Once upon a time, there was a small town that was also its own country called Livingtown. The town was on a high bluff that was on an island in the middle of the Living Sea. The only access to this town/country was a railroad line with two long bridges on each side. The one railroad bridge went into the nation of Condemnburg. The other railroad bridge went to the national of Freedomia. The trains came together at Union Station.
One day, a family was at the edge of one of the bluffs having a picnic. They looked at the bluffs, and they saw that the bluffs were eroding into the sea, and they were eroding fast. They immediately went to the king and told him what was happening. The king gathered everyone together at the square.
“People of Livingtown, the cliffs around this bluff island are beginning to erode away. In a matter of days, the island will be no more. Every one of you must gather all of your things and go to Union Station to leave the island.”
Everyone did as the king demanded and gathered their things and brought them to Union Station. Two trains arrived. The one man stepped off from the locomotive and went in from of the people. “Hello. My name is David Dictate. My train is going to Condemnburg. You need to get on my train. Why? Because in Condemnburg, you never need to make decisions or choices. Why? Because I make your choices for you. I always know what is best for you. Therefore, I will never make a bad choice for you.”
Three men stepped off of the other train. “Ladies and gentlemen of Livingtown. My name of Franklin Free. My train is going to Freedomia. In my country, you can choose what is best for you. We the leaders of Freedomia believe that you can make better decisions for yourselves that the nation’s leaders can. In Freedomia, you have freedom.”
“Come on!” David Dictate was furious. “You do not want freedom. If you have freedom, you have to make the decisions and choices yourselves. In Condemnburg, we the leaders do that for you. You do not have to anything in my country because we do it for you.”
The people boarded each train along with their possessions. The train to Condemnburg left the station. The train crossed the sea and entered into the nation of Condemnburg. The people were then put in chains. “What is happening?”
Their possessions were thrown off of the train into a fire.
“You do not need stuff.” David Dictate spoke. You will keep these chains on. If anybody complains, you will be executed.”
The train to Freedomia left the station. They crossed the bridge and entered into the country. They arrived in the city of Independence City.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Independence City, the capital of Freedomia. As you deboard the train, there will be people at the station who will help you with where to live, and we have plenty of places to eat here. Where you want to live and want to eat is up to you. I hope that you enjoy our nation.”
The people deboarded the train. They were enjoying life in Freedomia.
Every year, many countries around the world celebrate their Independence Day. In the United States of America, July 4th is set aside as Independence Day. It was on this day in 1776 where a few men signed a document called the Declaration of Independence in a small building in the city of Philadelphia in the then British colony of Pennsylvania. This document made a declaration of independence to what would become the United States of America. What began as thirteen colonies in 1776 grew to fifty states 249 years later. I would like to wish everyone a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 