The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-12-21

"For nearly fifty years." said Major
Watrous, Edmund G. Ross, now Of
New Mexico. has been coming to the
front every now and then. Half a
century ago he surprised his brother
printers on a Milwaukee paper by say
Ing that he was going to Kansas.
Those were the days when it was not
very wholesome for an Abolitionist
like Mr.. Ross to locate in Kansas. But
he went there, and in 1861 enlisted.
At the end of the war he was q cap
tain. After the war he engaged in the
newspaper business and won consider
able prominence.
Through one Of those sudden i'm
pulses for which Kansas has been
known ever since she became a mem
Der Of the family of States, Captain
Ross was elected to the United States
Senate; but be made himself very I'M
popular with his people by voting
against the impeachment Of President
Andrew Johnson. By the way, to-day
1t Is not easy to find any one who does
not commend Captain Rose for that
act. He returned to Kansas about as
dead, politically, as al Egyptian mum
my that has been In the show bust
ness for 1000 years.
From that time until Grover Cleve-
land became President, Mr.. Ross had
many difficulties to overcome in get
ting on in the world; but he was pa
tent, a hard worker, and respected.
A dozen years ago he was a journey
man printer on a paper in New Mex
leo. The foreman discovered. while
cutting copy a dispatch which he
knew would be of vital interest to
Printer Ross, n so hung it on the
hook that Mr.. Ross would get the
take The old printer entered the
office, hung up his coat and hat, rolled
up the sleeve Of his right arm, inclosed
his stick in his left hand, while his
thumb and finger drew from his vest
pocket a long used and we'll worn
printers rule.
For a moment he stood and looked
through the dusty window, and
thought Of his hard lot, and maybe
wondered if a better day would come
some time. He had no substantial
reason for thinking such a day would
come. Then he walked to the hook.
lifted a take, and returned to the case,
put on his steel bowed spectacles, a
cheap pair, placed the copy in position,
OnEo6 of II cfrofrIfono1 o-l
looked again. Then the spectacles
came off and were carefully cleaned.
Then he looked again, and as he
brought his two hands to his face and
bowed his head on the case, a brother
printer heard him say, Thank Cod
THE old printer, soldier, Senator,
had come to the front again. That
which so intensely interested him, and
for which he gave thanks, was a dis
patch announcing that he had been
appointed and confirmed Governor Of
New Mexico. The new Governor
pulled himself together as quickly as
he could, hurried on his coat and hat.
and started for the humble home
where wife and daughters were as
much surprised as he had been, and
they showed 1t in tears of gratitude
and by giving him hugs and kisses ga
lore.
Captain Ross gave Now Mexico a
good administration, but when he re-
tired he again returned to ~obscurity.
The other day, true to tradition. be
came to the front again. Uncle Sam
increased his pension from $12 to $50
a month, and every one who knows
him, or knows his history, feels like
thanking the government for remem-
bering the old fellow"
"The old boys" said Dan r. Ander-
son, ARE all the time coming to the
front in different ways Those stories
about stopping cannon balls with the
feet reminded me that / saw one Door
fellow try to stop a rolling cannon ball
by putting out his foot, and that the
result was a broken leg. AS / won
dered what had become of him and
how he explained the loss of his leg
to his children and grandchildren.
there came to my mind a little expert
ence Of my own with shells, which
was outside the army regulations and
rules of war.
I'm May, 1863, / took a stroll over
the battle-ground Of Stone River. The
evidences of a hard fought battle lay
thick on every hand-unexploded
shells, both fuse and percussion; round
solid shot, mimic balls literally covered
the ground whereon lay the First Ken
lucky infantry in support of the can
mons massed against the charge Of the
Rebels under command Of Generai
Breckenridge on the left Of our line. l
have bullets picked up on that spot
by me that May day.
Every one who has seer Stone Riv-
er knows that 1t was rightly named.
IN some places the river flowed
against a solid mass Of rock thirty or
forty feet high, and in other places
had cut away the rock till 1t was near
ly hidden from view. In one of these
places / had a miniature battle all by
my lonely self. pretty nearly, till
was REINFORCED by a squad of cavalry
and section Of artillery. 1t all hap
pened in this way. The ground lay
strewn with unexploded shells, and /
figured that a fair per cent Of them
would explode If properly handled.
'sThoughtless of the agitation it
would causa I'm MurfraoShoro I nro-