THE GREAT AMTRAK TRAIN RIDE TO ATLANTA BY: JIMMY L. MANLEY 2011 by Jimmy Manley on Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 3:52pm · WELL FOLKS, IT WAS THURSDAY NIGHT AND I WAS SETTING THE CLOCKS FOR A EARLY WAKE UP CALL BECAUSE SEVERAL OF US WERE GOING TO ATLANTA EARLY FRIDAY MORNING BY AMTRACK. THE PLAN WAS TO GET UP EARLY AND PICK UP MY BROTHER JERRY, EARLE DYAR AND JIMMY BROCK. WE WERE TO MEET MAURICE WOODWARD, A FRIEND WHO LIVES IN CENTRAL AT THE AMTRACK STATION IN CLEMSON, S.C. AT 0500 HOURS THAT MORNING. WE ARE ALL VETERANS EXCEPT MY BROTHER JERRY, BUT I TELL PEOPLE THAT HE FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE FOR FANTS GROVE BEACH AT DURHAMS LANDING. I MET MAURICE WOODWARD AT SAMS CLUB ONE DAY WHEN JIMMY AND I WERE THERE TO BUY SUPPLIES FOR THE LEGION POST. JIMMY IS THE FINANCE OFFICER AND I WAS THE COMMANDER AT THE TIME. I NOTICED THAT MAURICE HAD ON A U.S. NAVY CAP AND I STARTED A CONSERVATION WITH HIM ABOUT HIS SERVICE. HE SAID THAT HE HAD RETIRED FROM THE NAVY. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE MEETING WE WERE GOING TO HAVE THE NEXT DAY AND INVITED HIM TO COME. HE SAID HE HAD JUST MOVED FROM ATLANTA, GA. TO CENTRAL, S.C. HE SAID HE WOULD BE AT THE MEETING. I TOLD HIM TO BRING HIS WIFE. THEY CAME TO THE MEETING AND HE JOINED THE POST. WEVE BEEN FRIENDS NOW FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS. A WHILE BACK HE TOLD US THAT HE WAS TAKING A 30 DAY VACATION AND TOLD US WHERE HE WAS GOING AND THAT HE WOULD BE GOING ON THE AMTRAK TRAIN. I TOLD HIM THAT I HADNT BEEN ON A TRAIN SINCE I WAS A SMALL BOY. THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A TRAIN RIDE SOMETIME. WE TALKED ABOUT GETTING SOME OF US LEGION MEMBERS TO TAKE A RIDE TO ATLANTA TO SEE THE SIGHTS THERE AND GO ON THE AMTRACK. I ASKED SOME OF THE OTHER MEMBERS IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO ALONG. JERRY, MY BROTHER THE HERO OF THE INVASION OF FANTS GROVE BEACH SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO GO. EARLE DYAR WHO IS A NAVY VETERAN, MEMBER OF THE POST AND OWNER OF DYARS DINER IN PENDLETON SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO GO AND I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HIM ALONG CAUSE I KNEW HE HAD LOTS OF MONEY AND MAYBE IF I RAN SHORT HE COULD FLOAT ME A LOAN. JIMMY BROCK WHO IS THE FINANCE OFFICER AT THE POST SIGNED UP. NOW, BROCK IS AS BROKE AS I AM. I KNEW HE DIDNT HAVE ANY MONEY CAUSE HE AND I BOUGHT NEW TRUCKS AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND HE STILL OWES 95 MORE PAYMENTS ON HIS AND I OWE 94 ON MINE. THE PLAN WAS FOR US TO GET TO ATLANTA ON THE AM TRAK SO I WOKE UP ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE THE ALARM WENT OFF AND NOT WANTING TO TAKE A CHANCE OF OVERSLEEPING,, I GOT UP AND STARTING GETTING READY. I STARTED CALLING THE OTHERS AT 4 OCLOCK TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE UP AND READY FOR THE BIG TRIP. BROCK CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE AND WE TOOK MY WIFES SMALL CAR BECAUSE I DIDNT WANT TO LEAVE MY TRUCK UP AT THE AMTRAK STATION ALL DAY FOR THE POLICE TO TOW OR SOMEONE TO STEAL. OF COURSE I DIDNT MENTION THAT TO HER. SHE SAID I COULD USE HER CAR IF I WOULD PUT GAS IN IT. I DROPPED BY THE STATION AND PUT TWO DOLLARS WORTH IN IT AND WENT ON TO GET THE BOYS FOR THE TRIP TO CLEMSON. WE PICKED EARLE UP AND THEN JERRY AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. ALL OF US WERE EXCITED AS IF YOU HAD THROWN A HORNETS NEST IN THE CAR WITH US. