The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-04-07

moval to Eaton, he had been elected
Justice of the Peace in his own town
ship, and Captain of Militia; and


ship, and Captain of Militia; and
! shortly after his removal to Eaton was
elected Colonel of his Regiment,
which office he continued to hold un-
| til after his return to the farm.
During the war of 1872, he served
a tour Of duty as Quarter Master,
having charge Of the supplies tor Fort
Nisbet, Fort Black, and Fort Green
| vile. And it may not be out Of place
here to relate, that during the war,
and whilst he was in the service, there
was a camp of friendly Shawnee In
| dians that wintered on the Fourmile
| bottom, some 80 or 100 rods south
of his cabin Their stay there was
| deemed quite protection, for it was
thought that they would certainly de-
tect and give notice of the approach
| of any band of hostile Indians
| In the year 1867, Col. Larsh, then
verging upon S5 years Of age, took a
trip to the State of Illinois, for the
purpose of disposing of tract Of land
which he owned in Randolph county,
in that State; and also to make ar
rangements to regain possession of a
! large tract of land in the American
bottom, adjoining the village of Kas-
J kaskia, once owned by his grand -fa-
! ther Whilst there, and before he
accomplished the object of his journey,
he was attacked with disease of chol-
eraic type, and died on the 18th day
of August of that year, QS67) and was
buried near the former residence of
! his grand father, and birth place of
| his father
| Col. Larsh was the eldest of fami-
| ly of eleven chiIdren-seven brothers
| and four sisters-all of whom Except
! one) raised large families. His own
family consisted of eleven children
i six sons and five daughters, besides
| one son who died in infancy. (The
exception above named is Lewis
Larsh, now living in this county at
the age of 81, and whose family con-
sisted of but one daughter). Brought
up in the wilderness, comparatively,
where schools and the means of edu-
cation were extremely limited, he at
tanned manhood almost destitute of
learning. never having attended school
but three months in his life. His
quick perceptive powers, and remark
ably retentive memory, however, en-
abled him to master, as if by intuition,
all the details and incidents of any
business with Which he had anything
to do.
Col Larsh was a remarkably symet
rically built. well proportioned man,
feet 10 inches high, compactly knit,
and weighing when in the prime of
life about 175 lbs. He was very ath-
letic, active, and hardy-capable of
undergoing almost any amount OF ia
tigue, and was always first choice at a
loC-rollipg. His complexion was fair,
hair light, and uncommonly fine bright
blue eyes. His brain was extremely
large-his head being of the same cir
cumference as that of Daniel Webster.
He was originally endowed with an
uncommonly fine physical organism,
and had he taken that care of himself,
in early life, that many, frail persons
are compelled to do, he might easily
have lived beyond century of years.
AS to his mental development, he
was notable for strong. sound, com
mon sense, ready perception, remark
ably retentive memory; logical, com
prehensive. and rapid in his deduc-
tions. He was extremely social in
disposition, fond of society and con-
versation, and sagacious in his judg-
ment of men.
But we have already exceeded our
limits with this sketch. OF such ma
terial as we have tried to portray, was
the pioneers of this now beautiful
and prosperous land composd. Those
heroes were no common men; and it
was needful that they should not be,
because the common type of humanity
could not have achieved what they
did The necessity of the case de-
manded it, and nature prepared race
of giants to reclaim these broad lands
from the condition of desolate will
derness, and cause them to teen with
the fruits of civilization and industry.
Take the large majority of the young
men of this day, and place them in
the condition OF those pioneers, and
require of them to accomplish similar
results, and they would perish by the
thousand, like dry stubble before the
driving fame. in the face of the dan
gers and privations III their road.