The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-06-28


 ! And Johnny Vosnik still acted as cowboy" for the shufiiing freight trains that go la4ily up and down Death Avenue in New York. It's really Eleventh or Twelfth, but after flocks of people were killed. by the trains as they tried to cross the street, every one be- gan to call 1t Death Avenue. And the city passed law that in front of every train a mounted man was to ride--to warn people out of the way.
 | Johnny was working in the rail. road yards fifteen years ago, when the superintendent came around.
 "You, vosnik," says he, "can you hide?"
 Johnny. had never been on d horse in his life; "Sure, boss" he grinned, "bin ridin' all my life."
 "Okay--you're a cowboy. And even if you can't ride it's all right too; all you gotto do is stay on the horses back. It's cinch, like Q merry -go-round." And he started toward tho office, waving Johnny before him.
 So Johnny rode jauntely before his locomotives, swinging q lantern on night.shift and just riding in the daytime. He enjoyed 1t for the first few months. He'd slide around In hts saddle, stand up In the worn stirrups and makes his horse prance and gallop. Once he went so far ahead that he lost his train completely--when he trotted down the track 1t was gone. He searched for a good half-hour be. fore he found that 1t had switched off into one of the numerous yards that lay along the river front.
 The super called him down for that one. "Vosnik," he said tho next morning, you're not out in the great open spaces. This Is New York, an you've got Job, After this walk that horse an keep a hundred feet in front of the engine. Let me see you cav. ortin' around once more, an you'll be outG work"
 A Job was important to Johnny and ho did no more cavorting. Now, after fifteen years, he was very subdued. He kept hts wealth er-beaton hat pulled down over his ahead. He didn't answer when the tuttNVaN HtSu NAuuNA IAtt abvNt NAm job. He paid no attention to the laughs Of passing mortorists. GIVE us THE
 LAST ROUNDUP"
 They would yell at him as they flushed by In their cars; Look at tho cowboy! Hi, Podner, seem airy cattle rustlers hereabouts?". "Its Buffalo Bill". Well, well give us The Last Roundup. will ya?"
 He carried lariat slung over the cantle and practised with 1t during his lunch hour, until the men found out about that too. He still carried 1t now, but instead of hanging 1t In plain sight, he had 1t tucked away inside his shirt while he rode and practised at homo. Not because he still had any romantic notions about It.. cause of habit.
 one night he swung the rope too vigorously and knocked some of the glassware off the supper table. His wife dashed in from tho kitchen, took one look at the shattered glass lying on the floor and started to shout at him.
 "You dumb OK! Look at that Gimme that rope!"
 "I'm sorry, Jenny" he said humbly. Guess l forgot where I was. Mebbe betteh stay outside after this"
 1T won't have that rope any whereas around the place. A grown man like you, playin' with that thing" She tapped her foot im- patiently and tried to grab the rope from his hands. He held on, and they had n tug.of-war for few minutes. Finally she let go, and said: "John either you give