West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-02-05
ZEB WHITES STORY.
he Tells How his Son Tom Tackled
Railroad and the Result.

'possum hunter of Tennessee TO buy
powder and tobacco, and among the
idlers at the store was a pert young
man who had good deal to say
about himself. On our way home,
and after long period OF silence,
old Zeb suddenly exclaimed.
"Drat that young Perkins. He's
got the big head the worst way, and
I'm hopin' that suthin' come along
to give him shock. Most young
men seem to want to make fools of
themselves"
But they get over it after awhile, .
replied.
"Ye-es, IL they don't die first. /
had powerful pert son who didn't
live to git over his braggin' days.
Sometimes | feel bad about it, and
agin l think it happend for the best +"
l asked him for the yarn, and,
after walking along for a quarter of
mile, he began:
zone spring, when my son Joe
was Is Vars old, he got the big head
mighty bad. seen it coming on
him and knowed thar'd be trubble,
and the ole woman, she seen it
comm, and said to me:
"'Zeb, our son Joe is gittin' ready
to make a fule of hlsself, and want
you to keep an eye on him. He
imagines he's as big as mounting,
and he feels that he kin lick ten men
all to once
"When the big head gifts hold of a
young man il takes a powerful dose
OF medicine to cure it. Joe kept
growing wuss and wuss. He got
lazy and he got to Dragging and
blowing, and from the way he look
ed at me now and then outer the
corner of his eye knowed he was
aching to TACKLE me. Just to let
him know that his ole pop was on
deck | grabbed him one day and
throwed him sky-high over the fence,
aud he was mo- humble arter that.
"It didn't cure him, however.
He went around rubbing agin folks
and steppin' high, and one day he
comes home and SEE to me;
Pop, did you ever tackle a
railroad1'
" No, sonny, | never did. I've
tackled men and bars and wildcats
and circuses but not railroad.'
+" They've got one over in the
valley, and think / kin whop it in
about five minutes
'Joe had never seen a railroad"
explained the old man, "and they
had just run one down Little Valley.
IL miles away told him what il
was like, but he wasn't a bit dis
couraged. He jest bumped up his
shoulders and spit on his hands,
and said:
{" 'Shuck my hide, but I'm dying
to whop somebody, and-I'll go over
to morrer and tackle that railroad.
If nobody around yere has ever
tackled railroad then it will be all
the more glory fur me-
Joe, don't go and make no fule
of yerself,' SEE I.
"'As to how3' SEE he.
f" AS to tackling a railroad.
Thar are some things as even yer
pop can't do, and one of 'em is
tacklIng railroad. Jest you go out
and find bar and hev some fun
with him, and git over this nonsence.'
"He didn't say nuthing to that,
but | knowed he wouldn't mind what
said. He went to bed airly, and
jest at daylight / heard him moving
around. ] told him if he was bound
to go over to Little Valley I'd 70
along with him arter breakfast and
see far play, and so he waited.
When we sot out he was in high
speerits. He whooped and hollered
and pranced, and the road wasn't
wide huff for him to walk in. Befo'
left the house the ole woman SEE
to me:
"'Zeb are 20 gwine to let our Joe
fout raiIrosd2'
"'Ihaps the idea, SEE I.
own he git whopped7'
" He will. He'll git whopped
so powerful quick aud hard that he'll
be as humble as a nursin' babe fur
a var to cum
owe got over to the valley about
10 O'Clock in the mawning," continu-
ed the old man, ''and Joe got his
fust sight Of railroad o RE was
disappointed. Thar wasn't nu,hin'
but the iron rails to fout, and thar
was tears in his eyes as he sot down
on stone and SCI.
"Pop thsr's nushing TO fout and
we've walked - miles fur nuthing.
| I'm feeling fhal lhia etaln ~