Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-11-01

Three years after the war we find
him the editor-and bright, original
and successful editor of weekly pa
per. Later on he was editor OF one
OF the most influential papers in the
state. outside of Milwaukee. While
on that paper the governor of the
state commissioned him colonel OF
the national guard, and another gov
ernor gave him very important state
office, whose duties he performed with
marked ability.
Then he returned to newspaper
work, remaining until his health failed.
For ten years he has been ar invalid,
and almost any other man as sadly ar
ficted. would have surrendered, but
not such a miner lad, self-educator,
thresher, soldier, editorial deliver as
my hero.
During the past five or six years, and
all of that time unable to take an hour
of perfectly natural sleep, he has writ
ten and had printed five books, all
gems, choicely composed, full of ma
terial of value to the public, well cal
culated to interest all classes of citi-
zens. All of them will be standard a
century hence, and probably much
longer.
! I have just finished reading his last
/ book, one of the most interesting and
inspiring l ever looked into. l think
its perusal will add ten years to my
stay in the country the author of the
book helped to steer away from rocks
that promised wreck when was a sol
der. l wish all might read it; and l
am especially anxious to have all elder
ly people possess it.
IT is called Masters of Old Age"
Let me introduce the miner lad OF
long ago-Colonel Nicholas Smith of
Milwaukee, author of that and four
other choice publications, an honored
citizen of Wisconsin, whose humblv
| begun life has come far from heing a
failure, and whose history and sue.
cesses / commend to the attention n,
all boys and young men who NAV
think, at times, that they are In hara
luck.
captain Tom La Flesch died at his
nome in California, recently. He
served through the big war in the Sec.
ond Wisconsin cavalry, whose frs,
colonel was the late Governor G. c
! Washburn.
rom La Flesch was rough diamond
hlgh-grade diamond in the rougb
/ Twenty-Five years ago. when q ooo1
many people at the north were still
lghtlng the battles of the civil war and
announcing southern soldiers he on.
! sisted That the war was over and that
! It was not wise or kindly to saw barsh
ehings about the old foes in srav.
There was a time, during the war .
Sald the captain, when I was mad. too
put when our regiment. well to tbe
close OF the struggle f1anked a reei-
ment of the Tohnnies out of tbeir
camp, and | saw and heard the nris.
oners, | felt like lifting nv hat ~
them' and as now recall them and
their condition, it pretty nearly brings
me tears. The ground was frozen and
every last prisoner was barefootad
and they told us that not more than .
Quarter or the regient had boots or
shoes. For two weeks their rations
consisted of one ear of hard corn IN
the cob, for each man, day, and some
of the poor fellows were so hungry
that they ale it raw-couldn't wait RI
to narch it. And yet those men still
fought like tigers for what thew
thought was right The way I look at
1t, boys, it was an honor. great credit
to us to fight and get the hest of an
army OF such men and such soldiers
am as glad as any of you that we
won, but could no more say the mean
things about those brave old fellows
that some of our chaps are saying than
| could say mean things about George
! Washington and my dear old grand
mother"
That is the way Captain Tom La
Flesch talked and felt quarter of a
century ago. and it is about the way
that most of the geterans feel and talk
today
| was at La Crosse last June when
letter from Captain La Flesch was
read before a reunion of the Second
! cavalry. There WIS silence in that
company of old men for several min
Iutes after the secretary had finished
reading the letter Then a r7an who
bad seryed in his troop said. Captain
Tom La Flesch was the best all around
officer, soldier and man that | ever
knew" and after that nearly every man
lat the reunion had something kind to
say about the absent member.
One part of the captains letter made
a lasting impression on the minds of
Iall who heard 1t. Will you print It?
81 hope you may reap rich harvest
Iof enjoyment at that meeting. I had
hoped to be with you at this time. but
my health would not permit, though I
still hope to meet many of you at some
future reunion. As sit in my cabin
door on the lonely Sierras. looking to
the west, the sun is slowly dipping
behind the hills on its way 10 the
broad Pacific To the east its rays
still brighten the high AMI hoarv
neaks: then the brightness vanishes
from them. too, and soon all win be
folded in the robes of silent night
Thrs it is, my comrades, with the
grand old army. Morning and moor.
tide have passed: our star is also dip.
/ ming hehfnd tho vras, orr, hfl1e a ottr