The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

SAVING YOUR LANTERN

ON A DARK, STORMY NIGHT MANY YEARS AGO, A TRAIN HIT
AN AUTOMOBILE AT A CROSSING NEAR THE TOWN OF DICKSON,
TENNESSEE. IN THE TRIAL THAT FOLLOWED, THE KEY
WITNESS WAS A LOYAL NEGRO EMPLOYEE WHOSE JOB WAS TO
SIGNAL AT THE CROSSING. ON CROSS EXAMINATION, HE WAS
ASKED HOW HE SIGNALED. HE SAID THAT HE SWUNG HIS
LANTERN TO AND FRO OVER HIS HEAD BUT THEY KEPT COMING
ANYWAY. CONVINCED BY HIS TESTIMONY, THE JURY RELIEVED
THE RAILROAD COMPANY OF ANY LIABILITY.
ON LEAVING THE COURTROOM, THE RAILROAD LAWYER PRAISED
THE EMPLOYEE AND TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD SAVED THE
COMPANY A LOT OF MONEY. THE EMPLOYEE SAID, "BOSS,
IF THEY HAD ASKED ME ONE MORE QUESTION WE WOULD HAVE
BEEN SUNK." THE LAWYERS WERE SURPRISED AND INQUIRED,
"WHAT QUESTION WAS THAT?" THE EMPLOYEE REPLIED,
"IF THAT LANTERN WAS LIT!"

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE