Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-12-25


them coming, for they were sitting on
their horses, still as statues, when the
old woodburner came creeping round
a curve, her links and chains rafting
like dray on cobblestones.
Halt" cried the leader, and the en-
gineer hooked her over.
what do you want?" demanded the
conductor.
What have you got?" asked the
bushman.
The negro fireman must have seen
the humor of the mans reply, for he
poIed his head round the corner of the
cab and laughed laugh that seemed
to come from the very bottom Of his
bare feet.
"Fo' de Lawd, dat am funny" said
the negro, wiping his eyes.
Nothing that you can have" said
the conductor back at the bushman.
Immediately the negro opened his
mouth and began to ripple again, but
this time the flow of his mirth was
broken by the sound of muskets. Bang!
bang! went the guns of the marauders,
and the negro, changing his laugh to
a cry of pain, fell upon the deck and
begged the brakeman to shoot him.
us done killed. Fo' de Lawd, Is
shot plumb frew de hat"
Then die, you crazy niger" shout
ed the brakeman; think I'm going to
waste load on you?"
When the conductor and the brake
man had emptied their guns at the
gang, the engineer opened the throttle
and backed away with the bullets rat
tling on his front end and smashing
the glass in the cab windows.
Upon arriving at Shady Rill they
found that only the tip of one of the
negro's fingers had been shot away,
and when the engineer had bathed the
finger in black oil, bound it up with
rag, and kicked the negro three or
four times, the fellow was able to take
his place at the furnace door,
The conductor instructed the oper-
ator to report what had taken place to
the army officer in charge of the rail,
way, and then went over to the Shady
Rill plantation to warn the women
there of the coming of the bushwhack-
for supplies, which were given, if not
grudgingly, reluctantly, for how were
these poor women, whose fathers and
husbands and brothers were down
there where the steady, monotonous
booming of cannon spoke of danger and
death, to smile upon the people of the
north? These men were come into the
'ountry. the women We're able to per-
suade themselves, to take the property
| of the people and lay country vase; SO
now, when the conductor lifted his hat
in the presence of the venerable dame
and her proud daughter, the women
drew themselves up and looked down
| upon him from the veranda.
IF they ah no'the'n soldiers, reckon
| they can't more'h kill MS, and if they all
southe'n soldiers they ah southe'n gen.
tlemcn, SO we might bettah take ouah
| chances with them than with you all
who ah not soldiers at all"
| Neither are these soldiers; they are
| bushwhackers ard murderers. Come,
beg of you, let me help you to escape
At that moment the sound of musket
ry was heard from down behind the or
| Shuiu' anu iiOhlShO iWAci al Oll
white-haired wench came falling round
the house, rolled up the veranda steps
and threw herself at the feet of hel
young mistress.
"Fo' de Lawd, honey" she howled
"de wood .fai'ly full o. Yankees.
fought dey dun been our folks, case dee
dun hab on blue clos, but mint da
fool Jim poke his head obei de fenc,
nm shout: Git out dis yeah o'chad,
dee NIL bang loose ut him, an, TO tn,
Lawd, dey dun talk he heat out an ea
II right 70 my ole eyes"
| A negro can always be depended upol