The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-18
COLORED LADY RODE IN
THE WHITE FOLKS CAR

The editor is too busy, or too lazy,
whichever you please, to write an edi-
torial today; besides, he doesn't think
he could write anything as good as the
following from the st. Petersburg
Times, concerning the experiences of
an Atlantic Coast Line tran crew,
which passes thru Ocala every day:
That railway conductors have to be
first class diplomats. sometimes 20
their disadvantage and chagrin, was
never more clearly borne out than on
passenger train No. 80 from Jackson
VILE Saturday Conductor Walter Ray
was I'm charge Of the train and from
reports heard in St. Petersburg Sun
day, the genial ticket puncher and
time card artist had a strenuous and
agonizing time. Jim Dixon, than
whom there is no better colored por-
ter on the Gainesville district. a MEM
Der of Captain Rays crew. told the
yarn on arriving here. and 1t is too
good to keep. Jim's account of the
affair is possibly more clearer than
Captain Rays, rs that gentleman APP
peared to be ashamed of it and would
vouchsafe but little information.
'7F1t-was- Iak dis" said Jim, taking
the Times mans stogie and borrowing
a match from an express telper as
black as the ace of spades, "we'uns
leabes Jacksonville bout nine thutty
en- de mawnuwn en- wuks like de deb
bill all de way to Petersburg. l CANT
see why ole man Mac CANT put IS or
20 more stops on the timecyard SOS
we'uns kin call ct er day wen we gifts
hyar.
well, es I was bout ter discalcu
late, we leabs Jacksonville bout nine
thutty. Wen I perambulates thro' de
white folkses cyar, / sees one er de
bestes' lookin' ladies settin dar in one
OBJ dem seats wot / eber sots me eyes
on She was sort o. curious lookin
howsomebber an 1 goes back en- sees
Capt Ray, en- says to i'm, says l.,
'Capn', deys er niger wench settin
in de fus class cyar, as sho es yo' born,
fore Gawd, dey is,' says I.
"E says ter me, Jim, dey amt, kase
Ise done been an took up dem tickets
en- 1 amt seed no niger nowhere but
in de niger cyar.' Wild dat. I fetched
i'm back en- pointed err out f'om de do,
and says, Look a dere. Capn,' doan yo'
t'ink knows er Niger wen I sees one.
amt 1 a niger, an doan' yo' tin'k
knows one?' E says I wuz er darn ole
black liar but I jes laid fer i'm AN
knowed 1 wud hab one on i'm TO de
day wus ODER.
DE oman wuz as white ez Capn'.
an Lawdy. how she wuz dressed. She
had on er big hat what had rooster
fedders all hangin' down the back OBJ
ct an de close wot she he'd on must er
cost er million bones. Yer see, eff de
Capn' want sho' dat she wuz er Niger
an e had er gone an tried ter put er
white 'omans in der niger cyar, dere
would er bin er big kind o fuss raised
an e might er got isself in er mixup.
We'll, she had er ticket ter Mar
tin, bout eight miles norf OBJ Ocala,
an course wild our snail schedule. We
'uns want due dere twel bout tree
o'clock. Dat makes ct dat dat oman
gwine ter ride six hours in dere wild
dem white folkses. 1 KEEP gwine to
der Capn' an tellin' i'm ter put her in
der Niger cyar but e fought dat he
knowned er niger better dan I did en-
so 1 gifts tired oh fussin wild i'm and
'cided ter wait intel de ban started
playin'.
"Jes, after we leabes Orange Lake,
goes to de Capn' agin en- says, 'Capn',
i hopes ter Gawd dat wen dat 'omans
gifts off'n de train. dat de bigges' black
coon niger in Fluridy comes up to her
and dat e takes her in is arms an
says e, 90 way fun hyar. yo' black
debbil. dat oman is err white oman:
dey amt goin'er be nottin lax dat
goin' on
wei, sub, you'd er died eff yo' he'd
bin at dat station. De Capn' e helps
de oman down off'n der steps des lax
she wuZ er queen. took her arm ond
sot her grip down an tipped lis hat
to her an said goodbye or sump'n
nur lax dat. Des es e puts de step
box up on de platform. an reaches up
to git on board. yere Gums er big black
coon bout six feet tall wot reaches
is black paw out 70 de lady an says,
'Ow does yer do. Ise pow'ful glad ter
see yo,' wese bin lookin' fer yo' de las
tree days. / hopes dat de- tiresome
trip wuZ not too hard on yo' constitu-
tion.'
Deere, dat black onprincipled wench
done bin ridin' all day wild de white
folks. enjoyin' all de pleasures of dis
existence an amt nebber chen said
beans. Capn' look at me an say. Jim.
Ise de damdest fool dat eber signed
for err time cayrd, wot in ell does yer
t'ink OBJ dat?
No sub, l amt stop laffn yit. Ebery
time / looks at de Capn, / hes ter Ian
an Ise goin' ter lam ontel my dyin
day. Doan yo' go tell i'm dat l done
tole yo' bout dis kase Ise 'fraid e