Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-09-21

language, and then he took us on to his
farm where the most Of the relics were
found, and began TO sell things to dad,
until he had filled the hind end Of the
wagon with bullets and grape shot,
sabers and bayonets. old rusty rifles.
and everything dad, wanted, and we had
enough to I'll a museum. and when the
farmer had got dads money we went
back to Brussels. and got our stuff un-
loaded at the hotel. Say, when we came
70 look it over we found two rusty Colts
sevolvers, and guns OF modern construc-
ton, which have been bought on the
battlefields in all countries, and prop
erly rusted to sell to tourists. ! showed
dad that the revolver was unknown at
the time of the battle Of Waterloo, and
that every article he had bought was a
fraud, the sabers having been made in
America, before the war of the rebellion,
and dad was mad. and gave the stun to
the porter of the hotel, who charged dad
seven dollars for taking it away.
Dad kept one three-cornered hat that
the farmer told him Bonaparte lost
when his horse stampeded with him,
and it had drifted under a barbed wire
fence, where it had lain Until the day
before we visited the battlefield. Say,
that hat is as good as new, and dad says
it is worth all the stuff cost, but | would
not be found dead wearing it, aus II
is all out of style.
We have seen the king of Belgium,
and actually got the worth of lou money.
He is an old dandy, and looks like a
Philadelphia quaker, only he is not as
pious as a quaker. Dad wrote to the
king and said he was a distinguished
American travelling for his health, and
had a niece who had frequently visited
Belgium with an opera company, and
she had spoken of the king, and dad
wanted to talk over matters that might
be of interest both to Belgium and
to America. Well, the messenger came
back and said dad couldn't get to the
palace a minute too quick, and so we
went over, and as we were going
through the park we saw an old mar in
citizens clothes, sitting on a bench, pat
ting the head of a boar hound. and when
he saw us he said, Come here, Uncle
Sam, and let my dog chew your pants
Dad thought it must be some lunatic
and was going to make a sneak and gel
out, when the man rose up and we saw
it was the king, and we went up to him
and sat down on the bench, and he asked
dad ii he had come as a relative of the
opera singer, to commence suit agains1
the king for breach of promise, or tt
settle for a money consideration, re
marking that he had always rather pay
cash than to have any fuss made abou
| these little matters. Dad told him h,
had no claim against him for alienatin.
anybody's affections, or for breach O
promise, and that all he wanted was tt
have a little talk with the king an
find out how a king lived, and how h,
had any fun in running the king bust
ness, at his age, and they sat down ant
began to talk as friendly as two oil
chums. while the dog played tag witt
me. We found the king was a regula
boy, and that instead of his mind beini
occupied by affairs of state, or hi
African concessions with Congo cour
try. where he owns a few million slave
who steal ivory for him, and murde
other tribes, he was enjoying life jus
as he did when he was a barefooted DO,
fishing for perch at the old mill pont
- ..la, 10 r,nntinnnl hic aoronr q
a boy, and his ~enjoyments, dad tol
| about his youth, and how he never &c
l so much pleasure in after life as he di
? when he had a stone bruise on his hee
r and went off into the woods and cut
tamarack pole and caught sunfish ii
t the cows came home.
The king frightened up and told da
e he had a pond in the palace ground
d stocked with old fashioned fish, an
every day he took off his shoes ar
! rolled up his pants, and with nothir
t on but a shirt, and pants held up |
t one suspender of striped bed ticking, |
a went out in a boat and fished as he d
S when a boy, with a bent pin for a hoo
and he was never so happy as when
!. engaged, and they could all have the
G grand functions and balls and Dime
and Turkish baths, if they want
them, but give him the old swimmil
d hole.
"Me. too said dad, and as dad look
1t down into the park he saw a little LAX
IL and dad held up two fingers. just as DO
" do when they mean to say, Come c
y let's go in swimming" and the XII,
ID said, 's'll go you" and they locked arr
" and started through the woods to t
m little lake, and the dog and / followed,