N&W in 1903 -- Troubles on the Trains

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CORN LIQUOR CAUSES TROUBLE ON TRAIN
    A white man who gave his name as F. E. Feice was arrested on No. 3 last night by Officer Houchins.  He was bound for Elkhorn but soon after the train left Radford began to feel the effects of the corn juice he had imbibed, and made use of such indecent language and otherwise deported himself in such an ungentlemanly manner that a number of lady passengers made complaint to the conductor, at whose insistence the arrest was made.  Feice will be given a hearing today.  When arrested he had only eight cents in his pockets.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
April 16, 1903

And, only hree days later:

BRAKEMAN THRASHES DRUNKEN PASSENGER

    A man named Johnson, who is a telegraph operator on the Scioto division, attempted to make a rough house on No. 3 Friday night, and only the fact that his wife and little child were with him prevented Capt. Griffin from throwing him bodily from the train.  Johnson boarded the train at Lurich.  He had been drinking heavly, and at once began to make the air blue.  His language was very offensive to the other passengers, and when the train was nearing Willliamson, Brakeman Young attempted to remonstrate with him.  A fight followed and Johnson received a sound thrashing.  He left the train at Kenova while his wife and child went on to Columbus.

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
April 19, 1903

[These two article illustrate that when trains were the only way to travel they attracted all kinds of passengers.]

Gordon Hamilton
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