The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-05-29

at Little HGck was nearing compile,
ton and an engine and freight box
was being used to transport freis hit
and passengers. So Mr.. Hughes
packed his family and effects into a
Car and set out to cross the high trcstle.
His wife and children were on the
tender and he had no place to stand
bnt upon tic bumper and hold a
slim bar to keep from falling. The
engine rushed out and soon he found
himself in mid air sixty feet above
the water and a very small foot hold
as he had begun to realize. As the
engine and cars crcpt slowly over
the-tres'lo he said Hughes head
began to swim and he thought he
was never going to get to the other
side. At last when the engine
reached terra firma he fell loose Fl ON
his perch completely exhausted and
declared that if God would forgive
him for that ride he would never
take another of that kind.
But before this he had fallen in
with two families who were return.
ing to Georgia from whence they had
gone some time before. One of them
was driving a team of oxen with two
horscs to the end Of the wagon, the
other had three mules or horses.
The name Of one Of these men was
turgcsnn, the other was England.
Any way the train was made up a,
Little Rock which was to bring the
colony to Memphis. Tenn, and soon
they were on their way speeding
homcwara. Tho train was crowded.
the weather cold and to adj to their
discontinue they had an acc;ic.
growing conductor i'll charge of thciI
train. (This is very unusual thing
for railroads to havc-.hcJ arc polite
and to all appearances first class
gentlemen.) But this seems to have
been an exception somehow. Any
way, he was very rough in his man.
ncr and toward ladies' at that, fre.
Iuenny using prolane language in
their presence. jeff said lie stood
it as long AS he could and concluded
at last that thing must stop. lie
didn't propose for his vile and
children to be insulted by such
braggart. jeff was standing by the
stove warming when the CONDUCTOR
came in. lie (Jcf) had an old
broken bladcd knife of tic frog
sticking style. lie said to the con-
ductor: "Look here, my friend, is
this the way you do business on ,hi,
road? If is is, I'm in the wrong
place with my wife and children.
I'm not used to conductors or any,
body else cursing in the presence Of
ladies' and gentlemen. These people
look like they are Of that kind, and
| know my wife is lady, Wi h
that the fellow bucked up as if he
was going to take jeff in haud when
lhe latter made a lick at him with
the knife which struck the stove pipe
and the conductor thinking it was
the click rf Il pistol threw up both
hands and SAID: "Don't shoot me-"
and beat a hasty retreat to the other
car. 81 this time the passengers
we're on the tip toe of excitement,
men stood aghast and women nearly
fainiing began to cry out. Some
one sad: lie gone to get help to
arrest that fellow" But jeff re.
lioyel the situation by calling his
'f,iend Furgcson, and they went out
on the platform and stood there
waiting f,r him to come back. jeff
said to F"rgcson! "Furseson, if We
stand here aud that conductor goes
to pass US and hits our elbows and
falls down between these cars and
gets killed We can't help it. cln wc!"
Furgeson slid mo. cf course We
cant" It wasn't long before the
conductor came to the car door ard
seeing them standing there he went
back. SO they were not interrupted
by the conductor any more on that
route. The two, JEFF and Fcrgcson,
went back into the coach and the
ladies' and gentlemen who felt so
Indignant at the conduct of the rail
road man gave JEFF "a pcrfec; ovation
They had no further trouble from
the conductor during their trip to
Memphis where they landed in due
time.
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