Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-12-24
BAGLlDDER WAS
CAUTIOUS
Why He Refused to Sign Papers

s>AA0
ander to sign the schedule that he
had just filled out but the old gentle
man waved the pen aside and settling
back in his rocker, carefully adjusted
his spectacles and read the document
through, which was a proceeding that
required time.
But then, you're getting a good sell
lery, Hen said my Uncle Alexander,
IAN it's all in the years work I'm a
good deal like Old Man Bagidder Did
you ever hear about him an the fell
Ter who came through gettin' the right
o'-way for that railroad9 1t was afore
your time, anyway"
Tell it, said the assessor.
ut was like this" said my Uncle AL.
eXander. we all wanted transporta.
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
huckleberry picnic gatherin' up the
deeds. No trouble to him at all till he
run again Old Man BagIdder.
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 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, | reckon can con-
vince you says the Teller. You're a
believer in progress amt. your
b'lieve l am says the old man.
There amt many in this county
gatherin' in their crops by machinery,
| cal'late.'
That's true says the Teller, with
a winnin smile It's the fust one I've
seen in my travels through here. Well,
that bein' the case, you nachully want
quick an cheap transportation for
your crops; you want quick and cheap
transportation for yourself. You want
a 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 dc for YOU says the Teller.
1T looks to me like it would said
the old man.
81 sh'd think that you would be
willin' to give us that little hundred
foot strip. then, says the railroad ma.
didn't say that l wasn't, did ~
says Baglidder.
Well, if that's the case, | 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 a big, brown, stone jug
full
Hey. hold on a minute the Teller
boilers. want to talk to you, Mr..
Baglidder.'
81 cal-late you'll have to wait till
git through, then, the old man hoHers
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
down, when the old man drove UP to
the barn and unhftched
Then the railroad Teller went up
to him and 'polergized for troublin'
him when he was busy. If you'll give
me feed for my horse an little of
your time after supper, though, I'm
sure you won't regret it, he says.
"Old Man Baglidder was willin' to
do that, all right, an after supper the
Teller sat an argyed up an down an
all around for the hull O. the evenin'
The old man smoked an nodded his
head. an agreed that it was all so.
But he wouldn't sign no deed No,
stree.
THE next mornin' Mister Railroad
Man drove off to two of the neighbors
who'd signed, an brought 'em back,
an the three argyed an argyed the
best part O. the forenoon, but it wasn't
no use. Old Man Baglidder said they
could sign all they dunn pleased, but
he wasn't agoin' to.
Finally the railroad Teller heard
that he was agoin to the village, an
he laid for him there with the old
mans son-in-law, Cyrus Cloop, Squire
Waychop, the bulk O. the property
owners, an the banker, an between
'em, after they'd fixed up an ndem-
neffyin' bond for $4,000, that wasn't
with the paper it was wrote on, he
signed.
Nov, l tell ye,' he says, when he'd
done it, if there's any scullduggery in
this don't you blame Ae. I've signed
contract for fruit trees that showed