Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-08-22
THE COLONEL.
A Story of an Old Soldier.

"What has become of Lenoir?"
"Yes, where is Lenoir?"
The phalanx of solid business men,
comprising the bulk ofthe membership
Of Garfield post, No. 3, Grand Army OF
the Republic, had regarded as down.
right grievance call to attend meet
ing for the transaction of special busi-
ness, appointed at the very inconven-
tent hour of two in the afternoon.
They had responded to the order un-
der protest, taken part in the proceed
: ines with an abstracted air, fumed at
the break in their daily routine, osten-
tatiously consulted their watches with
the anxiety of men who were neglect
ing important engagements, and when
the meeting at length adjourned gath
cred into cosey knots here and there,
and settled down for a comfortable
chat and the revival of old Army rem
iniscences.
The first speaker, Jim Brewster, was
lumber merchant who had acquired
extensive tracts of land covered with a
forest growth second only to the big
trees of the Calaveras and Mariposa
groves. He had so prospered in his
business ventures that his name had
become identified with the natural
product he ruled in the commercial
world, and he had gained the sobriquet
of the Prince of Redwood. He had
lately purchased large piece OF land
at the foot of Sixth-st., including with
in its boundaries that unsavory but
classical region on the banks Omission
Creek known as the 1.-The Dumps"
where the Italian scavengers had from
time immemorial deposited the con-
tents of their carts, and raked the
putrid and decaying masses of paper,
scraps of old iron, and other articles
of commerce, as well as the pieces Of
plate benevolently dropped into the
ash-barrel by careless servants. Mis-
sion Creek. at high tide, is for very
considerable distance a navigable
stream, and it was generally conceded
that Brewster's branch yard was q
shrewd venture, and would soon turn
the tide of traffic from the crowded
thoroughfare of Steuart-st. The
Prince OF Redwood himself had
felt all the glow of q prudent mans
complacency over this evidence of his
own sagacity, but a stormy interview
in the underwriters office that noon
had disturbed the serenity with which
he had hitherto viewed his new acqui-
sition. Meeting some old comrades,
men OF his own regiment, who had
fought side by side with him through
the four years OF the civil war, he cast
aside the perplexities of the day and
plunged with eager zest into an ami
mated discussion of past campaigns,
in the course of which he made the in
quiry that heads this chapter. The
question was repeated by an echoing
chorus.
Lenoir?" The speaker who volun-
teered reply was member OF that
very agreeable and highly entertain
ing class OF individuals who are COM
monty accredited with the possession
of universal knowledge, and whose in
formation is about as diffuse and in
exact as the average encyclopedias OF
biography. 'Lenoir's wife died just
before he was mustered out in '65.
Broke him all up for q while, but he
rallied and went down to Florida, in
vested in an orange grove, and lives on
the fat OF the land.
"He was an odd fellow-Lenoir," re.
marked gray-bearded veteran who
endeavored TO reconcile his predilec'
ton for powder and cold steel by
keeping gun-shop in Bush-st.
"Oddl there wasn't a nobler fellow
in the service He was hero, If ever
ono existed" Brewster spoke with
such unwonted energy that the Others
looked at him in surprise, for he wa:
generally phlegmatic in society, and
cold-blooded i'll his business relations
he cooled down alittle as he observ
ed thesensation his remark had Great
ed, and exchanged his enthusiasm fol
dry, argumentative tone.
you know was mere boy when
enlisted. Some of our folks knew LIE
noir; my mother spoke to him the da,
we marched, and-well, ] could tel
YOU q thing OF two about the colone
that none of you ever knew. I'm no
going to gush over the man, but yo,
may be interested TO hear of little in
cident which happend in eastern Ten
nessee. You remember July, 1850
when we marched through the noun
tains and camped in a narrow defl
they called Rattlesnake Pass? B,
George, lshall never forget the plac
tothe day of.my death, shut in'by steep
rocky walhs loose sand underfoot, no
leaf or tlade of grass to beseen, out
sideofa scant green fringe bordering h
starveling brook that trickled alon
one si'.e. / noticed such things an
cared more about them than the olde
inen. When joined the Army wa
INST turned eighteen, and chuck full {
patriotic fire. raving over the justiC
= our cause, ambitious to earn di
L. 4 II