The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-01
Capt. Custard, Of the Soldiers
Home at Orting.
WHAT HE THINKS OF SEATTLE.
He Likes Everything About Town
Except the street Cars. Which
Keep Him From Sleeping-On .
Visit to His Friend, DIR. Name
ing "Reminiscences and Comments

II you zee a gigantic man on the streets
IN the gafb Of the G. A r., you viii know
that he is Capt. Custard, the largest iiv-
ing veteran of the war Of the rebellion.
Capt. Custard is an inmate Of the Soldiers
home at Or;ng, and is in the city visiting
his cid friend and .comrade. DIR. Name.
formerly an inmate of the home. AS the
captain puts 1t. he read so many times in
the papers about Remember the Maine
that he remembered his Old friend Name
and decided to visit him.
The captain could never get place on
a Brownie football eleven. He is only
six feet three and a half inches tall and
weighs $50 pounds. AS nearly as he can
remember, the next largest veteran in the
United States is living In Pennsylvania.
This man is six feel tall and weighs 800
pounds. a fairly large man, as the captain
tersey puts il.
Il came TO the city, said Capt. Custard
yesterday afternoon to a Post-lntelligencer
reporter, his massive body stretched out
on bed III his apartments in the fremont
hotel. las the guest of DR.. Name and 20
see the sights. I have heard for some
time that Seattle was one OF the wickedest
cities in the country. and after nay run
around Monday night / believe that is
about true. Even if | am getting pretty
wen along in years, am not too old to be
observing. Possibly l noticed more than
you would. as l am higher up and conse-
quently see more. Ny old comrade and 1
took it all in, but you can bet / was tired
when ii was over. My ankles are very
weak and give out when l stand on them
too long.
How Old do you think l ann" The re-
porter suggested 6s or 20. You put it
higher than most people" was the answer.
but You guess pretty close. / viii be Is
next Christmas
In fact, the captain does not look that
old. His face Is rudy and wonderfully
free from wrinkles. He says the last liquor
he drank was Ia Little Rock during the
war, and then he got glorousiy full
On account of his corpulency he must take
the best care Of himself, eschewing eat
abes and drinkahles that have a tendency
10 increase his obesity. AS he has been
as large he now is for the past thirteen
years he has grown used to deprivation
OF deliCacies. He eats heartily of plain
food ami does not know a pain or ache
with the exception OF the weakness in his
ankles.
Born In Pennsylvania IN 1880 of good old
Dutch stork. Capt. Custard is a Repub-
lcan by breeding and intuition. His first
vote for the presidency was cast for Gen.
Scott. Wing. and his second for John c..
Fremont. As with thousands Of other war
veterans. Abraham Lincoln is the cap
tain's ideal. and he proudly boasts OF be-
ing the possessor OF an honorable discharge
from the army bearing the uartyred presi-
dents own signature.
I'VE old soldiers down at Orting have
taken great pleasure in reading the late
war news In the Post-intelligencer," said
the captain. and have followed the doings
Of Skaters army with great Interest. The
boys did all right, az they did In the COS for
the Union, and as they will do whenever
called upon. My youngest is now al
Manila. and you can just be; he will prove
himself a good soldier. /. myself. carry
bullet in my left leg, received during
the war of the rebellion. aud 1 am proud
OF II.
make q pretty good mark now. wouldn't
7? ] believe even a Spaniard couldn't miss
ma now at close range. But then my fight
ing days are over, l am comfortably
fixed at the Soldiers Home, and intend
remaining there Commandant Alien is a
fine man and treats the boys ali right |
don't agree with him in politics. bat that
doesn't make any difference. He is all
right. / came out 10 Washington 10 visit
my son At Rifzvil,e Clarke county. and
made up my mind 10 live in the Soldiers
Home for Il time just 10 see what kind OF
place it was. liked II SO we'll that I
stayed.
II have wanted 10 visit Seattle for some
time, bur had 20 wait for my new clothes.
You know. they have 10 make my clothes
outside. as there is not room enough inside
10 do the work. Wen. l finally got EN-
altered SO they'd III and arrived here LAST
Sunday | Ike the place so vel! that
got my fuTlough extended until next
sunday Seattle is a fine. big town. but
The street cars make much noise al
night can't slesp until they stop running.
That il why am lying down now"