The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-11-20

very fust families In Virginia. He
was . son Of ledge Thaxton Taleott,
sub, and grandson Of General Snow
den stafford Talcott OF the Revolu-
tionary War. Now, sub, let me tell
you right here that the Talcott blood
IL as blue as the sky. and that every
gentleman bearin' the name IL
known all over the county, sub, M
man whose honor IL dearer TO him
than his life, and whose word Is as
good as his bond. Well, sub. on
this mornIn' Colonel Talcott left his
plantation In charge Of his overseer
he was workin' II on shares-and
rode through his estates to his an
eestral town. seine Ave miles distant.
Il IL true. sub, these estates were no
longer In his name, nut that had ho
bearin' on the events that followed
he ought to have owned them, and
would have done so but for some
vehy ungentlemanly fo'elosure
proceedin's which occurred i'm
mediately after the war.
ION arriving at 1alcottville the
colonel dismonnted, handed the
reIns TO his seryant,-Or perhaps,
sun, one Of the niggers around the
do',-and entered the post-ofiiee.
Now, sub, let me tell you that one
month befo' the Government, con-
tfary to the express wishes Of a |
great many Of our leAdin' citizens,
had sent Q Yankee postmaster to
Talcottville TO administer the postal
affairs OF that town. No sooner had |
this man taken possession than he |
began 10 he exclusive, sub, and to |
put on airs. The vehy fust air he
put on was to build n fence In his
Office and compel our people to
transact their business through q
hole. This, sub, In itself was yehy |
gallln', for up TO that time the mail
had been dumped out on the table In |
the stage Office and every gentleman
had he'ped@ himself. The next was
the elosin' of his msil bags at a.
hour fixed by himself. This became
a great Inconvenience 10 our citizens,
who we're often late In fnishin' their
correspondence, and who had slwsys
found our former postmaster willin'
either to hold the bag over until the
next day or send Il across TO Drum
mondtOwn by 9 boy to catch n later
train.
"Colonel TAleott's mission TO the
post-ofiice, sub, was to mail letter
TO his factor in Richmond, Virginia,
on business Of the utmost import
ance to himself, suh-namely, the
raisin' Of q small loan upon his share
Of the crop. Not the crop that was
planted, sub, but the crop that he
to plant.
"Colonel TaIcott approached the
hole, and with that Chesterfieldian
manner which has distinguished the
Talcotts for mo- than two centuries
asked the postmaster for the loan OF
n three-eent postage stamp.
ITO his astonishment, sub. he was
refused.
"Think of q Taleott, sub, in his
own county town bein' refused
postage stamp by Q low
lived Yankee, who had never known
4 gentleman In his life, sub! The
eolonel's fust impulse, sub, was to
haul the scoundrel through the hole
and kearye him; but he remember
ID, sub, that he was Q Talcott and
could not demean himself, and
irawin' himself up again with that
manner which was grace itself he
requested the loan OF q thres-cent
postage stamp until he should COM
with his factor In Rich
nOnd, Virginia: and again, sub, he
was refused. Well, sub, what was
here left for high-tOned Southern
to do? Colonel Talcott
rev bis revolver from the leg Of
ais boot and shot that Yankee
through the heart and
killed him on the spot. L.
"And now, sub, comes the most
part of this story. Fit
had not been for Major Tom Yancey,
ledge Kerfoot, and myself there
would have been . laweuit.
FitE lay back In his chair and
'oared.
"And they did not hang the
Hang q Tslcott! No, sub; we
ion't hang gentlemen down our
way. ledge KerfoOt vehy properly
,harged the cOroner's jury that II /
vas . matter Of self-defsnse, and
Colonel Talcott was not detained,
- sAas. haNH Ags.e "