Western Kansas world., 1888-09-15
An Exchange.

Tor his faCe, Wn1cn wore that eVerlaSIlng
grimace. At one time he was made pres
ident of the Hannibal and st. Joseph rail-
road, and gave the interests of that cor
poration more sedate consideration than
anything he ever undertook. He was a
warm friend admirer of Abraham Lincoln,
| although differing with him politically.
And it was this friendship between the
two men which brings to me what want
to say.
st. Joseph at the outbreak of the war
was the hot-bed of secession. It sent
companies, regiments and battalions of its
best young men to the cause of the con-
federacy. As the contest was prolonged
it became evident to the government that
the war in the west would be interminable
if some steps were not taken to keep the
rebel element about st. Joseph in subjec-
ton. The sons had gone out to battle
until there were scarcely enough young
men left in the town to do escort duty for
weekly prayer-meeting. But the ia
theirs and mothers and sisters and sweet
hearts remained, and the amount of COM
fort and aid which they gave the rebellion
puzzled the loyal commandant of that
section.
These old men and women we're the
neighbors of Craig. They had been his
clients and his constituents. He had seen
them prosper in their business and had
helped them as they had him in the
development of that section of the north
west.
Lincoln sent for Craig and they talked
over the situation in the northwest, and
especially about STD Joseph. Craig told the
president that the people of his town were
tired of the soldiery, and every time
union regiment was sent there the sight of
it exasperated the people. Craig made this
proposition to Mr.. Lincoln: He would
organize home gaurd. This should be
composed of the business men and clerks
of the city. They should be made custo-
dams of the city and defend it against jay
hawkers and bushwhackers alike. The
"secesh" element in the guard would have
enough weight with the confederacy to
keep them out OF that section, and Craig
would agree that the marauding element
of both sides should be kept out. Mr.. Lin
coin approved the plan. Craig also
agreed that no recruits to the rebel army
would leave st. Joseph and that no re-
turning soldier of the gray should come
there except on parole. Lincoln COM
missioned Craig as brigadier general of
the home guard.
Craig returned to his home, but he had
hard work to make his old neighbors of
the secesh element fall in with his ideas.
He convinced them, however, that it was
better for them to guard their own prop
erty than to have it guarded by yankees"
or jayhawkers, and they reluctantly fell
in. They we're organized into companies
and given some of the old Belgian muskets
that the government had thrown away.
Many gray haired old rebel went home
after dusk with his musket, which he hid
away in the corner. Having armed the
home guard, Craig secured uniform
consisting of blue blouse and cavalry
cap. Each home guard was furnished
with such suit, and then the female
element of the old rebel town did howl.
Many a grayhaired old mother who had
gone religiously to Brother Fackler's and
and Brother Dolin's churches for the pur-
pose OF praying for the success of Price
and JEFF Davis met their husbands in the
doorways when they came home with suits
of the the home guard, and the home
guard skunk around the back way and
pulled off the blouse and cap and left
them in the barn. The good old mothers
whose sons were down south could not
understand what was necessary for their
good. The home guard was afraid to try
to make them.
During this bubbling under the surface
Craig ordered out the home guard to be
drilled every afternoon. The old men
whose sons were south took out their guns
and uniforms secretly and met at an ap-
pointed rendezvous. They were divided in
to squads and put under care of compe-
tent drill-masters. These drill-masters had
their orders from Craig, and every after
noon the squads were marched in front
of their respective homes and generally
ordered to pass on double quick. Their
wives and daughters saw them from the
windows and many q windowshade was
jerked down in hurry to hide the in
mates from the humiliating scene. This
was repeated until the good wives and
daughters became accustomed to the
sight of their husbands and fathers in the
uniform of the "hated mudsills of the
north" and finally gave in.
Craig was sitting in his Office laughing
all the time. He knew it was CALLING, but
he also knew the time would come when
they would thank him for what he was do
luK, duO IL COu0. 1ucIO 10 uO uldu III
the old city of st. Joseph, with its capital
and splendid society, who is more revered
and honored than general James Craig,
who is now on his death bed. He who
was sent for by Lincoln in the darkest
days of the war for no otherpurpose than
that of relieving Lincoln OF his dark
hours. For Craig was a man who
laughed in the face of death.
Mrs. Jacob Scondue, while visiting
with her father-in-law, at Gaynor City,
Mo-, was taken very sick with Cholera
Morbus. A physician was sent for,
but as the doctor was not at home, Mr..
s. e. While, merchant of Gaynor City,
handed the husband Of the sick lady q
small bottle of Chamberlain's Colic,
Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy, and |