Tramping with Tramps: Studies and Sketches of Vagabond LifeFlynt, Josiah
History
Tramping with Tramps: Studies and Sketches of Vagabond Life
Flynt, Josiah
Tramps
The journey from Voorheesville to Weehawken proved interesting. My
friend Whitey and I left Voorheesville for Coeyman's Junction on a
local freight-train. We were on a flat-car, and entirely open to view,
but were not once molested. During the ride I got a cinder in my eye,
which my companion could not find. The pain was intense, and when we
stopped next at a small station we jumped off in order that Whitey might
inspect it more conveniently. He was still unsuccessful, and the
station-master, standing by, beckoned me toward him and offered to take
the cinder out, which he did very skilfully. The train was just ready to
start when he called out, "Boys, don't miss your train." We followed his
advice.
[Illustration: RIDING ON THE BUMPERS.]
From the Junction down to Weehawken we underwent many trials. We left
Coeyman's with fifteen other tramps on a through freight-train. All of
us were huddled together on a flat-car, and of course the brakeman saw
us. After finding out that none of us had any money to give him in aid
of his collection for a "pint" (of whisky), he said: "You lads want to
look out at Kingston. It's all right until Catskill, but you'll get
collared at Kingston unless you're careful." The minute the train
slackened its speed at the hostile town, the roadsters jumped off _en
masse_. Whitey suggested that we separate from the crowd, run around to
the other end of the railroad yards, and catch the train again when it
came out. We arrived there just in the nick of time, and rode away again
triumphant. The next stop was Newburg, and just before we arrived the
brakeman again warned us. "Look out here," he said, from the top of a
car; "if you get pinched here, you're sure for the Albany pen." We left
the train again, and manoeuvered in the same way as at Kingston. Again
we traveled on without fear until nearing Haverstraw, and then came that
same warning from the top of a car: "Look out, you lads down there on
the bumpers; Haverstraw is a hostile town." This was sickening. I had
not complained before, but now I told Whitey that if ever I arrived in
Weehawken safely I should forever forbid myself to tramp near the Hudson
River. We were eventually successful in passing Haverstraw, and then the
brakeman assured us that there was a safe route into Weehawken. His
words proved true, and we arrived there at three o'clock in the morning.
The puzzling question that I put to Whitey now was how to get over to
New York without a cent of money. He told me not to worry, and that he
would "work it all right." He spoke the truth, for we slipped into the
ferry-house from the West Shore Railroad yards, and so eluded the sleepy
gate-keeper. When we were on the ferry-boat I noticed four more tramps
that I had met in Syracuse, and of course there was a general laugh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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