Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1898-01-20
BILL ARPs CHRISTMAS.
Els Experiences Were Not Alto
gether Pleasant
" ss FORCED to Travel s.a stood n
sssa Fart % the Wsy-smsrs n~y
wtss n. n.rs-A Poor
Las~k~ss-

vita rsa H.rs-A Poor
Ls.~Aess-
II w1< a sonx Fsx< as1 ahartl one
race against time ard Santa Claus. for
bad promised 20 BE- at home on Christ
z-a- eve 70 preside at the Christmas
tree. but talked ~as 30 miles away
'n TEXTS ard cou,d have made il. but
szr srsis ~az k-l8ted ard did not con
acct. ard bad 10 spend a long. long
weary day IN Shreveport There : oniy
ere trair day frum there % Meridian.
ard Vas sick ard lonesome and longsf
Tor the rest and comfort of home and
kindred. Eight days in Texas ard
uever saw the sun II rained or Il sleet-
"a every day. Bas tAey told me they
bad a snn sometimes and Invited me 20
.ome back in August Everything was
ous OF joint. All my travel from town
to town was By night in broken doses.
for the trains were never on time and 7
had 20 sit mp ard nod in cod depots
| from one 10 tire. hours al almost every
departure. ard az the very last. when
nav hopes were buoyant and was
komsward bound. went to the depot
az Naeocdoches at three O'Clock in a
cold rainy night aEd the train never got
there until SIX. 1 knew then that we
would be left. bat the conductor said
they would wait for as. lie was a
/ hilarious individual A friend intro
duced me TO him "a Bal Arp -BIu
who2- said he -Bfn Arp. YOU have
Il a Fa n - n
r.. I have. aud h. don't cut no figure
with me- of course I was mortified
/ tie passed on. but came back 10 a min
ute ard said to ny friend. Il don'-
tske AIRY stock in these iufidels- I
waseut raised that way. believe there
j. Heaven aud Il he'll ard Bob Ingsr-
SOL nor I.ill Arp can't fool me about H.
Ny friend was mortified and said:
what has Bin Arp got to % with Bob
InEersoiI9~ Well said the eondGe-
tor. I've been told that they are the
same man and they don't cut
any sgure with me He hur-
risd on and told another man
that he reekoned I was Bob Ingvr-
soil. for II | wasent would have hit
him. for said he. II would hit any man
vs. DO called ne Bob IngersolL- of
course I was not calm aud serene. for
while going from vicksburg to Monroe
on my outward trip a man asked me
where I preached. and I felt compli-
msuted- The ear was full Of preachers
gong 70 the synod aud he supposed
| vas one Of them And again was mis-
taken for preacher At jacksonville by
the barber ! gave him a quarter ard
Re was about 70 hand me back Is cents
ard said. You are 4 preacher. amt
youf' We said /: what made you
think was preacher You look
Ike one" said be, and he took back
the nickel - you see I was comfort
ir- my self on my reverend APPEARANCE.
when all Of a sudden was openly
snubbet for being an iuhdel
But nay greatest misfortune in losing
a Dag was in having 20 travel or Christ
mas eve and night. Al along the line
the boys were on spree ard by the
time We reach Nieksburg Mr.. Chapman.
the euEductor. was tired out He Is 4
| patient. eonsiderate man and I Sympa-
thiket with his efforts to keep the peace
w parted company At Vieksburg and
he remarked that Il vas the hardest
DAY : work he had had in years
Thea came the tug Of war. Christ
mas eve AMI night At VickSbgrg and on
10 Meridian Wa pandemouium. The
negroes swara1ed in At both ends ofthe
ear-at least hundred. aud nearly all
we're drunk aud had bottles and jugs
without number They were from the
Heighuariug country and had been
away doas n 20 Xicksburg town to get
supplies for Christmas. About a dozen
- - found ourselves suddenly penned
IN the middle Of the car By the odorifer-
Gus compound aud resolved 10 make a
break for liberty and fresh air One
big. bold man said be would make 4
way and We must follow. aud We did
We seized our grips and got out some
how The next ear was full. too. and 50
We skipped round TO the ladies' car ard
took refuge and standing room only.
fer il was crowded 70 overffowiug with
women end children aud Christmas do
ings Of al kinds Doll carriages and
boys wagons and boxes aud paper
sacks and roys and tin horns and bas-
kets full Of all sorts Of tricks and pres
euts- Ore whole seat WAS occupied with
an express Wagon aud il was full Of
hauanas- SNAIL boys were footing
horns al aioug the Ene-toot, loot,
toost foot. stop that. Bob said 4
fousi pareat- rev <topit.- obstoppets
a moment. TIL tie fond parent resumed
hs conversation with i friend Then
Be bryan. lsW aEd soft but soon got
lssuaier and louder Bob. told you 10
stop tA1t rseket; II sou don't. vii
throw thar bern ont Of the window =
Boo stopped about two minutes and
=. hlSpered 10 his mother DAT the win
Cow vaSent up She too. was taking
% a frisu3- Teot. tcof. I beard the
bora kiHd ef pianissfuO ssaecato.
bat it saoa sw~lird into rumulfuoso
faFussime fertissim0. Whsa suddealv
the foHd parent seszetf K and stuck It in
BIS asereoas pocket They got Of a.
tie uext Statiea ard their seats we're
aiken before could say Jack Robinsou-
BY and By CROUCH had got OF for me 10
get n corner uexr 70 a hot stove twas
close BY the water tank. bat there vas
10 water Il was empty when We left
Nieksbarg ard stayed empty Every
minute or two some woman or child or
man came and worked oG that faucet in
vain Then the men toox the top of
aud reached down for water. bat found
none The porter passed through, ana
his attention WAS called to Il. bat he
made no sign and brought 10 water.
fftftst-ar Ear--- -. .. 4