The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-02-09
SUING THE RAILROADS.
The Section Masters S Wife Who Gave
the Tramp Sour Collards.
To the Editor of the State.

To the Editor Of the State.
General f.. =. Alexander. formerly
president of the old Central railroad
OF Georgia. in an able contribution on
Railway Transportation" some
years ago. related an amusing but
true incident Of an anti-railroad suit
that was tried in small town in
Texas in the latter part Of 1886. An
abstract Of the case set forth that
"a weary Willie' counting crosstles
one summer afternoon. came upon the
scene of section masters humble
homestead located upon the right Of
way. He made the usual call for food
and the section masters wife had
nothing to offer the wayfarer except
dish of cold collards, which had
been left from the monday meal,
which she gave Willie. Willie ate Of
them and I imagine he licked the
plate. When he finished, lie plodded
on towards the town and upon reach
ing a convenient point. he lay down
and sought rest. In the early hours
! of the succeeding morning Willie de-
veloped a severe case Of collie and IN
his pains he uttered many groans and
means. About that time lawyer was
passing nearby and sought the cause
of the disturbance. Upon converse
with Willie, he soon learned the facts
as set forth and provided (excuse the
legal phrase). "Willie," " said the
man of law, you have, sir, a ground
Of action for damages against the
railroad company. Come to my office
and I will draw up thee omplaint.'
In due time the case was tried and
Willie secured judgment against the
"common carrier' upon the ground
that the section masters wife had
given Willie dish Of cold collards to
eat: that the collards had been kept
until they had become soured; that the
defendant knew Oh should have known
the collards to nave been highly IN
digestible and unfit to be taken into
the human stomach: further, that the
section master was an agent OF the
said railroad company and that his
wife being unto him "a partner" that
! the liability Of the railroad conlapny
was clearly established.
I have heard. that large number
Of fine Jersey and Holstein COWS are
annually killed by railways, but no
one ever heard Of the untimely death
of the old bob-tailed, butt-head breed
! by this agency. I don't know why
this is. I guess it would take Phil
adelphia lawyer to find the reason.
! I was knocking about in Georgia
some years ago and I lived by a rail-
road that was pretty hard up and ran
poor equipment and just managed to
pay taxes and expenses. Nobody ever
; sued the poor old NJ. & K. G. Co.,
while in the next county there ran
! through the great rich and powerful
! "Central. They used to have to
hold three or four special terms Of
common pleas to keep the docket clear
Of cases and so per cent. Of these liti-
! cations were damage suits against the
railroad. I asked a friend why our
line was never ''jacked up'' too, and
! he said Georgia lawyers amt got
time to hunt "birds nests' when
they can sit around and pick up mug
gets.
; Now I have often wondered what
my old friend meant. I never could
search out riddle, so I'll leave it to
the same old lawyer up in Philadel-
phia to solve.
W. P. Maher.
Blackville, S. c.
THE HONEYMOON CAR.