Wichita eagle., 1888-01-14

fusion.
Some few of the men. but none of the
women, in the county know what Is Old Har-
yeys especial claim to the almost reverertial
consideration shown him by the older men.
When he was regulator he had way OF
finding ont things that passed ordinary pene-
tration. It was at the time when the fewes.
number of white men were left in the county,
and the greatest degree of dissatisfaction was
rife among the bewildered creatures who had
been thrown upon their own resources with
frightful suddenness, that dark whispers Of
diaboIical plans for securing to themselves tie
homes and possessions of the men who were
absent fighting to retain them in slavery,
came to the regulators ears. One by one the
ringleaders of the plot disappeared with an
awfulness, and suddenness, and complete
ness that filed the minds of their followers
with superstitious terror. The most perfect
good feeling was soon restored between the
races, and tho whispers died away. When
somebody asked him contdentiaily after the
war for this episode still remains something
of secret how he managed about "the.na
while he was prisoner, he told him Wales
helped him. Wales is as black as ebony.
Tie sheriff bought him, runaway, frcm
harsh master, and made him his own body
servant. WALES alone knew of the subter-
ranean prison under the court house, where
the three ringleaders against tho peace CT the
country were incarcerated during one year
OF the war. 1t was to him the sheriff relin-
quished the key, and upon him devolved the
care of them when the brigade carried Har-
vey off. II knew I could trust Wales" he
alwavs saws, but he does not like much TO
tall, about it. WALES is his devoted slave to
this day, aud he and old Harvey alone know
that the sleek looking porter IN Davenports
store is one of his incarcerated conspirators,
the jolly, we'll paid engineer on the Widow
Mason's gin house another, and the ianitor of
the new law offices OF which the town u so
Justly proud third Old Harvey has been
mainly instrumental in securing them these
positions. and they all three adore him.
No, old Harvey has nothing especial to be
rroud Of He is very poor now. He is too
old to bold office, even if he could be elected
to it, and he has led the veriest grasshopper's
life SO FAR as looking out for number one
goes; but he does not seem TO be much more
concerned about number one now than he did
in the days when he and Beelzebub regulated
the country, nor will he ever be. Grass
hoppers will be grasshoppers.
lie is "Old Harvey" now to all the men and
Boys of his locality, "irrespoctivs of age,
color or previous condition" Some of the
colored people who were young slaves
when he was sheriff of the county be-
fore the war, and upon whose minds
the awe inspiring dignity of that Office
made such an indelible impression that no one
who has once held it can ever again be quite
like other folks, still doT their hats deferen-
italy to "Boss Harvey" while the women Of
the county invariably speak of him as poop
old Mr. Harvey" but this last is prolix and
manifestly inconvenient for colloquial pur
poses, so that when strangers, taking inn
mediate note of one Of the most striking OBJ
jects in the town, make inquiry concerning
it, they are informed concisely that "that's
old Harvey" But as everybody likes him
tue older people because they remember what
he was and what he has been in the neighbor
hood, and the younger people because they
have been reared with sort of traditional
regard for old Harvey-the term comes from
the most careless lips divested Of all harsh
ness or contempt, with rather caressing
sound. in point OF fact.-"Dixie" in New
York Evening Post