or being beaten
TO death with coal. He chose the former
alternative
He knew something about getting of
a fast moving car. He got low down on
the step, placed himself so he would land
feet first, face front, almost as fat as a
board lying on the ground, and turned
loose. HIS feet ploughed into the ground.
his legs crumpled up. his body catapulted
itself in a slide down the right Of way
that removed much epidermis from the
projecting portions. But landing right
broke his fall and no serious damage was
done. The experience was a bit rough.
but he caught a freight three hours
later little the worse for wear.
The amateur soon finds that thre are a
great many trainmen who have a star
thing disregard for the life of tramp.
The railroads themselves state that there
are more trespassers killed each year
than trainmen and passengers taken to-
gether-something like 10000 OF them.
There is a favorite trick OF the brake
man, for instance, that is the dread OF
the tramp riding the rods. He ties
coupling pin to rope and lets ii down
beneath the car. 1t bumps along on the
ties and the speed OF the train makes
this contact so violent that the coupling
pin is hurled with great force against the
bottom of the car. Sooner or later IL
will hit the tramp and kill him. The
track walker will report a tramp who fell
from the train and was killed while beat
ing his way.
The amateur soon finds that there are a
he sees the CLINT in the eye of the brake
man. He may be riding on the top of @
freight near the engine. The shack"
or brakeman, begins to work the train,
beginning at the caboose. 1t is half an
hour before he reaches the amateur. The
train is going slowly up grade. The anna
teur swings of in the darkness and
catches rod further back. But the
shack has seen him and likewise swings
of and catches the same rod.
The tramp notes the energy OF the
shack and decides that IL is prompted
by desire for side money"
Being an amateur he has fifty cents
hidden away for an emergency and he
proffers this for the privilege of ride.
But there are spoilers" on the line to
test the brakemen in just this way. and
the amateur looks a good deal like one
OF these made-up spoilers. There is moth
ing doing. The brakeman orders the
"cut loose" The amateur responds but
figures all the time that he still has q
chance to catch the train before the
caboose passes. The brakeman realizes
this intent. He hates a tramp and above
all he hates a spotter. He has a coU-
ping pin in his hand, which the amateur
sees, and also there is the CLINT in his
eye. The amateur follows his intuition
OF danger, takes no chances and is there
by wise He lets the train pass, the
brakeman swinging on the caboose. He
is alone in the night in the solitude OF
ralrft
fully i'm a circle about him. He has no
idea Of the distance to the next water
tank and it is hitting the. ties for has.
OF course. if he gets overweary and
still has his emergency coin there is an
alternative, but not many tramps are
game enough for il. He can get in the
middle OF the track and flag the f1ier 1t
self. The law forces a tram to stop To
pick up man on the plains, for he may
be dying of thirst. Safety also dictates
a stop, for a cuivert may have burned
out down the track and this man may
be saving the lives OF trainful of peo-
pie. The brakeman and conductor hurry
TO the rear to find out the occasion OF the
duces the hidden coin and states his de-
sire to pay his fare to the next station.
There is no alternative but to accept and
go about their business, for there are
many passengers looking on with amuSe-
ment.
But the life is not all this strenuous.
The old heads refuse to ride outside and
do not leave town until they can
stow away in a box car. Ii
is often easy to get inside an empty.
Even loaded cars, though sealed. ape not
inaccessible. To break seal Is
a penitentiary offense, but hard to prove.
There is the big sliding door at the side
and the little door at the end and near
the top of the car. A seal may be found
broken or even a door open, for pre-
caution cannot alyays keep a long train
hobo-tight
\ 4
A broken sea- may be mended by a
who remains on the outside
so as TO appear intact. Whenever there
is a haven of refuge of this sort in
train the news of ii goes abroad and
soon there is a merry party assembled
is the order OF the day,
stories are told, and the dope" on the
bulls Of a hundred towns exchanged
For days the party may go unbroken.
The stores of the car may be drawn
upon for food. II there is nothing that
can be eaten the trip may still be con-
tinued for a couple OF days, for the riding
Is good and the matter Of the eats" is
not important.
Then, too, there is sport to be had when
the tramps are bowed up" camped.
rides. In Colorado Springs there
s a creamery that gives away buttermilk.
In San Antonio there is a brewery that
keeps on tap a keg of its product for
the visitor. no matter how lowly. In
Ell Paso there is a graft upon the munic-
pality that is open to all hoboes which
has been worked by every tramp familiar
with the southern route across the conti-
lent.
1t is this way. Policemen are paid -
or each arrest and conviction, but draw
10 salaries. When a party of a dozen
ramps get bowed up under the cotton
woods down by the Rio Grande the
wise head among them goes to the bull and
ips it off, He agrees to deliver twelve
yags He gets his hoboes together under
he cottonwoods, they being in the con-
piracy, and the camp is raided. The!
ire all taken into police court and plead
,uilty to vagrancy and are given twelve
lours to get out of town. The bull gets
lis S24. He totes fair. Each tramp gets