Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-06-13
THE SIEGE Of FORT POVERTY.

1t was not by any fepfenenSlDle OF
eleemosynary means that the corporal
earned his livelihood, for despite his be-
ing minus leg his rubicund visage
heamed benignantly from inside his pa
per and apple stand, which he facetious-
" called Fort Poverty. 1t was situated
Oh 4 Wall street corner and fronting the
great banking house of Money & Scrip.
Mr.. Money, the elder partner of the
great house. gave him the sobriQuet of
the corporal, and he was known by no
other name.
The corporals little grandsons brought
him stock of morning and evening pa
pers every day, which he sold over the
''rampartS,' rs he termed the front Of
his stand. He was a strict discipline
rian III his business ard domestic rela-
lions and his entire actions were marked
by 4 strong vein of military dlSclplLe.
His little grandSOnS were named Sumter
and AppomattoX, respectively. and were
aroused every morning by their grand
father beating the ''reveille' on the bot
tom of Z dishpan, and went to bed at the
sound of taps on the same instrument.
When his eldest boy, Sumter, brought
him his dinner he called it his ration,
and when dispatching AppomattOX on an
errand he invariably enjOined him to
make q reconnaissance
The corporal was veritable oracle in
his way, and was consulted on all Lat
ters of moment by the young clerks and
telegraph boys of the neighbOrhOOd, who
loved to hear him talk. When asked to
give his opinion on any matter by per
son whom he considered to be Of some
Importance. he would elevate his broWS
in true Jack Bunsby style and give an
opinion las IS an opinion.
In order TO maintain his ora cular repu-
toti tboy Il of no
boys to read the paper to him every
morning, his own sight being somewhat
defective, and in this way he CLEANED q
great deal of vague and disjointed in
formation. or more properly speaking,
instrumentation about things IN general.
conversation with him on the sub
Ject Of European politics usually ran in
this wise: Good morning corporal, what
do you think of the outlook in EurOpe?'
The corporal would grasp his crutch
more closely, elevate his brows, and say
with an air of gravity: L don't like the
way them Roosions and English are
monkeying with the Dublin treaty
His interrogation, with a merry twinkle
in his eye, would continue to ask, What
do you think would be the result of a
fight between France and Germany?'
The corporal would fire up at this
query and answer: why, hang it, sir,
them mounseers and butchers don t
boys of the old army Of the Potomac
could go over there and lick them with
boxing gloves"
The corporal took keen interest in
the affairs Of the great firm Of Money Il
Scrip. and when he heard one fine morn
ing that the senior partner, Mr.. Money,
had died abroad, he felt that he had lost
q good friend. Shortly after the death
of the head Of the firm the younger
members began to complain Of the I'M
slightly appearance of the corporals
stand, and finally notified its owner that
it would have to be removed.
When the old soldier heard that his
beloved Fort Poverty would have TO so
he seemed utterly dumfOunded, and
begged CT the firm to let him stay, but
the elegant young gentlemen looked con-
temptuousiy at the old veteran and or
dered him out of the office.
Il declare, Walter said young Harry
Scrip, addressing young Mr.. Money, the
view from the window is actually de-
strOyed, you know, by that old weather
beaten box, not to speak Of its hOrrld
old occupant" Walter Money adjusted
his glasses to a proper focus, twirled his
incipient mustache, and said with q
drawl peculiar to his aristocratic set:
why, yes, to be sure, you know when
my friend Manyille was here the other
day he said to me, says he, w alter, bJ-
.JOye you have capital view here, you
down booth removed, you know, If |
were YOU and, you know, Harry, my
friend Manyille has such excellent
taste
The corporal was ordered to have his
stand removed within Il period of five
days and as the heads of the great
banking house were memorable he was
almost distracted. At length. when the
stipulated period was drawing to a
close, a friend suggested the ACCESSIBILITY
Of petition and of asking his customers
among the bankers and brokers to sign
it when they called for their morning
papers, which advice the old soldier took
On the morning Of the day when the
time for removing expired the corporal
presented himself at the Office of Money
Y Scrip with long petition, bearing
some prominent names, and asked to sea
the heads of the firm.
The young hnancierS were buSily en-
gagged with a tall, Notwithstanding gen
tleman, when Il clerk announced the
presence of the corporal and his fOrmlda
ble-lo0king document. An angry look
overspread the features of young Mr..
Scrip as he said, somewhat petulantly:
Just show him to the door, and if his
booth is not removed today tell him that
| will invoke the aid of the proper au-
thorities to compel him to remove it,
The clerk bowed, and was about to
withdraw when the corporal entered the
office and, holding his petition up, said:
Gentleman, allow an old soldier to
present a petition signed by all the gents
On change"
Oh, bother said young Mr.. Scrip,
and a look of anger was in his eyes.
4 say, old man, if you do not betake
yourself off directly, III have you elected
from the building; and
''One moment. Mr.. Scrip interrupted
the military-looking gentleman arising
and walking toward the corporal,
Where did you lose your les?"
The old gentleman, seeing that the
stranger was disposed to be friendly.
said, after giving the regulation military
salute: AT the Wilderness, sir, under
Hancock, when our brigade made the
first charge on the rebel line, little be-,
fore daylight On
Were you in that charger asked the
gentleman, his face becoming suddenly
animated with the interest he felt in the
corporals recital
The old soldier answered with pride:
You can bet your life, sir, that old Tom
Johnson was in that fight and left a leg
of his on that field. or rather forest. 1t
was just this way" and the corporal