The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-06-04
away went Gilpin, and away"

Wei, L felt alarmed, OF course, but
sotnt how | felt proud and heroic.
Everything turned out for us, for some
of the people were going to their coun-
try churches.
At Wartrace | boarded the train and
surprised my family with my presence
that same evening at six o'clock.
And skipped Deeherd! My friends,
were any of you ever at Decherd in the
night time? Away back in go | was
invited by Artemus Ward to come to
Macon and hear him lecture. He had
juN returned from Utah, where he had
been lecturing to the Mormons, who
had many wives, and his card of invita-
ton | have yet, and it says; Admit
the bearer and one wife" So | went
to Macon and heard him. He had
missed his appointment by reason Of
the train breaking down att little town
in Alabama called Pollard. He looked
at his audience, and in a voice of sad
ness told them of his misfortune and
how he had to stay at Pollard for "a
hours. Then he almost cried as he
asked; MY friends, were any of you
ever in Pollard? hope not, and that
you never will be. Rather than live in
Pollard I would live in-I would live
in vain"
l thought of that the other night. 1t
was $3.50 o'clock when l was aroused
by the porter's cry of Decherd-all out
for Decherd. Soon l was on the plat
form and waited for somebody to say
"Hotel, sir" The train sped away,
and | looked in vain for somebody who
wanted to see me. The telegraph OPP
orator was clicking his machine in a
room, and his light shone dimly through
hole in the wall. | saw a colored
man near the door, and | asked for a
hotel. Zone right round de corner"
said he. walk down the platform and
you see de light" 1t was dark and had
been raining. l saw the light dimly
burning and waded through some black
Tennessee mud to get to it. Anybody
could have knocked me in the head or
have robbed me without resistance
When | got to the piazza | missed
counting the number of steps and fell
upon the floor. l had rather fall up
any time than to fall down, especially
in the night. / tried the door and
found it locked. Well, l tried for ten
minutes to arouse somebody, but |
tried in vain, and sadly returned to the
little depot with my shoes more wetter
and more muddier. The colored gentle
man was still there. Said |: "My friend,
l couldn't wake up anybody there
81 was Altered you couldn't" said he;
"Uncle Bill is gittin' powerful old
CHATS me, thought y, and he amt
very liable in de night time" That's
me, too, thought l. So l took a back
seat in the cold, cherries waiting
room and remained there and rumi-
mated until sunrise, when train came
up and took me TO Winchester, which
is only three miles away, and is the
county seat. 1t is pretty town, and
quite an educational center. Break
fast was ready and was inviting, and
in little while / felt like another man,
and said to myself: "Alls we'll that
ends WELL" But, oh, those two long
dreary hours at Decherd, and it looks
like pleasant little hamlet, but it sad
ly needs some accommodations for
wayfaring and aged travellers. There
were some dying embers in the stove,
but there were no chairs, and couldn't
warm my feet from the seats that were
fastened to the wall. My legs were
not long enough. But, as Gen. Lee said
at Gettysburg: "It's all my fault''-all
my fault for taking train that put ME
there in the night.
But Tennessee is a great state. Her
people know how to farm, and with
good roads and scarcity of cotton are
forging ahead and ready for war.-Bill
Arp, in Atlanta Constitution.