The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-12-13
BILL ARP is AT HOME AGAIN.
The Railroad Gates Were Blocked
and Ho Took Passage on Another

The Railroad Gates Were Blocked
and He Took Passage on Another
Line.
Home again and happy. Children
and grandchildren met me at the de-
pot and escorted me home, where q
bountiful supper was awaiting, and
asked the same old blessing that have
been asking for fifty years, only it was
with unusual gratitude, for | had been
In perils OF wind and water and escaped
them. | was weary with long travel,
and now l could rest. left New AL
hany at midnight, reached Birming
ham at daylight, only five minutes late, :,
and had five minutes time to buy q
ticket for Pell City, and from there
was to board the East and West for
home. How happy [ was. But alas :.
for human hopes. How soon they can
vanish into despair. Thore were about
a hundred big, black, greasy negro
preachers ahead OF me at the ticket
ofdce. Their Baptist convention had
been broken up, and they were going
home on the southbound train, and had
an hour to go on, but they would not
let me advance an inch. | hurried
back to the gatekeeper and begged
him to let me in, for my train was wait
ing, and l pointed to the crowd Of ne
groes and told him 1t was impossible
for me to get q ticket. He said he was
sorry, but he had his orders. / hurried
back to make one more effort, but 8
big square shouldered preacher, with
o back as broad as q barn door, had
dropped dime on the floor and half q
dozen were down hunting for it. |
hailed the ticket man, but he never
heard or needed me. Frantic, rushed
back to the iron gates, and saw my
train slipping off like u snake in the
grass. and that official automation
would not let me pass. "'Gainst Or
ders," he said.
Blackstone says there is remedy
for every wrong, but there were no
railroads in his day, or he wouldn't
have written those lines. | had no
remedy, and there ia none What could
/ do? No train for Pell City for twelve
home for twenty-four hours. | was so
tired and 30 disappointed that sat
down to ruminate on my valisc. was
weak and sad and pitiful, for there is
no disappointment 80 distressing to me
as being left by train when going
homo. just then drummer, God
bless him came up and spoke to me,
and said, "My friend, | am pretty
much in the same fix you are, but we
can 60 by Chattanooga, for the Ala
bama Great Southern is an hour late
this morning. It's schedule Is to leave
here thirty minutes before we arrived
but 1t has not come yet, and we have
half an hour to get our tickets. Those
preachers are nearly all out of the way
now"
rose to my feet! / saw how 1t was,
and that would lose only one hour In
getting homo. In my heart revived,
and like David whispered Bless the
Lord, Q my soul" We got our tickets,
and in four hours were in Chattanooga,
whore telegraphed my wife, "Hold
tho fort; Pm coming" And 80 " Alls
we'll that ends WE'LL" and no thanks to
those who manage that iron hound pen
at Birmingham.
But found the cutest little narrow
gauge railroad In Mississippi that I
have seen In many years. I didn't
know there was one left. 1t Is called
tic Gulf and Chicago railroad, but
they began to build it in the middle
many years ago and built sixty miles
and quit. You can ride all day on 1t
for 81 so. 1t doesn't seem to have any
schedule, and the folks along the line
just walt for it and seem content. They
say, Well, it's our road 1t all we've
got, and thay do the best they cam
The owners are clever men and will
walt on you half an hour II you tele.