West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-08-14
THE COLONEL.
An Old Soldiers Appreciation of
His Former Commander.

" iil las bti Otllt OF ltnOlr.'
Yes, where is Lcnoir?'
The phalanX of solid business men.
comprising tn bulk Of the member
ship of Garfield Post No. 3. Grand
Army of the Republic, In regarded AS
downright grievance n call TO attend
meeting for the transaction of special
business, appointed at the very inconvcn-
lent hour OF two in the afternoon.
They had responded to the order under
protest, taken part in the proceedings
with an distracted air fumed at the
break in their daily routine, ostenta-
tlously consulted their watches with the
anxiety OF men who were neglectinU i'm
portant engagements. and when tho
meeting mt length adjourned gathered
into cory knots here and there. and
settled down for n comfortable chat and
the revival OF old army "reminiscences.
The first speaker, Jim Brewster. was
lumber merchant who had acquired
extensive tracts of land covered with a
forest growth second only TO the bio
trees of the Calavcras and Mar:posa
groves. He had so prospered i'm his
business ventures that his name had he
como 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
a large piece of land at the foot of Sixth
street, including within its boundaries
that unsavory but classical region on
the banks of Mission Creek known as
1.-THE Dumps" where the Italian scav-
engers had from time immemorial de-
posted the contents OF their carts. and
raked the putrid and decaving masses
oil paper, scraps Of old iron and other
articles of commerce. as well as the
pieces of plate benevolentlv dropued
into the ash-barrel by careless servants.
Mission Creek, at high tide, is
for considerable distance a nayigable
stream, and it was generally conceded
that Brewster's branch ward was a
shrewd venture, and would soon turn
the tide OF traffic from the crowded thor
oughfare of Steuart street The Prince
OF Redwood himself had felt all the
glow OF prudent mans compIacepcy
over this evidence of his own saoacitv.
but stormy interview in the under
writer's Office that noon had iii sturbed
the serenity with which he had hitherto
viewed bis new acquisition Meeting
some old comrades, men of his own
regiment, who had fought side bv side
with him through the four years of the
IiVll war, he cast aside the perplexities
OF the day and plunged with eager zest
INTO the animated discussion of past
campaigns, in the course of which he
made the inquiry that heads this chan.
br. The question was repeated by an
echoing chorus.
''LcnoirP' The speaker who volun.
teered reply was a member OF that
very agreeable and highly entertaining
class Of individuals who are commonly
accredited with the possession OF uni
Vcrsai knowledge, and whose informa-
ton is about as diluse and inexaot as
the average encyclopaedia Of biography
'Lcnoir' wife died Just before he was
mustered out in 90. Broke him all mn
Tor awhile. but he rallied and went
down 70 Florida, invested in an ORANGE
grove. and lived on the fat Of the land -
''ie was an odd fellow eno.r."
REM rked gray-bearded veteran
VINO endcavOred 10 reconcile his predi-
l'clOn for powder and cold steel bv
KEEP ny a gun shop in Bush street
Odd. there vasn' a nObler fellow
Do tHe service lie was hero. If ever
one existed ~ Brewster spoke with
such unwOntcd energy that the other.
looked 40 him in surprise. for he vyas
generally regarded a. phlcgmatc i'm
society and cold-b'oodcd 'in h.. business
relations lie cooled down "a little "a d.
Doc Obs rived tic sensation bis remark
bad created. and exchanged bis cutuu-
hia-m Tor dry. argImeutatiyc tone.
ON know J was "a mere bJy when