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE STATION MAURICE WAS THERE WAITING ON US. WE WAITED AROUND UNTIL WE HEARD THE TRAIN HORN AND WENT ON OUTSIDE TO WATCH IT COME IN. NONE OF US EXCEPT MAURICE HAD EVER BEEN ON AN AMTRAK BEFORE SO WE FOUR OLD MEN WERE EXCITED ABOUT ALL THIS. WE WATCHED AS THE TRAIN CAME IN AND WAITED AS SOME PASSENGERS GOT OFF AND THEN WE GOT ON. WE FOLLOWED MAURICE AND TOOK OUR SEATS CLOSE TOGETHER. NOW, THAT AMTRAK DOESNT WASTE TIME, SO IT GOT TO MOVING PRETTY QUICK. AS WE RODE ON UP THE TRACK I TRIED TO SEE HOW FAST WE WERE GOING AND WHERE WE WERE. IT WAS DARK AT 0530 AND I COULDNT SEE ANYTHING BUT LIGHTS WE WOULD PASS. WE WATCHED AS WE WENT THROUGH SENECA. THEN WE WERE ON OUR WAY ON DOWN TO TOCCOA, GA. MAURICE TOLD US THE DINER CAR WAS OPEN IF WE WANTED TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE AND TOLD US TO JUST GO TOWARD THE BACK OF THE TRAIN. ME, JERRY, AND EARLE DYAR STARTED FOR THE DINING CAR. WE FOUND IT KINDA AKWARD TO WALK WHILE WALKING THE AISLES. AS WE CAME TO THE END OF ONE CAR WE HAD TO PUSH A BUTTON TO GET THE DOOR OPEN TO STEP INTO THE ADJOINING CAR. WE WENT THROUGH SEVERAL CARS AND WONDERED WHEN WE WOULD GET TO THE DINING CAR CAUSE WE WERE ABOUT TO RUN OUT OF CARS. I CAME TO A DOOR THAT SEEMED A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHERS AND HESITATED TO OPEN IT. EARLE TOLD ME TO OPEN IT UP AND GO ON. WELL, I OPENED IT AND IT BEING DARK AND ALL I COULDNT SEE BUT TOOK A STEP ANYWAY. IT WAS A GOOD THING I WAS HOLDING ON TO THE HAND RAIL OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN GETTING OFF AT WESTMINISTER. EARLE HAD GONE BACK THE OTHER WAY AND THERE I WAS HANGING ON AND RUNNING BEHIND THE TRAIN. WHEN I FINALLY GOT BACK ON AND CAUGHT UP WITH EARL I WAS TIRED AS IF I HAD RAN A MARATHON. EARLE WANTED TO KNOW WHERE ID BEEN. I TOLD HIM NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO WHERE MAURICE WAS SITTING, WE TOLD HIM THAT WE DIDNT SEE A DINING CAR ANYWHERE BACK THERE AND HE TOLD US TO GO THE OTHER WAY. WE STARTED ON UP THE OTHER WAY WITH EARLE LEADING. THE TRAIN HAD PICKED UP SPEED BY THIS TIME AND THE THING WAS ROCKING AND ROLLING PRETTY GOOD. WE HAD TO HOLD ON TO THE SEATS AND WHATEVER WE COULD TO KEEP FROM FALLING LEFT OR RIGHT. EARLE OPENED A DOOR AND STEPPED THROUGH AND I TURNED AROUND TO PUSH THE BUTTON TO CLOSE IT. WHEN I TURNED BACK AROUND TO TAKE A STEP I SAW EARLE FALL BACK INTO A SEAT BACK FIRST. AS I REACHED DOWN TO HELP HIM UP A WOMAN SCREAMED, GET OFF MY LEG! WHAT THE HELL YOU DOING FALLING ON MY LEGS? GET UP, GET UP YOU HURT MY LEGS! SHE HAD BEEN STRETCHED OUT IN THE SEAT SLEEPING AND EARLE HAD FALLEN IN THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE SEATS AND LANDED ON HER LEGS. I HELPED HIM UP AND WE GOT ON OUTTA THERE. WE KINDA GOT IN A HURRY AND GOT ON UP TO THE DINING CAR WHERE WE GOT COFFEE AND SIT DOWN AT A TABLE. IT WASNT LONG TIL THE LADY CAME IN THE CAR AND WAS TELLING THE CONDUCTOR ABOUT SOMEONE FALLING ON HER. SINCE THERE WAS OTHER PEOPLE IN