The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-03-23
NO COLOR line HERE
Colored Grand Army Veteran From
Galveston, Texas, Journeys
Towards Duluth.

Towards Duluth.
En- Route He Stops at Princeton and
at Miiaca is Received With
Open Arms.
One day the latter part of last week
a tall, and rather stately. looking
colored man wearing a Grand Army
button and carrying a cane stepped
from the evening passenger train and
with military gait walked up town
and began making inquiries for some
old veterans. He found them in a
short time, and among them A.. y.
Norton to whom he related a hard
luck story, stating that he was from
Galveston, Texas, and that he lost
his family and all his property at the
time that city was inundated by tidal
wave that swept the Gulf coast a few
years ago. He claimed to be past
commander of John Brown post Of
that city, and appeared to have a
good education and seemed in every
way worthy of assistance. He came
from Minneapolis where the Geo. N.
Morgan post had assisted him, and
t he claimed that he had just enough
funds to carry him to Princeton and
L hof co IN s.ssk
a brother. Mr.. Norton engaged
quarters at the Princeton hotel for
the stranger who gave his name as
John Bush. Enough money was given
him to enable him to continue his
journey, which he did Saturday after
noon when the passenger came along,
but he left the train at Milaca. No
sooner had he done SO than the vii
liage marshal had his eye ION him as
he carried no baggage of any kind
and a colored man Of his appearance
is a very scarce article in this part of
the country. Mr.. Bush walked over
to the saloon where he bought a
drink of whisky and then purchased
a pint bottle of the elixer of life. He
put up at the hotel and in the evening
went in search of some Grand Army
men and he found few. He re-
peated to them his stock story, proved
his war record all right BY. strange
lcoincidences, etc. One of the veterans
he met is pillar in the M. b. church
at Milaca and he invited the colored
veteran to services in the morning and
he accepted the invitation. At church
he got acquainted with the pastor,
Rev. Lewis, who by the way is a
southern man, hailing from southern
Illinois. He has had lot of expe-
rience with the colored race and he
thought that he knew just how to
prove the genuineness of Mr.. Bush of
Galveston, Texas. Mr.. Bush told
Rev. Lewis that he was a graduate of
the Simpson college, Of Tennessee, he
named over the roster of southern
bishops Of the NJ. E: church, and the
NJ. .. divine was obliged to admit
| that the names were correct. To every
question the man from Galveston was
ready with a proper answer and a
very plausible story he related
throughout.
He spent most of Sunday afternoon
in the parsonage with Rev. Lewis and
was invited to fill the pulpit in the
tevening. As he stated that all his
personal effects were lost in theahood
Mr. Lewis did not think. it strange
that the man had no credentials. He
preached fine sermon, on the topic
81 Have a Work to Performs and
it was flowery discourse throughout.
But once did he make a grammatical
error, and that was when he omitted
to say IAN audience instead of "a
audience. After the sermon the col
lection was taken and it was to be for
the benefit of Mr.. Bush. There was
cash collection of SIS and pledges
for 81. The cash was turned over to
the guest who returned to the parson-
age and had lunch after which he ac-
companied Judge Norcross home and
spent the evening.
Monday morning there were the
'footsprints in the sands of time,' .
and Mr.. Bush, Civil war veteran,
orator and scholar, was doomed to
run, the gauntlet of public criticism.
Those who had seen him in the saloon
and drinking had passed the word
along the line and it reached the ears
OF Rev. Lewis who found Mr.. Bush on
the street and he began to put him
through the sweat box. He had told
the Milaca people that he was en-
route to Duluth to visit brother and
ne told Mr.: Lewis that the brother
| worked in the CRYSTAL restanrant hnt