ONE WAY OF TRAVELLING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5156, 25 July 1927, Page 4

ONE WAY OF TRAVELLING

“JUMPING THE RATTLED.”

CHEAP BUT DANGEROUS. The statement credited to the Petersham murder suspect that he eluded the police by making a getaway on a goods train drawsi attention to a means of travel adopted by impecunious persons, “wanted” men, and others desirous of inexpensive transit (says an Australian paper). In numerous instances suspected persons thave admitted travelling long distances on goods; trains, stock trains, and even passenger trains. The goods train is the favourite medium of travel for most people minus the price of the fare. There is sometimes opportunity for riding comfortably in an empty truck without the knowledge of the guard. Riding in a truck is probably a more comfortable way of travelling than by sitting huddled in a crowded carriage. In a truck a man may stretch out, and if he has blankets — well, he has a sleeping berth de luxe. There are cases on record, however, of men taking risks! and riding long distances on the buffers or on the under-carriage'. Such a means of travel, however, must be very unpopular, and on a down grade the traveller must suffer extreme mental and physical discomfort. One individual travelling towards Sydney' from Wagga selected .the roof of a carriage of the Melbourne Limited Express. He never completed his journey. While the train was travelling 60 miles an hour near Yass tho unfortunate man struck a low stone bridge.

A peculiar feature of the tragedy was that the body remained on the top of the carriage until it was discovered at Goulburn, over ‘5O miles away. At the inquest the coroner said he came to the conclusion that the man raised his head just as the train approached the bridge.

A young adventurer of .14 years admitted to the adventure of his young life when he confessed having travelled from Brisbane on the under part of a carriage. His journey came to an end after he had travelled 200 miles,—at Albury. His dirty, dishevelled appearance w;js some testimony to the truthfulness of his story. He returned to Brisbane in a comfortable secondclass carriage with a policeman as companion.

On trams “jumping the rattler” is principally confined to cheeky boys, who hang on the outside of the car in most perilous positions, to the horror and distraction of passengers- suffering from nerves. Taking all things into consideration, it is a good idea to pay your fare if you have it, and to travel in safety, even if the carriages be stuffy and uncomfortable.