THE DINING CAR, WE DIDNT SAY A WORD AND SHE NEVER KNEW WHO IT WAS. WE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING MORE ABOUT IT. WE STILL COULDNT SEE WHERE OR WHAT TOWN WE WERE SLOWING DOWN FOR OR STOPPING AT. I THINK NOW THAT THE ONLY TOWN WE STOPPED FOR WAS TOCCOA. IT TOOK US ABOUT TWO HOURS TO GET ON DOWN TO ATLANTA. UPON ARRIVING WE GOT OFF THE TRAIN AND WENT INTO THE STATION. I WASNT REALLY EXPECTING IT, BUT THERE WAS A RED CARPET ALL ROLLED OUT FOR ME. AS I STARTED TO STEP ON THE CARPET TO MEET THE MAYOR, SOME EATHOPIAN KING OR PORENTATE WITH SEVERAL WOMEN IN TRADITIONAL DRESS CAME OUT OF A ROOM AND PUSHED ME ASIDE TO WALK ON MY RED CARPET. I WENT AHEAD AND LET HIM HAVE IT CAUSE I WAS IN A HURRY ANYWAY. I DIDNT LET HIM HAVE THE KEY TO THE CITY THOUGH. I GRABBED IT FROM THE MAYOR AS I WENT BY AND KEPT ON GOING AS I SHOUTED TO HIM THAT I DIDNT WANT TO BE FUSSED OVER. SOME POLICE OFFICERS TRIED TO CATCH ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT THEY WANTED ME TO GIVE A SPEECH OR SOMETHING. I FINALLY THREW THE KEY AWAY AFTER WE ALL WENT OVER TO THE TREASURY OFFICE AND IT WOULDNT FIR ANYTHING OVER THERE. MAURICE CALLED HIS DAUGHTER TO PICK US UP AND WE WAITED A FEW MINUTES FOR HER TO GET THERE. WE WERE GOING TO THE SILVER SKILLET TO GET BREAKFAST. THIS RESTAURANT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMOUS PLACE DOWN ON PEACHTREE AND 14TH STREET. A HARDEES WOULD HAVE SUITED ME JUST FINE CAUSE I KNEW THESE FAMOUS PLACES COST A LOT OF MONEY TO EAT AT, BUT I THOUGHT, WHAT THE HECK. I HAD PICKED UP CANS, SOLD BOTTLES AND PICKED COTTON FOR A WHILE SO I COULD AFFORD THIS TRIP AND I THOUGHT I COULD ALWAYS GET A LOAN FROM EARLE IF I NEEDED EXTRA MONEY CAUSE HE WAS MY RICH FRIEND. BESIDES HE OWED ME SOMETHING FOR GETTING HIM AWAY FROM THAT WOMAN HE FELL ON. WHEN WE GOT TO THE FAMOUS RESTAURANT I THOUGHT IT DIDNT LOOK ANY MORE FAMOUS THAT MILES AND CRENSHAWS WHICH WAS A RESTAURANT THAT USED TO BE IN PENDLETON MANY YEARS AGO. WHEN I GOT ON THE INSIDE, I WASNT IMPRESSED AT ALL. THE WAITRESS SEATED US AT A ROUND TABLE SO WE ALL COULD SIT TOGETHER. i TOOK A LOOK AT THE MENU AND SAW THAT A BREAKFAST IN PENDLETON LIKE THEY HAD ONLY COST ABOUT 5 DOLLARS. THEY WANTED $9.75 AT THIS FAMOUS NAMED PLACE. I THOUGHT, INSTEAD OF NAMEING THIS THE SILVER SKILLET, THEY OUGHT TO HAVE NAMED IT THE GOLDEN POT. WELL, OLE EARLE DIDNT SEEM TO MIND THE COST AND THOSE OTHER POOR FELLOWS WENT AHEAD AND ORDERED, BUT I COULD TELL THAT THEY REALLY DIDNT WANT TO. TO TOP IT ALL OFF, THE WAITRESS WAS A YANKEE LADY. WE KINDA KIDDED HER A LITTLE BIT AND ALTHOUGH SHE WAS A YANKEE, SHE TURNED OUT TO BE ALL RIGHT. WASNT TOO LONG THAT WE GOT THAT FOOD. I MUST SAY THAT THE FOOD WAS REAL GOOD. WE SIT AROUND SHOOTING THE BULL A WHILE AND HAVING A GOOD TIME UNTIL MY GOOD FRIEND LARRY UPTHEGROVE CALLED AND SAID HE WOULD BE RIGHT OVER. WHEN HE SHOWED UP I WAS GONNA TO BE NICE AND ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED TO GET BREAKFAST. HE SAID NO THAT HE HAD ALREADY HAD BREAKFAST. BOY, I THOUGHT, THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE. I DID TALK HIM INTO GETTING A CUP OF COFFEE THOUGH. THAT COST ME $2.15. IF THERE IS A NEXT TIME I WILL JUST GET A REFILL ON MY CUP AND GIVE IT TO HIM. NOW FOLKS, I GOING TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH HERE. THE WAITRESS CAME WITH A BILL IN HER HAND AND I WAS ABOUT READY TO HEAD FOR THE BATHROOM WHEN SHE SAID, YOUR BILL HAS BEEN PAID. WE ASKED BY WHOM. SHE SAID, SHE DIDNT KNOW THERE NAMES, BUT BY A YOUNG MAN AND HIS WIFE WHO WERE SITTING AT THE TABLE CLOSE TO YOU. SHE WENT ON TO SAY, THEY SAID TO TELL US THANKS FOR OUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY. WELL, WHEN I FIRST WHEN INTO THE FAMOUS RESTAURANT, I SPOKE TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AND REMEMBER TELLING THEM THAT WE WERE MEMBERS OF THE PENDLETON AMERICAN LEGION AND WERE OVER TO ATLANTA TO SEE THE SIGHTS. FOLKS, IN ALL MY LIFE I HAVE NEVER HAD A PERSON TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT THE BILL WAS FOR US FIVE VETERANS AND MAURICES DAUGHTER. WE CHANGED DRIVERS AND LARRY WAS TO TAKE US ON THE TOUR. HE VOLENTEERED HIS TIME TO DO THIS FOR US. LARRY OWNS HIS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AND WOULDEN THANK THE LORD TAKE ANY PAY WHAT SO EVER FOR HAULING US AROUND ATLANTA. WE WENT TO OAKLAND CEMETERY AND SAW MANY FAMOUS CIVIL WAR GENERALS GRAVES AND MONUMENTS. MARGRET MITCHELL IS BURIED THERE TOO! (WROTE GONE WITH THE WIND). WE SAW HER HOUSE. WENT TO GRANTS PARK AND SAW THE CYCLORAMA TOO. WENT ALL OVER ATLANTA. WENT TO VISIT THE MARTIN LUTHER KINGS TOMB AND EBENEZER CHURCH TOO. WE OTHERS LISTENED AS MAURICE AND LARRY TALKED ABOUT THE SITES AND LIVING IN ATLANTA WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG BOYS. I WAS STATIONED AT FORT MAC PHERSON WHEN I WAS IN THE ARMY. I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN TO ATLANTA, BUT I SOON REALIZED THAT I HADNT BEEN THERE AT ALL. I SAW THE REAL ATLANTA FRIDAY. DOWN TOWN AND UP TOWN AND ALL AROUND. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN ON I-85, I-75 AND I-285 DOESNT MEAN YOU HAVE SEEN ATLANTA. LATER THAT DAY GWEN, MAURICES DAUGHTER PICKED US UP AND TOOK US OVER TO THE STUDIO 63 WHERE THEY HAVE THOSE AUCTIONS ON TELEVISION. WE MET ALL THE FOLKS THERE. THE PROGRAM COMES ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL. WE LEFT THERE AND WE ALL WANTED TO VISIT THE VARSITY TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT BEFORE WE WENT BACK TO THE AMTRAK STATION. WHEN WE GOT TO THE VARSITY, I BET THERE WERE AT LEAST 150 STUDENTS JUST LEAVING THE PLACE. I ASKED SOME OF THEM, IF THEY LEFT US ANY FOOD. WE GOT PLENTY OF FOOD WHILE THERE. NOBODY WAS THERE TO PAY FOR IT THOUGH. SEEM LIKE THERE WERE ABOUT 50 WORKERS BEHIND THE LONG COUNTER. THEY DONT HAVE TO WANT FOR CUSTOMERS THERE. WE ENJOYED BEING THERE. GWEN DROPPED US OFF AT THE STATION AND WE WAITED FOR AWHILE. THE TRAIN WAS ON TIME AND WE GOT ON FOR THE RETURN TRIP. WE STILL COULDNT SEE ANYTHING AS WE RODE BECAUSE IT WAS DARK. NEXT TIME, IAM GOING WHEN ITS DAYLIGHT. WE MADE IT BACK ON UP TO CLEMSON AND ON HOME. MAURICE TOOK A LOT OF PICTURES OVER THERE AND WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME. NEXT TIME WE GO SOMEWHERE, YOU GO WITH US. WELL BE GOING SOON. NOW FOLKS, MOST OF THIS IS A TRUE STORY. THERE MIGHT BE JUST A LITTLE BULL ADDED FOR EFFECT. SEE YA,
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 22:19:02 +0000
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