N&W in 1910--Joy ride

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
May 3, 1910

TOOK JOY RIDE ON GASOLINE CAR
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Man and Three Women Injured Sunday Night Trying to Outrun Passenger Train
    Three women and one man were injured Sunday about midnight near Roderfield, while taking a joy ride on one of the Norfolk and Western gasoline cars which are used by the signal corps.  The quartet, which consisted of a man said to be R. K. Camper, and Florence Christian, Dora Davis and Rebecca Deskins got on the car after No. 3 passed and then an attempt was made to have the car keep up with No. 3.  Hair and hats flew in every direction until finally one of the women's dresses caught in a wheel and everyone pitched forward while the car took a trip over the bank.  The man took to the mountains and disappeared while the women were removed to the miner's hospital at Welch where one of them was found to be quite badly injured.  Rebecca Deskins was the most seriously hurt, having received a broken collar bone and internal injuries.
    It appears that the man who took the car, as far as can be learned, was not in the employ of the company but decided that since he knew how to operate the car, and the cook, chambermaid and waitress at the hotel wanted a ride, the best thing he could do was to take them out.  All went on the joy ride, but it had a most unfortunate ending, which will probably discourage men who know how to operate cars from taking their women friends out on joy rides.
    As far as is known this is the first time since the cars were purchased that women who have been riding the cars have been injured.  On several occasions, it is reported, women have gone riding on the cars, but the railroad officials knew nothing of it.  It was reported here yesterday that a man named Beckner was also in the party which took the ride.
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[Taking a joy ride on the busy Pocahontas Division main line after dark--Duh!]

Gordon Hamilton
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