Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-21

''A'Ns ~ AiitNNi w fSst'tdkC tht
tion, u man of far inferior mold becom.
Ing the nominee for congress. 1t sour.
cd the Kentuckian more than a little,
yet was exactly what I.angdon had
prophesied. No elder likes to see the
power. to say 81 told you so' in the
hands of a Junior partner. I.augdon
dtscreetly said nothing except In an
swer to his seniors remarks. He was
having an experience of his own.
The command of the regiment to
which the rifles were assigned as Com
pany G had been vested in veteran
of the civil war who once knew some
thing Of old time tactics, but could not
master the new. In June the regi-
ment was under canvas and such In
structions as the colonel could give it
for an entire week, and the whole or
ganlzntion could see that the Brent
wood and Gunnison companies that
had had the advantage Of Langdon's
coaching were head and shoulders
above the rest. One day the colonel
was Ill, and the lieutenant colonel was
suddenly confronted by possibility
he had never contemplated, that of
having to drill the battalion. Camp
was to be inspected next day by a
regular" There would surely be a
review. with the whole countryside out
to see and scores of fellows from other
regiments to critlcise. 1t ended In Cap
tain Langdon's being asked to "act" as
commanding officer. which he did with
consummate ease and gave them hours
of such coaching" as they'd never
had and more all the afternoon and fol-
lowing morning, to the end that the
eight companies passed a surprisingly
creditable inspection, and their review
was the best given by any of the state
resigned ut the close of the camp, the
lieutenant colonel waived promotion,
the officers signed paper asking that
Langdon be made colonel, and then
some of them privately told the ad-
jutant general they did so because
they couldn't say no, exactly" and
yet were opposed to the idea. They
might well be, because they knew their
incapacity and felt that Langdon
would soon be after them with sharp
stick.
The two roads, through their repre-
sentatives, had also something to say.
Mr.. LangdOn was brave officer and
all that, good man to have ut hand in
time of trouble, but one who would
probably make more trouble than he
could cure. Again, the executive found
that there was an undercurrent among
the political soldiers and the manage
ment of the roads inimical to Lang
don's advancement. Election was COM
Ing on. Campaign funds were needed.
Put away the sword; states can be
saved without It," was something any
statesman could say, from Richelieu
down, but where was the statesman
who could say states could be saved
without money? The governor knew
that personally and professionally
Langdon WAS the man of all others for
that promotion, but he gave 1t to the
major, n gentleman who didn't know n
cartridge from -6'.nine-tails, and
that autumn in an editorial genuine in
Its regret The Banner referred to the
removal from their midst of the law
firm of Cresswell s. Langdon. It was
understood that brilliant prospects
awaited tine gentlemen comprising it in.
the field of their new operatiens-th
rapidly developing region of the mines
and forests OF the far northwest. 1t
was understood that they had already
secured their office In the heart of the
great lumber district of the Columbias
and that, except in memory, Nebraska
would know them no more. That win
ter Cressweli & Langdon were enrolled
among the taxpayers of Spartanville.
Another year, and the Kentuckian was
In his element and the legislature,
while Langdon stuck to the desk anu
to courts until once again importuned
by men who knew his deeds in Nebras-
ka to take the head of stalwart COM
pany of far northwestern militiamen.
Good gracious, Langdon,' said Cress-
well, haven't you wasted enough time
in that thankless work? What good do
you ever expect to get out of it?''
Two goods, colonel" said Langdon
TRANQUILITY. "One Is that am paying
the nation for my education; another,
gaining for myself hold among the
men from whom the nation must find
her soldiers next time she goes to bat
tie. It's got to come, and when it does
go out at the head of a regiment and
not the tail Of battery. Mark you
that!'