The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-12-07
BAGLlDDER WAS
CAUTIOUS
Why He Refused to Sign Papers

ahuSI 10 sign the schedule that he
had Just flied out, but the old gentle.
man waved the pen aside and, settling
back In his rocker, carefully adjusted
MS spectacles and read the document
through, which was proceeding that
required time.
But then, you're getting a good sell
Iery, Hen" said my Uncle Alexander.
an it's all in the years work. I'm a
good deal like Old Man Baglidder. Did
you ever hear about him an the fell
Ter who came through gettin' the right
o-way for that railroad? 1t was afore
your time, anyway"
Tell it, said the assessor.
III was like this said my Uncle Al.
exander. I'VE all wanted transpofta.
ton to the city the worst way. There's
some believe we got it when we got
the railroad They think that the
best way would have been to have
stuck to the river an canal
All the same, we was crazy to get
the railroad in. and that Teller had a
huckleberry picnic gatherin up the
deeds. No trouble to him at all till he
|
! The old man was out in the field
with one O. them new-fangled harvest
ers when the Teller come along. an
he pulled up his horses an gave him
the time o day as pleasant as a basket
O. chips.
| I'm representa- the railroad says
the Teller. I've heard that you are
In favor of encouragin' the enterprise
an are willin' to deed us the right-o'-
way through your farm
You en- hear most anythin' these
days. says the old man.
If you have any doubt about the
benefit it's goin' to be to you an to
the hull country, l reckon | can con-
vince you, says the Teller. You're a
believer in progress, amt you?
Il b'lieve | am, says the old man.
'There amt many in this county
gatherin' in their crops by machinery.
/ callate.'
That's true says the Teller. with
winnin' smile It's the fust one I've
seen In my travels through here. Well.
that bein' the case, you nachully want !
q quick an cheap transportation for |
your crops: you want quick and Cheap |
transportation for yourself You want
direct line O. communication with
the city that will bring people in an
boost the land values, don't your
That's me- says Old Man Bag |
lidder
That's what the railroads goin'
to do for you,' says the Teller.
1t looks to me like 1t would said
the old man. Y
sh'd think that you would be
wlllih' to give us that little hundred
loot strip. them says the railroad ma.
didn't say that I wasn't, did L?
says Baglidder.
well, if that's the case, l don't
need TO say no more says the Teller.
I've got the deed right here in my
pocket, an If you'll jest sign
Gedap!' says the old man, pickin'
up his lines an startin' up the team.
You don't play that on me, young
man; not by big, brown, stone Jug
full
Hey! hold on a minute, the Teller
Rollers. want to talk to you. Mr..
Baglidder.'
" 1 cal-late you'll have to wait till I
git through, then tie old man hollers
back. I've got this wheat to harvest
An he drives on.
well, the Teller was pretty hoppin'
mad, but there wasn't nothin' to do
but to set down in the shade an wait.
and that's what he done till near sun
Town, when the old man drove up to
he barn and unhitched. :
Then the railroad Teller went up !
% him and 'polergized for troublin'
lin when he was busy. If you'll give
ne feed for my horse an a little of
Tour time after supper, though. I'm T
sure you won't regret it, he says. 2
"Old Man Baglidder was willin' to /
10 that, all right, an after supper the
eller sat an argyed up an down an Q
III around for the hull O. the evenin'.
The old man smoked an nodded his
lead, an agreed that 1t was all so.
But he wouldn't sign no deed. No.
Tree. G
The next mornin' Mister Railroad
Nan drove off to two of the neighbors h
who'd signed, an brought EN- back, \
m the three argyed an argyed the
lest part O. the forenoon, but II wasn't
10 use. Old Man Baglidder said they II
ould sign all they dunn pleased. but h
e wasn't agoin' TO.
Finally the railroad Teller heard Il
hat he was agoin to the village, an f
e laid for him there with the old O.
mans son-in-law, Cyrus Cloop, Squire
Vaychop, the bulk O. the property q
wners, an the banker, an between =
I'm, after they'd fixed up an indem- L
effyin' bond for $4,000, that wasn't 81
ruth the paper 1t was wrote on, he