The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-25
STORIES OF THE DAY.
Anecdotes, Serious and Humorous, About
the Late General Joe Shelby.

General Shelby and Judge John +. |
Phillips of the United Statescircuit court
were great friends for many years. In
fact, when they were boys in Kentucky
they both clerked in the same store
During the civil war they were on OPP
posite sides, and as they were often near
each other they have many stories about
those stirring times.
Several months ago they were riding
on train together in the central part
Of the state, when Judge Philips sud-
denly pointed out of the window and
said:
General, do Won remember the time
we came very near to catching you over
there?"
"No, sir" said General Shelby, "but
/ remember the time l nearly caught
you there. IL it had not been for the in
fernal stupidity of the man sent out
to tear up that track, we would have
had you sure"
At that time Shelby's forces were
known to be in the immediate vicinity
and Judge Phillips-then Colonel Phil
| lips-had taken an engine and gone up
the railroad few miles to see if he could
| learn anything of the movements OF the
opposing forces. He was accompanied
by Colonel Il. T. Crittenden, now con-
sui general Of the United States in the
| City of Mexico. Shelby had received
word of the little expedition, and as
soon as the engine passed going up the
track he sent detachment of men, COM
manded by subordinate officer, with
I instructions to tear up the track and
thus prevent the colonel's reaching the
base of supplies Bn6 S9VCic
The officer reached the track just in
time to hear the engine approaching
from distance and instead of doing
anything to prevent its passage he sat
Oh his horse and watched it fly by him.
When General Shelby found what had
happened, he was thoroughly mad, ano
at once reduced the officer to the ranks
"The worthless blockhead, he said
IF he had only possessed sense enough
to shoot horse and let it fall across
the track, he would have nabbed thos'
fellows. With even the slightest OBJ
struction on the track they would hav'
been unable to pass, and we could hav
captured them.
Withal, the general loved joke, AM
even though it were "on'' himself, h
never questioned it's humor, though h
, might reserve the right to keep it {
, himself if permitted to by clrcun
D stances.
I Old Aunt Sarah lived with her hus
? band-or perhaps he lived with ne
e would be more correct-over ON tn
8 Kansas side Aunt Sarah was Gener'
: Shelby's washerwoman.
@ One day Jim appeared at the gel
v erals office in the federal building wit
: tears in his eyes and sad, sad story.
"Mistah Shelby" he said falteringl.
Il "Sarah's gone. y
d "Gone where, Jim?" said the gel
l. eral. "She amt run OFF,"
l. "No, sab" said Jim, as he wiped b
Ia ewes with the ball of his hand. dead.
n General Shelby whirled straight
l. his chair. WHAT" he exclalme
4 "You don't mean to tell me Sarah
dead? Why, she just did our washli
il last week. F" Kg
\. "Ah knows it, said Jim. -
of knows it, Mistah Shelby, but she do
j. gone now, an hain't got money enou
is to bury her decent. "
H. This was one of the tender Spots.
a. "Why, bless your old black hea
d. Jim, % said the general, with tears
n his ewes, "I'll fix that for you" And
Il. wroteIou check for $40.
r Jim took it and went away, and
general wiped his eyes and turned
work again.
a. The following Monday morning "a
;s eral Shelby had not yet left home
no his Office when the washerwoman Car
". 1t was Sarah.
=. For inst one minute the general
ha not saw q word, and he never did SO
,oS as Jim and Sarah's deaths were G
he cerned. Il.t
ties One winter during the war Gene
In Shelby and his command OF soldl
~ were stationed for the cold weather
'es Washington, Ark, where there wa
'ys Confederate post.
AZ This was just about the tiIie
ose mule Joke was at its height. 1t g
ms ont of the general connection with
OF Price raid, and some enterprising 10
nut it into verse and set it to tune
Almost any hour in the day 1t still
: the Arkansas air as follows:
SITS Joe sheiby's on the Missouri shore.
cen Hide your mule.
hi OH hide your muleI
He'll ride him till his back Is sore,
eh Then turn him loose and steal some III
she oh, hide your mulei
pie The song was broad and loud
II pleased the general immensely.
I'd Mrs. Shelby was there with him
in. the winter and had brought her pha'
me and a horse. Orville, the son, who
on then a little fellow of !. or thereab
5 OF took great delight in going out with
mother in the phaeton, and when
horse died, as it did one day. his CT
ish tears were many, for it cut him
eet- of his daily ride.
he'd One day soon after the death OF
ling old family horse, Orville went