Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-10-02
AN EMoRIEs linger long III lone

ring events of the Civil War were still
fresh subject of conversation long
after they were all but forgotten In
the cities. But when, with the de
struction Of the Maine, came the posi-
bility Of war with the Spaniard, they
were relegated to a place Of minor i'm
poFtance by the suddenly arising ques-
ton, What ought the South to do
should the controversy really end In
blows? 1t was a question that many
of the younger men promptly an.
swered by declaring their intention Ia
volunteer the moment opportunity
should be offered them but OF the
older ones. those who had fought and
lost in the cause of the Southern Con-
federacy. there We're many irreconcil-
'ables who bitterly opposed any South
erners taking part ut amt ouah
wah Let tn Nawth do tn fghtin',n p
they said.
OF the latter party "Majah" Builari
was undoubtedly the leader IN ParsAali
County. All day long he would sit IN
front of his office and argue the mat
ter with any and all comers, inyarla-
bly, concluding with: We agreed al
AppOmattox, sub, tub lay down ouah
aims an quit fightin', an I'm tee-to.
tally against takin' 'em up again, just
cause tn Nawth needs us now" And
upon one occasion he turned sharply
to silent listener, seated near his
elbow, and added: I'll bet hoss
I you ah with me ON that. Amt you,
Little Sam?"
Little Sam, an infant" who stood
six feet three in his stockings, blushed
from the roots OF his tow-colored hair
down into his collar at being thus un.
expectedly called upon by SO great Il
man TO express an opinion, and In his
confusion stammered an answer that
was only half articulate.
Yes, sub, that's bound tub be yo'
way o thinkin," the major went on,
bringing his cane down on the floor
with a thump; "yo' daddy died in my
aims, sub; l caught him when he fell,
up thah 'mong tn rocks an Yankee
guns at Gettysburg. He was as brave
a soldier as evah lived, sub, an gen
tieman, an SO | know t no son o his
can eyah put on tn uniform o. TIA man
t killed him. Amt that right, suhY'
But Little Sam made no answer; he
had quietly risen and was walking
away, look of trouble on his face.
He had never seen his father, for his
mother had been widow three
months when he was born, but at his
home hanging beneath shot-torn
battle-fag OF the Confederacy. was
the picture of man In gray, man
with curling brown hair and fearless
blue eyes. that told him what manner
Of man that father had been. And
from his boyhood up 1t had been the
dream the hope OF his life. that some
day the gray would again be matched
against the blue, so that he might
avenge his death. Growing up shy
and imaginative as girl, almost daily
had he gazed at his fathers face and
pictured In his fancy long lines Of
gray-coated men OF whom he would
be one, stirring bugle calls, and the
bands playing "Dlxle," the wild 'reb
ep' yell, and fierce charge, before
which wayering lines of blue would
break, scatter and disappear. Always
II was Northerner against Southerner
~ Al 4 N
the lists, lnsolently thrownlng down
the gauntlet to America, and he re
sented 1t as insult to himself, as In
suit to the South as well as To the
North. and, his bosom swelling with
pride at thought of the mighty power
of the two sections united, a strange
sensation OF frendllness for his coun-
trymen In the North found lodgment
in his heart And this feeling daily
grew stronger, until he could no longer
fancy himself aiming his rifle AT
Northern foemen; Instead, he would
fght shoulder 10 shoulder with them
against a common enemy. But now
Major Billiards. words had given a
rude shock to this pretty picture; they
brought 1t home to him that every sol
dler OF the Union must wear the Union
blue.
And could he bring himself to put on
the uniform Of the man who had killed
his father. he asked himself as he
walked away. Though a man In years
and stature, he was, nevertheless
how in heart and mind, and so he pom
dered the matter for days and weeks
without reaching an answer FINALLY
hs took into his confidence Big SAM
A cousin somewhat smaller than hlm-
self, but whose ten years seniority
caused him to be distinguished as the
larger.
..Haw, hawl haw" the latter laughed
,p 4ood- -patured ridicule; so that
what's been maxim you look so hang
dog fuh a month past Is itf l thought
II was all cause somebody cut you ou'
o. yo' sweetheaht, I'll be jumped up
n / didn't. Now look a-heah' bndd'
he went on, seriously, III you wan'
tub 20, don't you let any such stun as
i IL