The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-10-05
The Curious History Of q Soldier.

ne OOGAVeaS AnsSOTy u u SOlOA9hs
At the head ofa file of men on their
way from New York to Washington,
through this city. We recently encounter.
Cd man who had probably seen a. much
Of real life as any person living, Louis
Napoleon alone excepted. Captain g., ten
years ago, was q log cutter OF wood chop
per in the Glear6eld pineries, working in
the employ of Ex-Governor Bigler He
lived in cabin entirely alone, miles away
from any settler, where the silence Of the
forest vas broken by no ether sounds than
the strokes of his axe or the baying Of
his dog when upon the track of deer.
He was bitten one day in midsummer by
a nonstrous rattlesnake, but never losing
his presence of mind he dug out the
wound with his hunting knife, and pound
ed into powder his backened tobacco pipe
moisteaed it with saliva and bound 1t upon
the wound. The poison was drawn to
the surface by this application, and, ex-
cepting rigidity of limb which still re-
mains, he experienced no further i'll effects
from the deadly bite.
On one of his few visits to the town of
Clearfeld for supply Of tobacco and
whisky, he CHANGED to save from drown.
ing the child of wealthy citizen, who re-
warded him by a present Of three hum
dred dollars. The man never returned to
his cabin, but receiving the wages due to
him he set out for Philadelphia, where he
engaged teacher, and in brief period
taught himself to road lie was preach
ing shortly after this, but finding himself
pursuing mistaken vocation, he blossomed
out as cancer doctor, in which capacity
he travelled over the entire West and
South, returning to New York with about
three thousand dollars He married veal
thy widow in New York, who died month
after marriage, leaving lin heir to her
every dollar. He made second venture
six months afterwards, his wife clipping at
the end of the honey moon, with native
of Hamburg. Returning with pile to his
own city, disguised with the sex, he es-
chewed woman's society, aud went to
specializing in patent rights, and with
sort of success that in year cleared him
out of the last dollar.
He secured position on the police
force of New York, and in the course of
his duty came upon discharged convict.
The convict gave him certain information
the truth, of which he could not doubt.
A heavy robbery had been committed on
the continent. The victim had been en-
gagged in it, and knew where the plumber
was still secured The rover purchased
the secret from the fellow, went to Europe
disclosed it to the authorities, and was
made the possessor ola reward amounting
to ABOUT So 900. With this moaey he
returned to New York, and then to Phil
adelphia. At the Girard House one night
he met a Texan, who won from him four
thousand dollars at single sitting. The
society Of the gambler charmed him., and
he went with him to Galveston, taking the
remainder of his capital. He went upon
a rancho, and was engaged in sheep graz
ing, with Hon. g. W. Kendall az a near
neighbor.
Secession broke out at last, and our re-
yer was compelled to fly by night to Gal
weston, where he got upon vessel bound
for Cuba without any other possessions
than the clothes upon him. He was twice
wrecked in returning to New York, where
he arrived mere bundle of skin and
bones. After alternate wealth and power
ty, starvation and righteousness. naked
ness and dandyism, he at length turns
up as an officer in military company,
asking only to give his life for the cause
of liberty. He leaves in Texas fine
rancho. His sheep, he supposes, have
long since been confiscated to feed the reb-
ell army. For his real estate he has no
fears. Its con6scation, when United States
laws return in force, will be mere form,
and that United States laws will again be
enforced in Texas, as we'll as in Secessia
in general, he firmly believes. Such men
as he are the best possible soldiers, They
not only avenge the wrongs Of the North,
but are fighting for their own property
The more they have of them the better.