Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-19
NASHVILLE. TENN, SUNDAY, JULY 10. 1874.
"TEW MUCH"
How n New England Yankee Beat a
Railroad superintendent Out OF a
Free Ride

| RAILROAD superintendent Out Of a
Free Ride.
''Is the superintendent abaouts"
The clerks at the Boston and Provi-
dence Railroad Office In Boston looked
up from their books and accounts and
saw specimen of the genus New Eng
land Yankee, since the days of railroad
enterprise yearly getting scarcer. An
old man of 81 or 40 years of age, whose
face continued exposure to the sun
had Drowned to a mahogany color,
whose thin IRON gray hair struggled out
from under a felt hat little the worse
Tor wear, whose "stOre- clothes" were a
dozen years old in fashion, whose ex-
panded bony hands and vast extent of
wrist projected far beyond the coat
cuff, and broad square brogans tied
with leather strings and guiltless of
backing stuck far through the ends of
his pantaloons. r-I
One of the officials, in answer to the
inquiry, pointed towards desk, where
sat an alert-lookmg, clean-cut, all
alive sort of man, and said, ''That, sir,
is Mr.. Folsom"
-Harnsome:" said the old fellow,
''yaas, so, so; but praise to the face is
open disgrace, as Aunt Jerusha used to
say"
.sWhatcanI do foryou today" ask
ed the superintendent, curiOusly eve
ing the visitor that stood before him,
IN the midst of subdued snicker from
the clerks.
DAY? Yaas, very fine day. Don't
suppose you remember me, do you?"
Your name must have forgotten" {"
'Mustapha Cotton? Thunder, no.
Cotton was the feller what did the
gradin', only furnished the sleepers."
What grading do you mean?" said
the superintendent.
"Gradin' done mean? Gosh all hem
lock, / should think it was. Bottom
dropped right a0ut ont"
What contract are you talking
of, SIR, and what do you want Of
me :" said the Official, a little net
tied.
who do 1 want to see? Why, yew,
if yew air the superintendent. Few
air, amt ye'"
Yes" f" said the railroad officer, with
a nod. Il am"
wall, ye see, Pm a little deaf, an l
used to furnish sleepers fur this road, /
did. Sold nigh 600, an only forty
thrown eout.
"YOu must be mistaken" said the
Iailroad man, shouting into his visitors
ear" We haven't made any contracts
for some years"
Seven years! Wall, darn it all,
twas longer ago n'that. / made a
trade with Raymun Lee-d'ye remem-
ber Raymun Lee-httle feller, not ser
tall as yew-smart ez er steel trap"
Yes, remember him, he was su-
perintendent of the road twenty years
ago"
Twenty years ago. Yaas, yaas. |
Wall. / moved East mOre'n ten years
lgO; l was farmin' on it then up back !
# Attleberry; owned piece of land up |
here ON sheers with Joe Farbink-him |
Is broke his leg IN a harrer in the wid- |
Ter Burt's field-darned fool-told him |
she steers would start, and he might |
lev known"
"Well, well, said the railroad Of
icer, impatiently-"what is your bust
less?''
'Wall, l have been runnin' thrash
n machine last fall daown ter Agusey,
Maine, tendin' a saw-mill till last
veek; lumber ain I mov'u ~ quick 81 IT
lsed to, and"
what is your business here, 1
nean?" bawled the superintendent.
What do you want"
''Want? Why want to 60 to At
leberry."
"Well, why don't you go? There's
he station and the train leaves In ten
minutes"
wall, 1 hain't got no ticket-en eff
7ou could give me free pass"
why should pass you free: lean
zee no reason.
'Why, you know, / sold them sleep
rs to Raymun Lee cussed sight too
ow, an he said"
what" shouted the exasperated
,ficer, DO you mean to come to me
or free pass over this road because
wenty years ago you sold Mr.. Lee $50
vorth of sleepers? This is too much"
'.Tew much! No sir, yew couldn't
,uy them air sleepers now for double
be money, and Raymun Lee he want
o close Of his passes, fur when 1 cum
own here and settled with him an got
alkin' with him, he told me if I'd only
o up to Attleberry he'd gin me a pass.
Good gracious said Folsom, sink
no back in his chair, hoarse and ex-
austed with shouting, with the great I
rops of perspiratiOn on his forehead,
so win I if you'll only go. Mr.. S,
nv him a ticket for the next train,
nd charge it to my account. won't
rite him a pass, he might come back
ere on 1t"