Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-02-01

+ AASSSSS
COMPANY not emitting the Captain.
Nor did we forget the Colonel OF the
regiment either. The largest and tat
test bird of the lot was apportloned to
him.
The next day, about eleven o'clock,
a delicious odor of baked fowl arose
from every mess fire. Strung out along
the company street were twenty ovens,
heated bv as many fires. Twenty men,
each armed with an iron spoon, were
sweating over those fires, busily en-
gagged in "basting" the stolen fowls.
Fifty hungry men were gathered IN
knots of two OF three, intently watch
ing the culinary artists
Before the dinner hour had arrived
there was an arrival in camp that pro-
duced feeling of nervousness IN at
least four members OF the company.
His attire and his shambling gait left
no doubt in the minds of those who
saw him that he was a horny handed
filler Of the soil. His footsteps, as lll.
fate would have it, led him straight
through our company tent. HIS eyes
took in the situation at glance. Halt
ing and gazing upon the fat birds, now
we'll Drowned and nearly ready for the
banquet board, he exclaimed:
"Wall, darn my grandmother's but
tons, eff this don't beat all ]" *
"What's the matter, Mr.. Corn
shuck?" meekly inquired one of the
whats the matter, do you ask?
Rob man and then insult him by ask;
ing what's the matter! Now, you-unS
have got to pay fur them ere geese or
I'll have the last drafted one of you
arrested"
With that he strobe on and halted
not until he had reached the Colonel's
quarters. Presently he returned, &C
companied by that officer. "Boys,"
oueried the latter, where did you get
those gecse?" One of the guilty quar-
tet spoke up and said they were pur-
chased from farmer over on Turkey
Creek.
"Now, see here, Colonel" inter-
rupted the son OF toll "them's my
geese, and want my pay fur 'em.
Eyes, but how do you know they
are?" rejoined the Colonel. GLOW can
you identity the property"
"Why, Colonel, 1 lost just twenty
geese, and here's nineteen in sight here;
the twentieth one is cooking right up
thar at your tent"
"Well," answered the Colonel, chat
} is circumstantial evidence only, and
proves nothing positively. If you can
identify these geese as your property,
he continued, winking slyly at the
boys, "you shall be remunerated, and l
! will see that the guilty parties are pun
ished."
With that the Colonel walked off to
his tent, leaving the farmer alone.
With look of deep disgust on his face,
he thus addressed the boys who were
cooking his geese:
"The Yanks, when they wuz here
last, stole all my pigs and turkeys, and
when you-uns kim along all my geese
and chickens disappear. It's toss-up
which are the biggest rogues, you-uns
l or t'other fellers Pears to me about
all the darned rascals in the kintry has
: fined the armies"
e With this parting shot the Disguised
g man walked away, leaving the boys
S masters of the situation, as we'll as o
s the geese. Had he tarried a little Will,
: longer he might have beheld sevent.
! soldiers, with able appetites, dining OF
roast fowl and returning silent thank
to the good farmer who raised up anc
fed and fattened them, and permitted
them to stray off at night into tn
:, meadows Chicago Ledger.
:. slcridan's Account of Old Army Days ii
= Mexico.
l. eve generally danced in long hal
e on hard dirt floor. The girls sat OF
S one side Of the hall, chaperoned b,
II their mothers or some old duennas
e and the men on the other. When tn
a music struck up, each man asked tn,
n lady whom his eyes had already Sc
l. lected to dance with him, and it wa
e not etiquette for her to refuse, no en-
l. gagements being allowed before tn
r, music began. When the dance, which
l. was generally long waltz. was over
l. he seated his partner and then went t,
e little counter at the end of the room
2 and bought his dulcinea a plate Of tn
1t candies and sweetmeats provided
l. Sometimes she accepted them, bu
1t most generally pointed to her duenn
l. or chaperon behind, who held up he
e. apron and caught the refreshments a
a. they were slid into it from the plate
d The greatest decorum was maintaine,
lie at these dances, primitively as the
s. were conducted: and in region s
T. completely cut off from the worl
le their influence was undoubtedly bene
IN fetal to considerable degree in soft
l. en2ng the rough edges in half-bree
1t population"
Story Of General Lee.
N Although John Minor Bolts was
y strong Union man General Lee COZ
lie tinued his friend during the war, say
N the Att nta Constitution. Just be
re fore the march into Pennsylvania NJ,
to Bolts said to General Lee: "You hav
he been fighting an army away from thei
homes, but when you strike the North
= ern f,rnSile rn11 Will End Il q d;HoYa.,