The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-29
THE GRANDFATHER'S STORY.

far less safe than it is now. The roads
were not only unconscious of macadam,
and fatal in many places to wheels and
springs, but dangerous to a still more
alarming degree from the outrages and
robberies to which travellers were ex-
posed,
Mems minds were unsettled by the
incidents of the war on which we had
lst entered-commerce was interrupt
ed, credit was at an end, and distress
began to be discovered among whole
classes of the population who had hith-
erto lived in comfort. However harsh
ly the law was administered it seemed
to have no terror for the evil-doer, and,
indeed, the undiscerning cruelty of the
statute book defeated its own object by
furnishing all crimes alike. But time
of pecuniary pressure is not bad time
for bank.
The house hourished though the
country was in great straits and the enor-
nous profits realized at that time by
bankers-which enabled them to pur-
chase large estates and outshine the old
territorial aristocracy-made the pro
fession as unpopular among the higher
classes as it had been among the IN
reasonable masses. By them banker
was looked upon as a sort of licensed
forger, who created enormous sums OF
money by merely signing square pieces
of fiimsy paper; and 1 am persuaded the
robbery of bank would have been con-
sidered by many people quite as meri-
torious an action as the dispersal OF
band of coincrs.
These, however, were not the senti-
ments of us bankers clerks. We felt
that we belonged to mighty corpora
tion on whose good will depended the
prosperity of half the farms in the coun-
try. We considered ourselves the ex-
ecutive government, and carried on the
business of the office with a dignity and
pride that would have fitted us for sec
retaries of state. We used even to walk
the streets with braggadocia air; as if
our pockets were loaded with gold and Il
two of US hired gig for country .ex-
cursion, we pretended to lock under the
driving seat as if to see to the safety of
inconceivable amounts of money; os-
tsntatiously displaying our pistols to
show that we were determined to defend
our treasure or die. Not seldom these
precautions were required in reality,
for when pressure for gold occurred
among our customers, two of the most
courageous of the clerks were dispatched
with the required amount in strong
leathern bags deposited under the seat
of the gig, which bags they were to
guard at the risk of their lives. Wheth-
er from the bodily strength 1 was gifted
with or from some idea that was not
given to boasting, / might really possess
the necessary amount of boldness, L
don't know, but 1 was often selected as
one of the guards to valuable cargo of
this description, and as if to show an
impartiailty between the most silent and
the most talkative of their servants, the
partner united with me in this service
the most clustering, boastful, good
hearted and loud voiced young gentle
man had ever known.
You have most of you heard of the
famous electioneering orator, Tom Rud-
die, who stood at every vacancy for
county and borough, and passed his
whole life, between the elections, in
canvassing for himself and friends.
Tom Ruddle was my fellow clerk, and
generally the companion Of my drives
in charge of treasure. what would
you do" said to Tom, "in case we
were attacked?" "Tell ye what" said
Tom, with whom that was favorite
way of beginning almost every sentence,
sTell ye what I'll shoot 'em through
the head"
"Then you expect there will be more
than one?"
"I should think so," said Tom. "If
there was only one I'd jump out of the
gig and give him precious licking.
Tell ye what 'twould be proper pun
ishment for his impertinence.
"And if half dozen should try it?"
"Shoot 'em ALL" Never was there
such determined custodian as the gal
liant Tom Ruddle.
One cold December evening we were
suddenly sent off in charge of three |
bags of coin to be delivered into GUS
toners hands within ten or twelve |
miles of the town. The clear, frosty sky
was exhilarating, our courage was excit-
ed by the speed of the motion, the Dig
nity of our responsible office, and a pair
If horse pistols which lay across the
lpron. "Tell ye whatl" said Tom, TAX
ng up one of the pistols and Gas after
ward found) full cooking it. IL should
ather like to meet few robbers l
hould serve them as did those three
Iisbanded soldiers" "How was that?"
oh it's as well, said Tom, pretending
:, .rro.y wary sarions III say nothinD