The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-06-10
The RampagiOus Brakesman.


Soon after the opening of the East
Tennessee & Georgia Railroad, there
Chanced to be travelling over the line
in car where there were but few
passengers, a gentleman who was
seated opposite the stove, wrapped up
in his shawl and meditatiOns. Night
came on. Presently in bounded a
brakesman, loudly slamming the door
behind him-one of those country
geniuses, who with laudable ambi-
ton had day or two ago abandoned
the girls, the fiddle and the plOw-tail,
to "climb in the world,' and become
brakeman. He had been the King
bee at all the neighborhood frOlics, at
the house raisings, at the corn shuck-
ings, and at the crossroads dOggery
fighting ground, and now he felt sure
that he was a king-bee on railroads.
Strutting up to the stove, he slammed
down his lantern, kicked the mud
from his huge boots on the foot-board
of the seat, spit tobacco juice cOpiOus-
ly and nOisily on the Kissing stove,
crossed his muscular thighs, took a
survey of the aforesaid boots with
harness leather straps, and then be-
thought himself of the "customer"
sitting opposite, on whom he proceed
ed to bestow a heightened and saucy
look, as though he doubted the "cus-
TONER'S" right to be in the coach at
all. Atlength he sought knowledge:
"Whar are you gwine, Mister?"
"TO Dalton, sir" replied the gen.
tleman quietly.
"Preacher, amt you?"
"No, sir, l am not; but why do you
ask?'
"Oh nothing, only I thought I saw
'Hark from the tombs' sticking out all
over you like the measles. You
know me, l reckon?" ....
Il am sorry to say that 1 do not"
Swell, Pll jist be dam; why whar
the devil were you raised?"
cat Maryville, East Tennessee" D"
"Oh, that excuses you, for if ever 1
hearn tell ov that settlement before, 1
wish l may be burned, and l knows
every place, dus."
"You seem to be well acquaidted
with the place you are now occupy
ing" remarked the stranger, almost
choking with efforts to suppress his
laughter.
"What place do you mean, Mister2
This ere red bainch covered with the
dried skins, or my Officer"
81 alIude to your office, and by the
way, what is your position on this
road?
"Brakesman, by the jumpin' gimi-
ny. l thought everybody kuOwed
that; brakesman over the Yeast Ten
nessey and Georgia Railroad"
"UnfOrtunately l did not know it."
"Well you'd dam soon foun' the fac
out if you'd cut up any shines round
yere, huggin' wimmin, or cussin, or
trying to steal anybody's carpet bag,
or talkin' sassy to the conductor or
sich. Why I'd a chuck you butt fore
most thru that winder, like dartin'
clapbOards through the cracks ov
barn, for [ mean to run this ere train
on high morril principles, 1 dus. And
you didn't know was the brakesman
on this yere railroad?'
"Indeed, sir, 1 did not"
"WelI, old Slideeasy, all l has got
to say is that for a man of your looks
you know less than any man 1 ever
saw. How do you manage to make
liyin', eny how?'
"I receive a salary. I am Presi-
dent of this road, Wallace is my name;
but 1 have not the pleasure of know
ing yours; will you be kind enough
to inform me?"
All symptoms of "king-bee" disap-
peared at this thunderbOlt announce
ment, and in their stead were seen
timid humility, crushed pride of place,
a strong "get up and get'' expression,
and most confounded hang dog
''done up" and 'dog-goned" appear
ance generally. The brakesman slid.