The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-05-01
THE TIE GRANDPARENTS STORY.

III lGSo Sulc bIlull ~ ID HOW. Inc TOuUS
were not only unconscious of m~acadam,
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
jlst Embellishments 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 it's own object by
Furnishing all crimes alike. But a time
of pecuniary pressure is not q bad time
for a bank.
The house fourished 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 I'M
reasonable masses. By them q banker
was looked upon as u sort of licensed
forger, who created enormous sums Of
money by merely signing square pieces
of himsy paper; and I am persuaded the
robbery of bank would have been o n
sidered by many people quite as meri-
torious an action as the dispersal of a
band of coiners.
These, however, were not the senti-
ments of us bankers clerks. We felt
that we belonged to a mighty corpora
ton on whose good will depended the
prosperity ofhalf the farms in the
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 a braggadocia air; as if
our pockets were loaded with gold andif
two of us hired a gig for a country ex-
cursion, we pretended to loLk under the
driving seat as if to see to the safety of
inconceivable amounts of money; os-
tantatiously displaying u pistols to
show that we were determined to defend
our treasure or die. Not seldom these
precautions were required in reality,
for when a 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 l was gifted
with or from some idea THAT I was not
given to boasting, I might really possess
the necessary amount OF boldness, 1
don't know, but I was often selected as
one of the guards to q valuable cargo of
this description, and as if to show an
impartiailty between the most silentand
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 I 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 h'~,self and friends.
Tom Ruddle was my fellow clerk, and
generally the companion of my drives
in charge of treasure. what would
you do" l said to Tom, Gin case WI
were attacked?" "Tell We what" said
Tom, with whom that was q ~favorite
: way of beginning almost every sentence,
"Tell We what! I'll shoot 'em through
the head"
"Then you expect there will be more
than one?"
II should think so:" said Tom. I'll
there was only n I'd jump out Of the
gig and give him a precious licking.
Tell we what! 'twould be a proper pun.
ishment for his impertinence."
"And if a half dozen should try it?"
"Shoot 'em ALL" Never was there
such q determined custodian as the gal
liant Tom Ruddle.
One cold December evening we were
suddenly sent off in charge of three
l,-. - oo,, 4o lo l,l,-or,J ,,4, 49,,
toners hands within ten or twelve
miles of the town. The clear, frosty sky
was eShilarating, our courage was excit-
ed by the speed of the motion, the dig.
nifty Of our responsible office, and a pan
of horse pistols which lay across the
apron. "Tell We what" said Tom, TAX
ing up one of the pistols and Gas 1 after
ward found full cooking it. 81 should
rather like to meet a few robbers. ]
should serve them as 1 did those three
disbanded soldiers" "How was that??'
ooh! it's as well, said Tom, pretending
to grow very serious, to say nothing
about these unfortunate accidents
Blood is a frightful thing on the con
science, and bullet through a fellow is
adisagreeable sight; but-tell We what
I'd do it again. Fellows who risl
their lives must take their chance, my
boy"
nA! L<.s Ter, rr1 he other pisto
on full cock AMI ;~.seo -,,1-c:orslv OF
both sides Of the road, as il daring lnt
lurking murderers to come forth anG
receive the reward of their crimes. A,
to the story of the soldiers and the fear.
full insinuations Of a bloody deed exc
cuted on one or all, it was q prodigiou'
rhodomontade-for Tom was such
tender hearted individual that if he hat
shot q kitten it would have made hin
unhappy for a week. But, to hear hin