Story: How Tramps Travel - 1880

From the Detroit Free Press, January 20, 1880

A tramp relating his experience said: "I'll tell you what I done once. There's an express train leaves Detroit for Chicago at about 11 o'clock at night. It stops at Wayne Junction, Ann Arbor and Jackson. Between Jackson and Chicago, I think, it only stops twice.

"When the train pulled out of the Detroit depot one night, I bounced the front of the express car. The doors of the express cars on those big through trains, you know, are always kept locked and barred. The messengers carry big sums of money, and are afraid of being robbed.

"One time some men did get on the train and sawed their way through the front door of the car, but the express messenger was up to snuff, and shot one of the gang. The other two jumped from the train and escaped.

"Well, as I was saying, I got on the platform and rode through to Ann Arbor all right. My racket was to get off the train when we stopped, and keep on the side of the cars from the station until they started up. At Ann Arbor the brakeman must have seen me get on, for when we had pulled out about two miles the train stopped and I was put off. The moment they started I jumped on again. They saw me, and by the time the train had stopped the second time the conductor and brakemen were tearing mad.

"If you get in here again," the conductor said, "I'll break every bone in your body."

"I got on though, all the same, but this time on the cow-catcher of the engine. As luck would have it, they didn't see when I got on. At Jackson I went back to the express car again and rode clear through to the grand crossing at Chicago without being bothered. It's terrible wearing on a fellow's nerves, though, that kind of business.

"Engineers and firemen never give a fellow away. They're the best set of men all the way through I ever met. They always seem to like it when they see a tramp giving the conductor and brakemen trouble. Many a the time I've rode on engines when the fireman and engineer both knew it and wouldn't give it away.

"Another big ride I made in one night was from Toledo to Cincinnati. I left Toledo at about 10:30 on the night express of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad. It was so dark you could not see your hand before you and it was raining like fury. When the train pulled out I stood on the platform of the second car from the rear and just in front of the Pullman. The conductor passed through and said 'tickets.' I told him I was just going to ride out to the Air-line Junction, three miles from the city. He said, 'All right; be sure you get off there.' The moment the door of the sleeper closed after him I got on to the brake, reached up, caught hold of the top of each car at the end and pulled myself up. You know how a Pullman is made on top? Well, I just laid down flat and holding on to the ventilators with my hands, I rode clear through to Dayton. 

There's a covered depot at that place and I knew it. When the train pulled in I stood very innocent-like on the platform and got off with the rest of the passengers. When it pulled out I managed to get on the top again before the conductor came through. In the morning I was in Cincinnati. Tramps call that road (the CH&D) one of the hardest in the country to work."

From the Detroit Free Press, January 20, 1880 [DFP-1880-0120]