Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-08-16
Massey AT HOME.
The Home OF Nasby--How He Lives
and Works--A Pom and Ink Por.
trait Of the Parson.
Correspondence Of the New York Times

AoLEDo, W., July ol, loIZ.
The city Of Toledo is celebrated
in current history as being the
residence of Petroleum V. Nasby,
Postmaster of the Confederate
CROSSROADS, whose modest residen-
ce bears on its door-plate the less
widely known name Of David r.
Locke. He is difficult man to
catch during the lectuling season,
when he is starring it from Port
land to Washington, and westward
as far as Kansas; but in the sum-
mer time he may be found in his
den on the fourth floor Of the Blade
building, writing his squibs tor the
Daily Blade, and pondering over
his Nasby letters. In this style of
writing he excels, and exults over
his points with an occasional war
whoop. His mind is quick to per-
ceivc a weak place in the enemy's
armor as he glances over the cx-
changes, and when he "goes for" a
solitary foe he always returns with
the scalp hanging at his girdle.
His paper is doing magnificent SER
vice for Grant in Northwestern
Ohio.
Personally, Mr.. Locke Tor Nasby,
as he is oftener called) is a man Of
about five feet and nine inches in
height, with brown hair pushed in
all directions, rubicund of visage,
rotund Of face and broad of girth,
and weighing some two hundred
pounds. His face gives no indica-
ton Of the intellectual man within,
except in the deep set expression Of
his eyes. But he cannot speak or
write without joke, or without
expressing his extreme sense of the
ridiculous.
His Nasty letters are often plan.
ned out weeks before they are pro-
duced, but are usually written at the
last moment and under the high
pressure of call for. "copy." As the
reading public well know, they have
always point to make, and succeed
in keeping it in front throughout.
Hence the extraordinary success Of
his lectures. They touch some
living spring of thought and action,
and leave the past to itself.
Enter his dim and dusty sanctum
and hearty welcome waits you,
though the host be in his shirt
sleeves, and the grey suit be none
of the newest, and his hat be batter
ed shockingly.
At home in pretty little house
in Huron street, Mr.. Locke enter
tains his guests with true West
ern hospitality. Groups OF Rogers
statuary are scattered about the
room, and many paintings adorn
the walls. The most attractive Of
the latter is little water-color
sketch by Tom Mast, representing
himself as met at the depot by Par.
son Nasty. The drollery of the
picture is inimitable, and the por-
traits are excellent. The carpet
bag swung in the left hand of Mast,
as he extends his right in greeting,
is almost as large as the hero him
self.
Mr.. Locke has an interesting
family, consisting of a wife and
three boys. The eldest of the lat
ter is seventeen and the youngest
three years Of age. 1t has been
the pleasant lot Of Mrs. Locke to
see her husband rise from the ranks
of journeymen printers to a national
reputation and fortune. The 'late
Postmaster" etc., is worth at least
100000.
At home, Mr.. Locke throws off
the cares of business with his boots
and is man who thoroughly enjoys
the comforts of his HOUSEHOLD. On
returning earlier than usual from
his office, he rides out to his farm,
distant three miles, and surveys his
crops. So far alone does he resem-
BILE Mr.. Greeley, whom, it is need
less to add, he thoroughly detests.
Recently Mr.. Locke has gathered
the best of his Nasty letters into
one volume, to which, singularly
enough, Senator Sumner has written
the preface. In this preface he
speaks of the good work the letters
have done for the Republican cause.
Yet, before the book had come be
fore the public. Nasty had set his
face against Sumner, and let fly
some Of his sharpest arrows against
the great disorganizer. The honor
able Senator's predicament on this
point can scarcely be pleasant.
Many persons have criticised the
Nasby letters severely, but when
Sumner, the scholar, bears his tes-
timony in their favor, and repeats
what Lincoln said - that he had