The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-02-03
w. C. U. COLUMN
CONDUCTED BY MRS. NJ. l.. HOBBS.

BY MRs. EpmRAIM BURDIcK.

By MRs. EPHRAIM BURDIcK.
From The Rams Horn.
| hain't seen Ephraim so excited
over anything for years as he ha-
been over the war. We allus was q
patriotic family. 1t want strange
for my children were cradled in the
lap of the war of the rebellion as i
we're. Ephraim tried to persuade
all the boys in the Settlement &c
enlist. He left off work early nights
to 60 to the postotlice and even read
the papers so late Sunday mornin'
that he was late for class meetin'.
He wanted me to take the motto,
"God bless our home," that hangs
over the sittin' door down and put
up one sayin' Remember the
Maine
"What's the Maine got to do
with it?" says /. cts war for
humanity, not for revenge.
"But think of them between two
and three hundred brave men
mothers sons, a sleepin' under the
dark blue ocean. ! tell you Phil
ena," sez my companion, gettin' up
and wavin' his ar.rs almost frantic
ally, II hain't fought and bled and
paid taxes for my country for moth.
in :"
"And drawed pension, grandpa,
said Phlambert's little boy, who was
sittin' listenin'.
"Y,u'll never know what true
patriotism is, | am afraid" said
Ephraim, turning a whethering look
on the boy.
1t was sad, yet excitin' time
when the boys from the Settlement
began to enlist. Widow Baxter's
boy Joe went and Ephraim gave the
widow V the day he was muster
ed in. see., aim do it, myself
Then 81 Spragues youngest son
Tom went. it nigh about broke
his mothers heart, but they made
a big farewell party for him and be-
in. they was worth good deal OF
money, it was wrote up well in the
paper.
"The gifted and handsome son of
Josiah Sprague, ESQ.," he was cal
led.
The widows son went first, bein'
ordered TO Tampa, and from there
to Cuby. He was in the battle of
Santiago, and a few days after the
battle news came that he was shot
and killed; never lived long enough
to send word of partin' to his
mother. Poor Mary Ann Baxter
How pitied her. The only son
she had, too.
There was a big memorial service
at the church. 1t was draped in
red, white ard blue buntin', with
black intermingled. In big letters
over the pulpit was Remember the
Maine"
"The minister talked about the
inhumanities of the Spauiards, the
sufferin' that was caused, and then
he spoke o. our brave boys who had
gone to the front and begged us toI
help the bereaved families of the
soldier boys. Joe was a good boy.
He loved his mother, and when he
drew his first months pay he sent
her nearly all of it, as he hadn't any
expensive habits to indulge in there.
Tom Sprague was still at Tampa
and wrtin' home what time they
were havin'. His mother sent him
plenty of money, as he said he had
not drawed any, and needed money
for paper, stamps and extras to eat.
Phoebe Ester and | got to wor-
ryin' about the canteen, we read so
much about them. Ephraim sa d
you couldn't believe all you heard
especially what you read in some
papers. For" says he, didn't
our church paper deny them stories
about the Canton saloon business. |
ell you Philena," says he, 'in a
lime of war, when our country is
with such mighty issues,
here amt no time to be drummin
up the temperance question, that
can watt
"Well, it amt waitin' and can't
wait," sez |. THAI is, the rum
,ellin' amt a waitin'. Just think
,f Tom Sprague's regiment spend
ing more than 100 dollars a day
fol beer right along"
"Oh, that's just talk" says Eph-
rain.
III never forget the day news
came in a round about way that
was wrong with Tom |