The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-21

Madison White. a coal black negro of the old southern type, who. as he puts t, 'nussed de Ellen-N rum de time befo' de wah up to now" was in Birmingham yesterday He has been faithful em- pioye of the Louisville and Nashville for 5S years, having started his work as a section slave pile driver in August, 1so1-
 He '''never misses de pay car now, and to pay a visit to his old friend and bene- factor, c. w. Toliver, the local Louis- vile and Nashville agent, he is here on an annual pass of the Louisville and Nashville railroad from Nashville.
 Mat, as he is called, was the synosure of all eyes at the local freight house yes terday and his solid gold badge was in spected by many, many employees, who n,arveled at his length of service. And in the crowd a grizzled veteran walked up, who looked at Mat and Mat looked at him. Then they each fell upon the cther's neck and almost wept for joy The white man whom Mat recognized was his cid friend and co-veteran. C. W. Byrum, whose service measures span of 40 years, and who has grown gray in the service. When the, old negro was a ''han' at de freight house. in Nash vile, MT. Byrum, then a young, sprightly chap, recorded the negro's time. They talked for two hours upon the old times and what had transpred during their 40 years separation.
 The gold badge of Mat which Mr Toli- yer said had to be mentioned in a story of the owner is inscribed:
 .Io Madison White, 30 years in the secvice of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, April b, 1909, Nashville, Tenn The employees of the system gave the gold medal to Mat and he wears it on the iapel of his coat with great pleasure and exalted pride.
 The old negro talked to many employees yesterday who stood around in unfeigred amazement as he rolled off story after story of the war times, among which he said:
 T fust went wid de EilenN as boy bout IS years of age. Dat wuz fore de building Of the line 10 Bil lminsham. l WIZ OH de sang twiXt Nashville and Louisville members us met de odder gang in August near clizabethtown, where we had a big celebration. l wuz a slave den, belonging to my old moster Col. William White, who wore gold tas- sles on his sholder. I did not get any pay eepting whut I eats and slash across de back if I did not step quick. De fust train on de Ellen-N wuz d wood burner and we fetch it to Nashville on de ;oat up Ge Cumberland river. We drug i, up de track wid horses. We would get piece and den We would take up de tracks and move it agin. Finally we paced it on de road. There was cnly one train and dat left Nashville at ) in tie mowning and reached Louisville at [ o'clock dat night. We called dat running in dem days. Three men worked on de engines den. one was de engineer and de odder a fireman, and he had wood passer to pass him de wood and he throwed it into de fire box.
 The engine was named Sommer next one was named Davidson County and de fust engineer was Mir. Bur roughs of New York; cause we ext him his name. De engines had no num- bers in dose days.
 In 1872 de tracks were started to Sir ,ningham after the Elien-N had leased Ge Nashville and Decatur line.
 With rare memory the old cN-slave talked war times, saving: T was stand ing cn de banks oi de Cumberland river