everybody give the right of way 'cept Ezra
Hoskins, and he didn't like to see it go
through his medder field, and it seemed as
though they'd hav to go 'round fer quite a
ways, and maybe they wouldn't cum to Punkin
Centre at all. Wall, one mornin' Ezra
saw a lot of fellers down in the medder most
uncommonly busy like; so he went down to
them and he sed, "Wat be you a-doin' down
here?" And they sed, "Wall, Mr. Hoskins,
we're surveyin' fer the railroad." And Ezra
sed, "So we're goin' to hav a railroad, be
we? Is it goin' right through here?" And
they sed, "Yes, Mr. Hoskins, that's whar it's
a-goin', right through here." Ezra sed,
"Wall, I s'pose you'll have a right smart of
ploughin' and diggin', and you'll jist about
plow up my medder field, won't ye?" They
sed, "Yes, Mr. Hoskins, we'll hav to do
some gradin'." Ezra sed, "Wall, now, let
me see, is it a-goin' jist the way you've got
that instrument p'inted?" They sed, "Yes,
sir, jist thar." And Ezra sed, "Wall, near
as I kin calculate from that, I should jedge
it wuz a-goin' right through my barn."
They sed, "Yes, Mr. Hoskins, we're sorry,
but the railroad is a-goin' right through your
barn."

Wall, Ezra didn't say much fer quite a