The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
COL. BAXTER OF TENNESSEE
WAS 4 SOLDIER ar 10 AND CHOSE
4 WIFE BEFORE NE SIW HER.

Hero Of n Great Biun at Poker aud Of
Famous shooting Match-Tnok n Turn
in wall street and Game Near Being
Governor Through u Grateful Boys Work.
1T takes the Tennessccans To- get the better of
me-. Wall Street Why, 1t isn't III the game
brought ten millions away and my own people
got them away from me without half trying
That is one Of the things Col ,Icrc Baxter tells
you If you can by good luck coax him into talking
Of himself and his career Picturesque is a poor
word for that same career II IL given to few men
iu go n soldering before they come Ia mans rs-
tate t" win and usc fortunes, never turning a
hair IN the process to bc ranked highest among
high rollers in their native city, TO he trial for
their lives in that same place, and half dozen
ycnrs later To- hc leading candidate for Governor.
Nj these things have hcfallrn Jcrc Baxter. mo-
body down IN Tennessee thinks Of calling him
anything else but I"rc Just now tho name Is
spoken with an ancctionatC intonatiun Jcrc 10
among his people, spending the money of
English capitalists in building railroad that
shall deliver them from the tolls Of railway mo-
nupoly II is Ia crissCruss tho State from SOUTH
east To- northwest. and in the end will make part
~ th" new system which aims IL transport tho
grain of Duluth to tho ocean nt Port Royal, 5, c.
incidentally, IL will do very many other things
,nch MS developing mineral, lumber and fruit
regions
JrrP lbNNlfr "htr u Snhll hoy WIlcn INC I WI
War began. but before II ended he was out fight
ing beside his father aud his i've elder brothers
His birthplace was Nashville When the wav
was over .lcrc. aged sixteen, went back 10 his
sChoOhnoks. but after year or So decided 10 sce
Europe on his own account, and in his own fash
ion. With very little money and enormous salts
faction he wandered for two years about the ord
World Strict chronology is out Of place in
counting such u career He himself shall tell Of
the next great event in II.
i made up my mind 10 marry my wife before I
ever saw her and while knew little more Of her
than her name" he says You see il was this
way My sister had met her at a summer resort.
Sh" had also sat for n picture Just before leaving
the place. and had ordered the proofs sent 10 her
at my father office One day soon after her re.
turn. the postman brought in what clearly a
photograph addressed To my sister ! al once
jumped To the conclusion II was the picture.
| and for the first and last time in my life opened
piece Of mail matter addressed to another person.
picture fell ont int" my hand. looked nj IT for
| five minutes then said to the old darkcy who wait
cd on the office: Here, Caleb is a picture of my
wife Chlcbs face a study. But but
Marsc Jere sposin' dat lady she done mar 'ied?'
he asked | smiled i shall marry her all the
same. She has no right TO have any husband hut
me-. She will marry me as certain as live 10 sre
her Caleb didn't know what TO make OF that.
Neither did my sister when said much To her
| Pretty soon tn" pictures original came TO visit us
In three weeks had asked her to marry me My
father found II out and once wrote To her father
My son has had the audaCity 10 propose IN your
daughter Hence think II only fair 10 say that
II YOU have the proper affection for your gin YOU
will tell her to discard him al once But she
didn't discard mc-and both those old gentlemen
lived 10 bc glad their plan had failed
New York and Wall street came next After a
Tar in tbp III RI, terr ha,
TO Tennessee and set up a stock farm. which
notable even in region that knows Belle Mead.
He had 300 thoroughbreds IN his stables. That
was before the epoch Of city yearling sales Jers
sold his youngsters in the home paddocks. and
toasted the crowd which came 10 buy and To look
on in prnCcy fashion Barbrcucs were plcnticr
than baCkberries, and mint juleps flowed fec as
from fountain. Miionaltcs from Wall street
came 10 eat and drink They were welcome but
no more welcome than the simplest and most nm
eucred 81 the crowd. About this epoch Col.
Baxter was crowned king Of Nashville high rollers
| by wha, was declared 10 be the biggest bluff
| ever made. 1t was at the Hermitage
| club and with only pair OF kings he
huiI"d Duncan m"2pC1 putting ny unComn,
irdn newspaper, Just then in toopers possess
| SION That historic gam" was but one Of many.
an experience Of deadly risks even more thrilling.
=, FOR years there had been n blood between tho
!
material SO is the,exact manner in which il got 10
,hs pitch Their" Vas LAWSUIT on and IN
! upon the father Of the Baxter boys Everybody
VIII" knew them knew that that meant trouble.
| Bakers, fully armed met the IIlckses also fully
| armed There was instant shooting and when
nssHt"r lay dead, with several wounded on either
! side Col Baxter was one Of the wounded. lilo
VIII , cary S,SrS 7" his ST"vG iG vas mprS"nsd
and exciting rial To the Tennessee mind legal
!ncrcIcnGc in lhr settlement Of grntIemcn,S 9nal.
rcls seemed very like an impcrtinenCe. The killing
was done in a fair fight, every one agreed
Col baxter decided to quit stock breeding, OF
| cGurs" he did not do il in commonplace fashion
! He had a fine big house, some five miles outside
Nashville and in full sight from the railway.
| Nobody wanted the place AS whole very badly.
though there were many who coveted it in parcels
Of a home for their widows and orphans They
offered $3.50 900 for the house and part Of the
land. Mr. baxter sold wha, they asked, then
- A I., some % further and profitable cxpcrenCess
rs If Ths wen, %Sh !" ~ss ana
deed, his objective point lie began state
canvass with hatt"rng prospects Very pos
! the fact that his elder brother is attorney for n
railway corporation which IL tremendously un,.
was Populist wear MANY Of the sovercigns
said as they listened t" his eloquencGG oh.
cverv,hing baxter belongs to them railroads
SUM- when c"nyen ,i. day , Gang Cot haNtcr
Then there came Ia pass strange incident Back
| in the days uf the stock farm Col, Baxter had
| bred ShetlandS as well as thoroughbreds To
| his last sale of them there had come little lad
| iinglng some money IN his pa m and saying
"MT Baxter, my papa promised me of your
ponies, but he died you know, before the sale,
Mother has given me $50 all she can spare.
! So won't you please pick me out the best hirty-
! dollar pony you have got' Not the hest YOU
| know, Just the best thirty dollar one
NO" said Mr. Baxter shaking his head Il
won pick him out but YOU shall Here come
with me These are all thirty dollar ones lead.
ing the would be buyer up and down the irolir-
some. battered line
The lad looked them over critically felt their
/ names, pattcd their noses. halted and looked
back now al this one now AT that ~ ran Tor.
ward To feast his eyes upon something wh.gh
! struck his fancy Mr Baxter walked beside
HIM never hurrYinE his cholc" though 800
gruwn.up folk were waiting upon his own motions.
/ At last, when the lad was suited his guide mhd"H
groom saddle and birdie the pony he had chosen.
and set the vuungstcr on his back SAYING aS IL
pattrd the naN"n head Keep your money son,
and tell your mother am glad she Scnt YOU Tor
the pony. ! knew your father and hop" h1