The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-02-23
A PEN PICTURE OF THE LOUISIANA RE-
TURNING BOARD.

siana, born in Rapides Parish, and gradu.
ated early in life as the accomplished stable
boy to famous race course jockey. In the
haste of preparing him for the world his
moral and mental education was necessarily
omitted, but an equivalent was supplied by
a thorough installation of those arts by which
the favorite horse can be bull.dozsd into de-
feat and the "scrub" landed under the
string as the winner. But the ambition to
''rise out Of the prison of his mean estate
burned ferccly in the youthful bosom OF
Mr.. Wells, and by strict attention to busl-
ness and an utter disregard OF those conven-
tional proprieties which mar the fortune Of
less ambitious youths, he soon became ia.
nous thrppshout the Southwest as a success,
full and IL Using jockey who knew per-
fectly the pf pffiosophy withwhich Mr.. Eskles
Z was vot familiar: ;" How the horse that ought
not to win could infallbly be made to win"
A fame like this brought the youthful
Wells into conspicuous notoricty on the race
course; so much so, indeed, that the owners
of Lecompt proposed to MIR Wells that, if
he could hxit so that their horse could beat
Lexington in the famous race over the Nc
tarie in 1852, he might claim and receive
whatever reward he desired.
TO use forcble, but not polite express
sion this was nuts for Mr.. Wells to crack.
He was head groom to Lexington and knew
just how to prevail on that gallant racer to
fall behind in the struggle. Suffice it to
say his expectations were not disappointed,
and Mr.. Wells shortly thereafter turned up
as part owner Of Lccompt. Lexingtons
subsequent triumph over the time of his
fleet competitor in no wise diminished the
reputation Mr.. Wells had acquired as an
astute and successful operator on the turf.
So much so, indeed, that shortly afterward
his ingenious devices were employed to en-
gineer "brace game of faro" in a noted
bird>housc on ST. Charles street in New, Or
leans In this lc udablc and successful pursuit
Mr.. Wells rapidly acquired the means to
establish himself in II lucrative gambling
business, and he discarded forever the blue
jacket andstriped cap Of the jockey. Into
this unpretentious but serene life he was
quietly subsiding when the war broke out,
and to escape the necessity OF taking any
share in its burdens he Immediately betook
himself to the scquestered swamps OF Rap
ides parish, to emerge into public life again
as soon as the Federal loops under Banks
had got full! possession Of tho State. AL
though Mr.. Wells had never devoted any
part of his life to agricultural pursuits, no
sooner had the Federal troops entered his
district than he Immediately set up claim
to all the cotton in the parish. SO large.a
property owner Con. Banks eoneNded.
--siroufu, ~ COURSE, be an eminent citizen, and
he thereupon certified to the country that
the only real and upright Louisanian with
whom he had met was j. Madison Wells, Of
Rapides Parish. From this time forth j.
Madisons stars rllncd fortunes ON him.
lie became politician, an aspirant for office,
and ran on Banks reconstruction ticket in
1864 for Lieutenant. Governor, the first place
being assigned to Michael Hahn. OF course,
he was elected. Nobody but loyal people
voted in Louisiana in those days. or at least
those whom General Banks accounted loyal,
The next thing which came alb ut was the
election of Hahn to the Senate, and then
j. Madison Wells, the whilom jockey, the
expert groom, the ingenious croupicr to the
Bird House faro hell lcapcd at one gigantic
bound into the ullhcdged Govcrnor-a po-
litical nondescript, as remarkable as Minerva
when she sprang fullarmorcd and panopllcd
for war from the head Of Jovc. Or his sub.
sequent career it is unnecessary to speak at
ength. Unhappily for Louisiana, it is al
eady familiar to the country.
His white associate on the Returning
Board, General Thomas G. Anderson, is less
deserving of special mention. He is Il Nir-
ginian by birth, and has been a planter in
st. Landry parish for forty years. When
politics were reputable and white men ruled
in Louisiana General Anderson was rcspe:-
table. He held high rank in the militia, and
his courageous intrepidity on muster days
won him the distinction of Il brigadicr.-
An admirer Of the old axiom to let well
enough alone, he surrendered his military
emoluments at the breaking out Of the war
and generously permitted his less distin-
guished countrymcn to seek "the bubble re-
putation at the cannons mouth" But if
the sword no loagcr fascinated the Opclou.
sas brigadicr, he was not inscnsiblc to the
honors which might be acquired i'll the Sen
a. AL -~-sS--.~~~-~ --V'sSJ'r"rr:s ~-rifituT
Henry Alien, the great war Governor Of
Louisiana, at Shreveport When that body
adjourned, Gen. Anderson returned to his
plantation but came back into public life
with the advent Of Warmoth's admnistra-
tion. In consideration Of promise by
Warmoth to send him to the Senate, he be-
came his facile supporter and convenient
heRchman. But Warmoth was accustomed
to use such men without rcwarding them,
and, when too late to redress his grievance,
General Andcrson discovered that carpet
bagger's promise was full ofguilo and deceit
Nevertheless, he was permitted to engineer
through the Legislature claim for $3.50,
600, founded on the disloyal service of PRO-
visions supplied by man named We'll to