Re: [CBQ] 1897 Chalco incident

["Louis Zadnichek via groups.io" <LZadnichek=aol.com@groups.io>]

January 22, 2021

 

Pete - I have some very faint memories of when my Dad was a train master on Lines West and him talking about the "problems" with the drovers during stock movement season.  I'm attaching an image that graphically shows just what the train crews could be up against with a drovers coach coupled on ahead of their way car:

 

 

Unfortunately, this isn't a Q photograph, but instead one of a Santa Fe stock extra taken on some long forgotten day at Lubbock, TX.  But, this was not a unique situation at all and could be found at most load out points on all the Granger Roads that served Cattle County.

 

Pity the poor rear end train crew...... Wonder how they got all the drunken cow boys out of their caboose when it came time to whistle off? Anyway, all the cow boys have finished loading their cattle, have been paid off and are now "more than ready" to go visit the Big City - Louis

 

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL

 

 

In a message dated 1/22/2021 11:53:56 AM Central Standard Time, jpslhedgpeth=aol.com@groups.io writes:

 

Dave..Your comment (sometimes called a STOCK TRAIN) answers your question regarding passengers....Those passengers riding on that or any other train carrying 'stock" were referred to as  'DROVERS"   ie Cowboys..They were men who were employed by the rancher who owned the stock being taken to market.  The "Livestock Contract" which was the "Contract for Carriage under which shipments of live animalsl moved.  It took the place of a standard "Bill of Lading"  Those contracts provided for the transportation of XX number of Drovers to accompany the stock moving in stock cars.  These men were responsible to "take care" of the 'Feed water and rest' arrangements and to keep a watch on the cattle.  Said "livestock contract" also provided for a "return ticket" for those men to return to the point of orgin.  

 

When just a few heads of stock were being moved those "Drovers" just rode in the Waycar..ie caboose,but in large volume shipments actual coaches, callled  "Drovers Car" were handled right ahead of the waycar for the Drovers to ride in.   Needless to say that these "vehicles" provided something "less than de luxe accomodations   and were usuallly old non AC coaches many still with stove heat.   

 

Also there were occasional  "Games of Chance" which took place in these cars as you might  suspect and there were more than occasional "fisticuffs" following the games of chance.   

 

Lots of the old RAILROAD MAGAZINE stories by authors Harry Bedwell, E S Dellinger..John Johns were replete with the antics of the "goings on" by the DROVERS.   

 

Since most of the train crews "back in the day"  Owned their Waycar and did not always welcome the.....in their opinion...uncivilized behaviour of the "Cow Hands"  

 

Thanks for the question Dave...It gave me the opportunity to "declaim" on a subject that I know a little something about.  

 

I'll be glad to "entertain further questions and/or comments regarding  DROVERS

 

Pete

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Burk <dsburkea@gmail.com>
To: cbq@groups.io <cbq@groups.io>
Sent: Fri, Jan 22, 2021 7:13 am
Subject: [CBQ] 1897 Chalco incident

Hello,

I have two questions about an incident that happened in Chalco, Neb. In late June of 1897. A passenger on a train referred to in news articles as the Burlington fast freight (sometimes called a stock train but that definitely had at least some boxcars) was shot during an attempted robbery as he got off the train.

 

Here are my questions:

1. If a person had a pass to ride a freight train, where would he or she ride? Would a freight train have a specific place for passengers?
2. For a train called a fast freight, this particular train stopped in Lincoln, then again in Ashland, and again in Chalco, then in Omaha. Why so many stops? I would have thought a fast freight would have been straight through to a destination.

 

Thanks for any help. I’m pretty ignorant about trains—working on true crime. Thanks!

DB

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

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