Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-04-08
THE STORY OF FIFINE.


let's say Wampum Rapids-did not 60 in.
Society had not quite got to Wampum
7 Rapids at the time we speak of, and it
4 was not until the Hon. Bragg, who was
pretty much the founder of Wampum
Rapids, went to Congress as its repre-
sentative that he saw anything of
Society" The Hon. Bragg was born in
Ohio somewhere, and his earlier associa-
tions are connected with pig-driving.
Somebody owned the pigs, and Iomkins
drove them AS he grew up he learned
to drive bargains as well as pigs, and,
taking Mr.. Greeley's advice, went West
? till he came to Wampum Rapids, where
he settled, married, built up lard
factory, a pork-packing establishment, a
town, and one of the handsomest for
tunes ever accumulated in the West.
@ 1t was after these achievements in
/ practical life that the Honorable Bragg
went into politics and Lad himself re.
turned to Congress- Society,"" as he
saw it in Washington for the first time,
struck the Honorable Bragg with deli
cious awe-it was all so strange to him,
80 different from pork. AT one Of the
!, first parties to which ne was invited the
Honorable Bragg was 80 impressed with
the ineffable insOlence and charming
grace of manner of a person present that
he begged to be introduced to him, and,
after an interview of five minutes, re-
tired in sort of stunned amazement to
ask his host who that was. He was in
formed that it was foreign diplomat,
an attache to one of the legations.
BLAMED if I don't make diplomat
Hist of nv Misty, thenp cried the Honor
able Bragg, and the compliment so
pleased the diplomat when he heard 1t
that he invited him to dine with him at
the w elcker's of the day and taught him
how to drink Burgundy.
n @Misty" was the familiar abbreviation
of Themistocles Meginnis Tomkins,
only son and heir of the Honorable
Bragg, at that time youth of eighteen,
pursuing his college ourse-billiards
and whisky-punch, chiehy-at.M michigan
University. Misty was a good fellow,
handsome, rattle-pated, with no great
amount of brains, brit plenty of life, and
very popular. His college career was
nipped in the bud soon after by some
rather obstreperous skylarking, and "the
old man" called Misty to Washington
TO prepare himself for diplomatic ca
reer. Misty took "a French and .
Spanish teacher and went into Washing
ton fast life with an indispensable vim.
After a couple of years the 9 old man"
procured him, a position as Secretary of
Legation at a European court, and
/" MISTY" sailed for Paris in gleeful an
ticipation. He had pocketful OF
shekels, letter of credit which made
bankers clerks bow to him till they
showed their back hair, and he was not
quite twenty-one years old. There was
no necessity to report at the place OF his
destination immediately, and Misty"
was determined to have good time.
He succeeded wonderfully well. Some
Of his escapades are yet surviving among
the legends which float around the
s.American colony" in Paris--fiavorous
tales which are told to newcomers over
the second bottle in the student restau-
rants of the Latin Quarter. IL was
Misty who tied the Sergent de v ttte TO
iamp-post with Mile Antonine's corset
laces. 1t was he who captured the mag
nificent helmet Of Cent Gard, as he was
marching on parade, with a fish-hook
and line, and forever disgraced the war
ri0rfby overwhelming him with the In
exhaustible laughter of the mob. II
was Misty who went to the Communist
meeting at Belleville, and nearly 1rignL,
ened Paris into Mysteries by firing on
Roman candles for signal rockets from
the windows, after turning. OF the gas.
One night as Misty was returning fr3m
questionable ball at questionable
hour along an unfrequented street, ne
saw drunken Turco crazed with aD-
sinthe, pursuing little girl, who in VAN
tried to escape from him. Just as the
brute, caught the shrinking child hy the
hair, Misty stopped his cab, jumped
quickly out, knocked the fellow down
and kicked him into the gutter, at the
same time trying to compose the tern.
fed child. The cab-driver drove away
hurriedly, and the Turco, rising, drew
his bayonet and assailed Misty with YIN
dictive fury. The child screamed loudly,
the police came, and the upshot was the
arrest of all three. When Misty was re,
leased next morning he called the little
girl to him. She was ragged and tear.
soiled, but very pretty creature, apou'
ten years of age, with deep, olive SKIN,
and large, brown eyes, full OF entreaty
and pathos. "What is your name, little
ar q