Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-09-18
OLD MATT GRIGSBY.
FLAT BROKE WITH $4,000 OF WIDOWS
MOEEY IN HIS HANDS.

from Sam Houstons time and San
Jacinto.
Old Matt was in no sense of the word
an extraordinary man, and he certainly
was very ordinary Texan. Born in one
of the northern river counties of Ken
lucky, somewhere about 1916, he had fol
lowed the Inevitable bent of Kentucky
youth of that day in keel-boat voyage
to New Orleans, somewhere early IN the
thirues. Then his restless disposition
impelled him sp Red River, where he
stayed variorously engaged AS field over
seer, boatman and so on, until 1886, when
his wayward eye caught the glimmer of
Sam HoustoR's Lone Star, and it sealed
his destiny Texas has since thea grown
into a marvellous greatness, which, vast
as il is, seems but the tainteSt dawn of its
prosperity il view Of the promise the
present gives. But of those who con
tribute to her greatness now; those who
nurSed her tragic infancy, are left but
here and there one a scattered few Men
they are of iron frames and brave, stout
hearts; men whose hair the northers o
many winters and the screenings of many
summers have blcached and faded, and
whose years are told now by scores thrice
multiplied; bat you can yet read in those
bron2ad and frrrowed visages, and in
those eyes whose fire not age nor vicissl-
tnlc has dimned, the legends of that
heroisn that blazed at San Jacinto, or
was quenched in the red blood of the
Alamo and GOli,d; you can yet feel n
the grip OF the friendly hand-shake the
Drawn of the old arms that, when they
We're young, rocked the cradle of baby
empire.
All honor then TO the Texans of Thirty
six They are few and getting fewer
The few that are left, you may find scat
tered along the Mexican Border, eight
ing from Camargo; mining, may be, in
Sonora, or tending cattle upon the verge
OF the Comanche range. Well, one of
these pioneers was Matt Grigsby. He
had seen service. San Jacinto was only
baptism for him. for after that he had
snutfed the sulphur of Palo Alto and
Resaca, Buena Vista and Monterey, Con
treras and Ell Molino del Rey, Churubusco
and Chepultepec. Then he had gone
back to his saddle, his mustangs and his
cattle, and had kept them congenial fell
lowship till the drums of Sixty, one and
the summons Of Ben Mccullough had
called him to war again. Out Of this last
and greatest struggle Matt had come in
etXtv-five, old, gray, poor, alone, and
dist nChlseG II the State he helped to
nal
Tie day after tie surrender at Shreve-
port, old Matt wanC cred about the streets
Istlessl y lust halt century old; almost
penniless; friendlcss; the comrades he
had marched with and fought side of for
four years were dispensing and going each
his mourn1ul way, TO face the uncertain
and gloomy future as best he might. If
some where out in Texas there had been
al old woman waiting for Matt in a
cabin that, however lowly, bore the badge
OF home on its Outhanging latch string
it would have been comfort But of this
there was none for old Matt Nobody
bore his name nor claimed his love SO
he mcrely s4untered about aimlessly, and
unused upon the past, content to let the
future look out for itself He was CON
scious Of having fought his fights well,
and made his retreats and his surrender
sullenlv and stoicallv. And when this
consciousness was perfect in the rugged
old brain that worked underneath his
grizzly sCalp-lock, he had no self-con-
demning TO do. He may have gone away
back to the olden time when he
trudged through the Kenton County
woods to the little log school house where
he had learned all he knew of yore He
may have recalled the cheery-faced Ken
lucky matron he called mother, and a
IHolSJ 1itStti HAY nave OVERCAST his eve
for her sake: but If all this happened no
one saw it, because each had enough OF
his own concerns to think Of
While this veteran of three wars was
keeping company with his solitude in
this way, sitting astrde a disused ord
nance box, whose pine sides he was aim
lessly hacking with his Arkansas tooth
pick, d voice young and full of cheer Sd
Iuted him:
Hello Reb, what 'er yer dreamin
about?"
Old Matt looked up quick. In front OF
him stood a stalWart young lllinoisan, in
blue.
"Oh, nuth'n much, Yank what's the
news"
''Well, Their amt no news to speak on
'cept the wars over"
you reckon she's over, done, sure 81
qucried old Matt, Tesuming his whiting
"She ISIS fur's I'm concerned, anyhow,
rejoined the Illinoisian. my times bin
out two weeks, but I've just been hangin
on to see the thing through"
wal, mister, reckon you mought be
kerrect: leaStways | amt minded to differ
with you. ! reckon I've hearn about
enough OF gunpowder in my time to last
me the balance OF my days"
Then the Illinoisan, whose name was
George Adams, ana who had Just finished
three years service in a cavalry regiment
sat down on the box beside old Matt and
they were soon "well acquainted" They
talked a good while. Adams told Matt
about his old mother and his two little
sisters up in Illinois. and old Matt told
him fraglnentary "reminiscences OF his
wild life, sand. finally the two strolled
away to camp to get some coffee, for i
was near shutdown. Mats stories of Tex
as had excited the spirit of adventure III
young Adams bosom, and Adams had
conceived q sudden liking for the quiet
pleasant old man. And so, after few
more days OF lettering about Shreveport
and long talks about Texas and the cattle
range. ADAMS wrote letter to his ole
mother, telling her she must do without
him for another year or two, as he was
going to see if he couldn't make some
money in Texas. Old Matt had sort O
tux to the youngster," as he said, and they
had agreed to go straight out on the Lam
passes Range and try and start herd. |,
didn't take great deal of money to han
die stock with in Texas in Sixty five; and
so these two had but little difficulty in
finding man, after they had got as far as
Austin, who was willing to sell out his
<brand" for the three hundred dollars
which formed the joint cash capital of the
firm. az
Now the purchase of cattle brand may