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Show He Didn't Cnre to "Proglc." The first railroad that penetrates a backwoods community in the south calls the negroes for miles to shake hands, as they term it, "wid do ingine." The old darkey, who is a great respecter of persons per-sons and things, does not at first regard the locomotive as a machine, but looks upon it as a monstrous creature of life. "Wall. Bah, I neber 'spected ter see rich er sight ez dis, ' said an old negro who had cautiously approached a railroad rail-road engine, and who stood watching the engineer rub the brass cylinders. "Why so, old man?"' the engineer asked. "Caze, sah, I thought de Lawd gwine eho'ly put out my light 'fo' dis day come tcr pass. Mussyfid hebens. dat thing is monst'us! Jos' lissun at him, how he chuggiti' hisse'f. Bet he wouldn' git outen de way fur nobody. Bet you ef I i wuster meet 'im in de road I'd step er-side er-side mighty soon. Whar ho raised, mie-ter?" mie-ter?" "New Hampshire.' "Widl, I better b'lebe you. Look at de man climbin' right up in de thing! Greshes erlive!" he exclaimed, as the engine en-gine began to puff, "ef he ain't dun gone!' t'-' "How would you like to ride on it?" some one asked. The old negro, regarding his questioner with a look of contempt, replied: I mout er lost a good deal o' sense in my lime, but I ain't lost it all. W'en I wuz er young man I could ride anything dat come erlaung, but now dat I'se old I ain't gwine progic. sah; I jes' nachully ain't gwine progic." Arkansaw Traveler |