The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-07-13

He was a queer-looking old man,
and as he sat in the waiting-room at
the Third street depot with sachel
between his cow-hide boots, he sud-
denly tuned up and began singing:
Thar's a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we shall see her afar;
Our Father
"They won't allow that here, old
mani" interrupted man who sat next
to him.
"They won't, ehp What have they
got agin it? I've travelled in seven
teen different states and never had
anybody try to stop me from singing"
And he cleared his throat, lifted his
eyes to the ceiling aud sang:
In the sweet bimeby-bimeby-
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet
I'VE don't allow that here, siri" said
Officer Button, whose attention had
been called to the disturbance.
"You don't allow mo singin' in hereP"
"No, SIR"
No singin' of religious sorgs?"
mo, SIR
"Look-a-here!" said the old man as
he turned around to face the officer
1--we bin travelin' up and down this
kentry fur years and this is the fust
/ elIH0 any UOoy has eyer IO1u no IO Sn0I
| my head when I was a-singin' q
hymn"
| @We can't allow no disturbance
here, replied the officer.
disturbance? Does it disturb any
body for me to sing:
| ''We shall meet-we shall meet
We shall meet on that beautiful Shore"
| you'll have to stop that, sir!" COM
manded Button.
81 will, Ell? I've lived in Michigan.
exactly seven miles from Bad Axe, fur
over sixteen years, and I've never
heard of no law to stop feller from
| singin' when the spirit moved him.
wasn't singin' no sportin' song like:
..Oh. Buffalo gals,are you comm out tonight
| Are you comm out tonight
| You must obey the rules and regu-
lations here and keep quiet" said the
officer, while everybody in the room
pressed forward.
different depots this summer, but no.
body objected to my singin' hymn.
Had you druther I'd sing:
'.Ohl think of the home over thar;
By the side of the river of life,
Whar the soul"
you'll have to 90 out or stop!" said
the officer, as he took the old man by
the arm.
is that accordin' to Michigan lawP"
"It's according to my Instructions
here"
as this railroad down on religious
songs?" asked the old man as he slow
ly got up.
"Any singing or boisterous talk in
here is forbidden" replied the officer.
"Wall, feel like singin'. I've had
the quinsy fur the last four weeks and
couldn't hardly git my jaws open, but
I'm better now and l want to sing. l
don't keer to sing any sich sportive
song as:
The old oaken bucket-the iron-bound
| bucket
The moss-kivered bucket-which hung in the
| we'll"
The officer took him by the arm and
led him outdoors, and told him to stay
out until he got through singing and
could quiet down, says the Detroit
Free Press.
"All right" responded the old man,
as he opened his sachel and took out a
piece of sassafras to chew on. "You
folks here in Detroit are mighty techy
on the subject of singin' and l amt
goin' to have no row and git in Jail
over it. I'll do my singin' out here
whar' thar hain't no law to prevent,
and any body who don't like it needn't
listen"
And he went down to the foot of the
street and walked to and fro and
struck up anew and in higher key:
In the sweet-in the sweet
| In the sweet bimeDY-OimeDV.