NIGHTMARE RIDE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 October 1924, Page 9

NIGHTMARE RIDE.

YOUTH’S TERRIBLE ORDEAL. A marvellous feat of pluck and endurance stands to the credit of Geo Scriven, a youth of 19, who travelled from Brisbane to Sydney on the bogie bars of a railway carriage, again ‘jumped the. rattler’’ at the Central Kailvyay Station, and essayed a eimiiar journey under, the Melbourne express. At Mittagong, however, outraged ? ature / e H ed ’ and . Scriven • climbed onto a first-class carriage, fell exhausted on the seat, and Jay unconscious until he was aroueed by a porter at Goulburn. Here he was given in charge for travelling without a ticket, spent the remainder of the night in a cell, and next morning was fined £1; or seven days gaol; Young' Scriven was for some time employed on a Queensland sugar plantation, but he was anxious to join hfe sister, who resides in Victoria. He had little monejg and most of this was spent by the time he reached Brisbane. He dodged the railway officials, and climbed on to the bars of a sleeper making himself as comfortable as possib.e Avith two blankets. Then a terrible journev began. The plucky youngster was tortured by the fierce blast sweeping under the cars, his face torn by flying dust and grit! and his frame shaken cruelly by the vibration, but he hung on to his dangerous perch. The change at Wallangarra vas safely accomplished, and in Sydney his last shilling Avent in a meal. Kindly policemen at Goulburn raised the money to pay the youth’s fine, and he has since been set upon the road to the southern capital. It will be a long time before vScrn’en will forget his nightmare ride over 800 miles of railway.