The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-06
Fighting a Railroad
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

When the surveyors for the B. and B
railroad reached within a mile of the
town of Scoville they were stopped BY
the owner Of farm, who Threatened
them with an action for trespass il
they set foot on his land.
1t was old Ransome who had lived
on that farm since he was born and
was now over sixty years old. Boy
and man, he had been known as stingy
and mean, and no one had ever dealt
with him second time. His wife was
about like him in her disagreed BILE way.
The two seldom or never disagreed
with each other, but they disagreed
with everybody else.
The town Of Scoville wanted that
railroad and wanted it built at once
out there was cid John blocking the
way and his old wife backing him up.
It must cross his eighty acre farm TO
reach the town. The surveyors argued
ana coaxed, but 1t was Of no use.
Ihe railroad finally guarded its snr.
veyors and the line was run. bur that
was only the beginning of the fight
It collected its forces and began the
grading. Old John was out there with
his gun and his wife was there with n
cluD, but the lusty men laughed at
them and carried them Off the SCENE
ana In a few weeks there was the
nooting and footing that the old couple
dreaded to hear. They would not sell
and the railroad waited for them to
propose some sort Of settlement.
Ihere was highway about a quar-.
ter OF mile to the south of the Ran.
some farm, and the new railroad cross.
ed IL at a level The soft earth was
soon quilted out by the wheels Of the |
wagons, and this left the tracks three |
OF iour inches above the surface. When
ola John observed this he yoked nm
MS oxen and hitched them to his WAC.
on and went after a load Of wood
when he returned with 1t to tho cross.
ing he stuck there. The oxen could not
pull the wagon across the rails. The
oiu man sat down to patiently wait
Tor train to come along. One appear.
% In sight In about an hour and fond
us progress blocked. It took all the
train hands and some of the nassen.
gers to boot to get that wagon across
me track. There was tuning and
threatening, but old John was very
!ulet and calm. He repeated this per.
,ormance once a day for a week. Then
ne railroad put down planks and the
was defeated.
wei, Wen have to try some other
TICK said the old folks to each other +,
anu as result Of their planning tbev
vent out at night with a big pail Of
oit soap and smeared the rails for a
Instance OF thirty rods. The next train
nat came that way did not whizz mast.
STOOD still and whizzed, and 1t took
ne best part Of an hour and a barrel
4 sand TO make the wheels 60 round
gam ana have grip on the rails
oio John was arrested for this soanv
TICK out they could prove nothing
saihst MIN, and he was DISCHARGED
rom custody. After this n new at
einpt was made to bring about a set
cement but 1t was doomed to failure
rum the start. Then came another
ayenture. Old John cut the grass in
Us meadow, and while drawing II TO
ae Darn TO store away he drove across /.
ne track at point on his own farm
no wheel somehow came off the
'aeon and dumped hay and vehicle in
grand heap. There was Just time 70
et the oxen out of the way when
Of freight train plunged
no 'ne mess. Hay and splinters few
yer half the county, and the whole
ram was derailed at a cost of manv
aousand dollars to the company
IT, were TWO lawsuits begun i'm
,euiately' one by the company to !
'ake the old man pay damages and