Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-08


more to say to you.
Hiram did as directed, and Quincy |
sat and thought the situation over. So
far he had been patient and he had |
borne the sings and arrows hurled at !
him without making any return. The
time had come to change all that, and
from now on he would take up arms
in his own defence. and even attack
his opponents.
When he had reached this conclu-
sion Hiram reappeared and resumed
his seat on the chonpina block
Quincy asked. "In what regiment did
the singing-master &c to war;"
"The same one as did, -th Mass"
replied Hiram.
Did you go to war;" incurred Quin-
cy.
well rather guess. said Hiram.
81 went out as q bugler: he was cor
poral. but he got detailed for hospital
duty, and we left him behind before
we got where there was any fightin'."
"Was he ever wounded in battle?"
asked Quincy.
zone of the sick fellers in the hospi-
tai gave him ,licl1in one day. but
don't suppose you'd call that a battle"
remarked Hiram,
well. how about that rigamarole
he got off down to the grocery store
that morning?" Quincy Intercepted.
"Oh, that was all poppycoclS," said
Hiram. He said that just to get even
with you, when you were telling about
your grandfathers and grandmothers."
Quincy laughed.
ooh, see" said he Were you
ever wounded in battle. Hiram?''
well. was shot onct, but not with
a bullet"
What was it, said Quincy, "a can
non ball?"
mo" said Hiram Il never was so
thunderin' mad in my life When I
go to regimental reunions the boys
Just Joke the life out of me- You see
was BLOWN my bugle for charge.
and the boys were goin' ahead in great
style, when a shell struck fence about
twenty feet off. The she'll didn't hit
me- but piece of that darned fence
came Within along and struck me
where eat and had dozen STUN
mick aches inside O. half a minute
Just dropped my bugle and clapped my
hands on my stummick and yelled so
loud that the boys told me afterwards
that they were afraid had busted my
bugle."
Quincy laid back in his chair and
laughed heartily.
What do the boys say to you when
you go to the reunions?n he asked
"They tell me to take little whisky
for my stummick's sake" said Hiram
land some of them advise me to put
on plaster and. darn 'em, they al
ways take me and toss me in blanket
every time I go. and onct they made
me a present OF bottleful of milk
with a piece of rubber hose on top of
| it. They said it would be good for
me, but I chucked it at the fellers
head. darn him."
Quincy had another good laugh.
Then he resumed his usual grave ex-
/ preston and asked. What town Of
/ fees does the sinasing-master yhold?"
1 We'll" said Hiram .hc is fence
viewer and hog reeve and pound keep
! err. but the only. thing he gets much
money out of is tax collector He
! Gets two per cent on about $50 1000,
j which gives him about SO a week on
an average, cause he don't get no pay
/ if he don't collect"
did he get big vote for the placer"
asked Quincy.
/ NO" said Hiram. The Just got in by
/ the skin of his teeth; he had last town
meetin two more votes than Wallace
\ Stackpole, and Wallace would have got
it anyhow if it hadn't been for an un.
i fortunate accident.
Glow was that" asked Quincy.
Well, you see,' said Hiram. '"two
or three days before town meetin' Wal
lace went Up to Boston. He got an
oyster stew for dinner, and it made
| him kinder sick. and some one gave
! him a drink of brandy and / guess
I they gave him a pretty good dose. for
4 when he got to Marlborough Centre
+ they had to help him off the train
cause his legs We're kinder weak. Well
Bias Smith. who lives over the West
! Eastborough. he is the best talkeI
we've got in town meetin' He tool
/ mp the cudgels for Wallace, and he
just damned into those mean cusses
who'd go back on a man cause he
was sick and took a little too much
medicine. But Abner Stiles,-yor
! know Abner,--well. he's the next best
tallier to Bias Smith he stood III
and said he didn't think it was safe
to trust the towns money to mar
i who couldn't go to Boston and come
home sober. and that pulled over some
of the fellers who'd agreed to vote fol
Wallace"
HAS the tax collector performed hi.
duties satisfactorily" asked Quincy.
] well" said Hiram, wallace Stack
pole told me the other day that he
hadn't got in more than two-thirds o
4 last years taxes. He said the select
men had to borrow money and there't
be row at the next town meetin'."
Well said Quincy, rising. Il thinl
i will go in and get ready for lunch
had very early breakfast in Bos
ton"
Did you have oyster stew?' asket
Hiram.
NO replied Quincy, s'people VIII,
live in Boston never eat oyster stew!
at restaurant. If they did ther'
; wouldn't be enough left for those gen
tlenoen who come from the country"
He opened the door and Hiram
grasped his arm
"By Gosh. l forgot one thing" h
cried. "You remember Tilly. James
that played the pianner at the cor
!, cert?"
Yes" said Quincy, land she was
, fine PLAYER, too"