N&W in 1908 -- Graham

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
September 13, 1908

THE GRAHAM DAILY NEWS
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Improving Railroad Track
    The Norfolk and Western has a force of men at work at Graham preparing the local yard so that the track can be reballasted with new slag.  When the work is finished the yard will have a much better appearance.
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Dragged Along Track
    An unknown negro attempted to catch a freight train at Graham yesterday afternoon directly opposite the tower and in some way did not get a good hold and was dragged for about a hundred yards before he was able to let go and fall to the ground.  The accident happened in plain view of a number of people who followed the man as he was carried to a doctor's office where he could receive surgical attention.  It was found that he was badly injured as a result of being dragged along the track where his legs struck against switches and other obstructions.  The people who were watching the accident expected every moment to see him dragged beneath the cars and killed.  Several others attempted to catch the train at the same place and all of the others were successful in securing a good hold.  Either the town of Graham or the railroad company should locate a policeman at this point for about a week and frequent arrests would be made which would have a tendency to stop the practice of catching trains.  If it is not done somebody will be killed in the near future as scarcely a train passes but someone tries to catch it.
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[There is scarcely an issue of the Bluefield paper in 1908  that doesn't have an item about someone, usually in the coalfield, killed or badly injured trying to hop a train or just walking the tracks.  It is surprising how many of the latter occurred on the double track when a trespasser stepped off of a track to avoid an approaching train only to be hit by another train on the adjacent track.  Because of poor or non-existent roads in the coalfields, the railroad right of way was often the best, or only, way to walk between two points.  Also, with few automobiles, hopping a train was a frequent practice.  Accidents didn't involve just trespassers, for employee accidental deaths occurred every couple of weeks.  Most of these accidents articles have not been posted here.]

Gordon Hamilton
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