River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-04-24
"GwlNE BACK HOME"
Pathetic Scene in One of Nashvliie's
Hallway Stations.

Railway Stations.
AS we waited in the l.. e. n. depot at
Sashville for the train some one began
/ ;rying, and an excitement was raised
among the passengers. A brief investi-
cation proved that ii was an old colored
man who was giving way to his grief.
Three or four people remarked on the
| strangeness of il, but for some time no
one said anything to him. Then a
iepot policeman came forward and took
him by the arm, and shook him roughly
and said:
''See here, old man, you want to quit
that! You are drunk, and If you make
any more disturbance I'll lock you up y
deed, but i hain't drunk" replied
the old man, as he removed his tear
stained handkerchief. lie losted my
ticket an money, an OATS what's de
natter
"Bosh ~ You never had any money
to lose You dry up or away you go. '
What's the matter yere ?" queried a
man as he came forward.
The old man recognized the dialect OF
the Southernor in an instant. and, re-
I
fort, he answered:
SAY, Mars Jack, I'ze bin robbed"
my name is White"
"Well, den, Mars White somebody has
dun robbed me of ticket an money"
"Where were you goingP"
''Gwine down into Kaintuck, whar
was BON an raised"
"Where's that?'
Nigh to Bowlin' Green, sab, an wheT
de wah dun sot me free / cum up dis
way. Hain't been home since, sah."
"And you had ticket?"
Eyes, sab, an ober twenty dollars in
cash. Bin savin' up fur ten Vars, sah.'
''What do you want to go back for?'
ITO see de hills an de fields, de to
hacker an de con, Mars Preston an dc
good ole missus. Why, Mars White, Pze
dun bin prayin' fur it TO twenty Vars
Sometimes de longin' has cum till
couldn't hardly hold myself"
sits too bad"
DE ole woman is buried down dar
Mars White-de ole woman an free
chillen. kin member de spot same a:
"
way to de fust tobacker house, an der
you turn TO de left an go down TO dc
branch whar de wimmen used to wash
/ Oars TO- trees on do odder bank, an
right under 'em is whar dey is all buried
kin see it, kin lead you right to de
spot!'
"And what will you do when you gei
there?" asked the stranger.
$50 up to de big house an AK Mars
Preston to let me lib out all de rest o
my days right dar. I'ze old an Al
alone, an / want to be nigh my dead
Sorter company for me when my hear
aches"
where were you robbed?'
''0ut doahs, dar, / reckon, in de crowd
See? De pocket is all cut out. rz'
dreamed an pondered-Ize had di.
journey in my mind fer Vars an Vars
an now rze dun bin robbed and cam
go."
He fell to crying, and the policeman
came forward in an ofiicious manner.
"Stand back, sirr' commanded tn,
stranger. IF you lay hand on tina
nigger I'll kill you! Now, gentlemen
you have heard the story. I'm going Il
help the old man back to die on the OLD
plantation and be buried alongside o
his dead"
$50 am L." called twenty men il
chorus, and within five minutes we haC
raised enough to buy him ticket anC
leave fifty dollars to spare. And wher
he realized his good luck the old snow
haired black fell upon his knees in tina
crowd and prayed:
Lord, Tze bin believer in You al
my days, an now dun axes You t.
watch ober desc yere white folks da
has believed in me an helped me to g,
back to de ole home"
And do believe that nine-tenths o
that crowd had tears in their eyes as thu
gateman called out the train for Louis
ville.-N. Y. Sun.