The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1891-08-20
a RANK OLD HuMnue.

A HANK OLD -HOMBUG.
lie Told His War stories 40 0uea That
l.SAr k3fkeS6l IhemnulmselL
lie IasNSeASb IN,
little tobaeoo store IN thc suburbs ALL
the labor manual md mental, requisite
tothe continuance of the establishment,
however, was done by the ex-newsboy
to whom the old soldier paid four dol
lars a wccR and allowed free tobacco,
He had come into,the neighborhood
from the interior of the state shortly
after the war for a time there were
not ten houses within a block of his
shop The shop is now the one archi-
tcctural blemish in a long row of hand-
some stores Miles of streets have been
built up around it.
The old soldier used to sit in an
antique armchair in the rear of his
shop, smoking from meal to meal.
II larnt the habit in the army" he
wopld say.@1 never teohed tobacker
till ! went to the war"
People would look inquiringly at his
empty sleeve.
got that at Gettysburg in the sec,
ond days fight" he would explain, com
placcntly-
lie was often asked whether he was a
member of the Grand Army-of the Re
public?
InNos faint worth while. done nv
tighin, in '63 and Citizen times /
don't care about doin' II oven again in
talk Talks cheap
This made folks smile, for he was
continually fighting his battles over
again in conversation. Every regular
customer had been made acquainted
with the part that he had taken in each
contest, where he had stood when he
received his wound, what regiment had
had the honor of possessing him, and
how promptly he had enlisted against
the wishes of parents and sweetheart.
"of course you get a pension, =" many
would observe.
He would shake his head and answer
in the mild tone of a man consciously
representing a p~ardonable pride.
81 never piled, and as long as the re-
tail tobaclSer trade keeps up like this |
reckon ! won't make no putt on the
government treasury"
And he would puff mt his cigar vigor.
ously. beam upon the group that sur
rounded his chair, and start upon one of
his long trains of "reminiscences.
He was an amiable old fellow, with
gray ehsir carefully combed back from
his curved forehead; a iorid counte.
nance, boyish blue eyes, pulled checks,
a smooth chin, and v very military
looking gray mustache: lie was mani
testify a man who ate ample dinners
and amply digested them. lie would
glanee-eontentedlA downward at his
broad, round body, and smilingly re-
mark:
"Ididn't have hat girth in my fight
in days. / got it after the war was
over"
All who knew him admired him. lie
would tell with simple frankness how
after distinguishing himself at Antie-
tam he chose to remain a private rather
than take the lieutenancy that was
placed within his reach. He would fire.
quently say:
II amt one o them that thinks the
country belongs to the soldiers because
they saved it. No, sir! II they want
the country as a reward, where's the
credit of savin' it?"
How could one help exclaiming:
"NWhat a really noble old man"
Finally some of the young men who
received daily inspiration from his
photographed narratives arranged a
surprise for the old soldier. They pre-.
scented him with a finely framed pic
ture of the battle of Gettysburg, under
which vas the inscription:
a True Patriot Who Fought and
Suffered Not for Self-interest or Glory
but for Love OF His Country"
This hung in his shop until the day of
his death, Then his brother came FROM
his native village to attend his burial.
The brother stared at the picture, in
quired as to the meaning of the inscrip-
tion, and then laughed v~ociferously.
In the old soldiers trunk was found
a faded newspaper that had beer pub
lished in his village in 1865, It contain
ed an account OF an accident by which
a groeer's clerk had lost his arm in a
threshing machine. The grocer's clerk
and the old soldier were one person.
He had never seen a battle. But so
often had he told his war stories that
in his last days he believed them. =
Philadelphia Press.