The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-03-25
A Racy Incident.

| h'ooh oiVSi thc OpciiuS Vi tne East
Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, there
CHANGED to be travelling over the line, in
car where there were but few pas
sengers, gentleman who was seated
opposite the stove, wrapped up in hi.
shawl and meditations. Night came
on. Presently in bounded brakeman,
loudly slamming the door behind him
one of those country geniuses who,
with laudable ambition, had Gay or
two agone abandoned the girls, the fid.
die and the plowtail, to climb Sin the
world" and became brakeman. He
had been the king bee at all the neigh
| borhood frolics, at the house raisings, ,at
the corn shuckings, and at the cross
roads's doggery fighting ground, and
now he felt sure that he was 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
copiously and noisily on the Kissing
stoye, crossed his muscular thighs, took
survey of the aforesaid boots with
harness-leather straps, and then be.
thought himself of the "customer" sit
ting opposite, on whom he proceeded
to bestow heightened and saucy look,
as though he doubted the customers"
right to be in the coach at all.
AT length he sought knowledge.
"Whar ar you gwine, mister?"
"To Dalton, sir" responded the gen
tleman quietly.
preacher, amt you?''
"No, sir, ! am not; but why do you
ask ?"
"Oh nothing, only thought l saw
'Hark from the Tombs' sticking out all
over you, like the measils. You know
mo, / reckon?"
al am sorry to say that do not"
swell, III jist be darned why, whar
the devil were you raised ?"
"At Maryville, East Tennessee"
"Oh that excuses you, for if ever /
hearn tell ov that settlement afore, 1
wish 1 may be burned, and / knows
every place, l dus."
'You seem to be well acquainted
with the place you are now occupying"
remarked the stranger, almost choking
with efforts to suppress his laughter.
"What place do you mean, mister
This ere red bainch, covered with dried
skins of cows toungs, or my office ?"
~ alluded to your office, and by the
way, what is your position on this
road?"
brakeman, by the jumping gemimy.
1 thought everybody knowed that /;
brakeman over the Yeast Tennessey
and Georgia Railroad"
Unfortunately, did not know it,"
"Well, you'd soon found the fact out
If you'd cut up any shines roun' yere,
huggin' wimmin, or cussin', or trying
to steal anybody's carpet bag, or talking
to the conductor, or sich. Why, I'd
chucked you bottom foremos' thru that
winder, like dartin' clapb0ards thru
the crack ov barn. mean TO run
this train on high moral principles,
dus. An you didn't know was the
brakeman on this yere railroads"
"Indeed, sir, did not"
"Well, old Slideeasy, all has got TO
say is that for man of your looks you
know less than any man | ever saw.
How do you manage to make a liv-
ing ?"
81 receive salary; l am President
of this road Wallace is my name; but
have not the pleasure of knowing
yours will you be kind enough to in.
form me?"
All symptoms of "king bee" disap.
peared at this thunderbolt announce
ment, and in the stead were seen timid
humanity, crushed pride of place. a
strong "git-up and. git" expression, and
a most confounded hang-dog, "done-
up" and "dog-goned" appearance gen.
orally. The brakeman slid.