West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-11-02

4 u sing hih W iSdNC tue DCmOCfatt
party and join the Republican par
ty. But the Elder steadfastly re
fused to listen to my pleadings. H,
told me that the ambition of his lif,
was to be soddist. kept a sedu
lous eye on the youth, however, and
never dispaired. felt that some
day / would claim him as my prot
ege. l waited long aud patiently
1t was at the age of I6 that he re.
nounced Democracy and embraced
Republicanism. This was the King
day of my joyhood. l celebrated
that day as / have never celebrated
before or since. John o. WhetselI
could not find enough hard cider in
the Whetsell Settlement to drown
my enthusiasm and joy. 1t was un.
bounded and spontaneous.
The conversion of the Elder oc-
Cured in this way: AS l remarked
before the ambition of the youthful
Whetsell was TO be a soddist. He
conceived the idea that il he had a
two year old colt that he could call
his own that he would be fullhedg-
ed soddist. Now his Grandpa,
"Uncle Sammy" Trembly had two
year old colt that struck the fancy
of the Elder. He imagined with
that colt he would be satisfied to
follow the plough and the harrow
the rest of his days. ! expostulated
with him and pictured the pies that
was in store for him il he would
join my party. But it availed moth
ing. He would go around chanting !:
81 am going to be a soddlst and
with the soddists die !"
So Grandpa Trembly agreed to
let the Elder have the two year old
colt, under certain conditions, which
It is not necessary to enumerate.
The colt was turned over to the FL
der and for the first time / had my
missgivings as to whether could
save him from the sod. / had one
chance left and that was to prevent
the Elder from fulfilling his agree
ment with Grandpa Trembly. /
finally succeeded and his Grandpa
notified the Elder 10 return the colt.
The Elder was very much attached
to the colt and refused to do so.
So his Grandpa had to proceed to
recover the colt by the strong arm
of the law. Constable Beatty was
sent after the colt with instructions
to bring the colt back dead or alive.
The Elder made a desperate fight
for his colt, but Constable Beatty
broke the lock on the stable and re.
turned the colt to Grandpa Trembly.
AT this point of the colting an idea
struck me to have the Elder institute
suit against Grandpa Trembly for
the recovery of the colt. / knew
the Elder would be beaten in the
law suit and this would make him
SO angry at the loss of his colt that
! would have no trouble in making
a pleman out of him. 1t worked
like charm. / agreed to act as
counsel for the Elder and not charge
him a penny for my service. 1 felt
that some day would be amply re-.
paid for giving to the world such
an eminent pieman. So the Elder
brought suit against his Grandpa
for the recovery of his two year old
colt. This colt must not be con-
founded with the two year old"
that is running at large up in Reno
and which is causing Republican"
and the Old Family Journal so
much trouble.
When the day of trial came we
bad to journey to Terra Alta, as the
case was to be tired before Squire
Benson. Grandpa Trembly en-
ployed Judge Henry Clay Beatty as
his attorney. The news Of the eel
ebrsted colt case spread rapidly and
when we arrived in Terra Alta the
town was OVERLOOKING with peo.
pie and the excitement was running
high The town had not been
worked up to such a high pitch Of
excitement since Jones's raid when
the rebels arrested Matthias Stuck
and placed him on a stump and
threatened to shoot him for sassing
the Johnnies. have vivid recol-
lection Of that day also. 1t was in
the month Of April 1864. / don't
think I ever made faster time in get
ting to the woods than / did on that
day, although / wore the blue uni
form and it was my sworn duty to
chase the Johnnies back to the Dixie
line. But when a person is taken
with a sudden scare the oath he has
taken to defend the flag soon takes
its fight from bis memory. Had I
ren,sfned a. r,,, 49,, ..f L.. -. a.