Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-07-07

ards naming had only just begun. The
Herald gave columns every day to
the news of ''the coming revolution"
as 1t was pleased to call it. There was
loud talk Of war at and after the great
Pine street meeting Of Dec. Is. South
Carolina seeded Ave days later, and
then we knew what was coming, albeit
we saw only the dim shadow Of that
mighty struggle that was to shake the
earth for nearly FIVE years. The print
er grew highly irritable those days and
spoke of Buchanan and Davis and
Toombs in language so violent 1t could
never have been confined in type. But,
while bitter foe, none was more gen.
erous than he, and when the war was
over his money went to ball the very
man he had most roundly damned.
remember that one day when he
was sunk deep in composition negro
came and began with grand airs to
make request as delegate from his
campaign club. The printer sat still,
his eyes close to the paper, his pen n.y.
ing at high sped. The colored orator
went on lifting his voice In set PEE
tition. Mr.. Greeley bent to his work
as the man waxed eloquent. A nervous
movement now and then betrayed the
printers irritation. He looked up
shortly, his face kindling with anger
"Help! For Gods sake!' he shrilled
impatiently, his hands flying in the air.
The printer seemed to be gasping for
breath.
go and stick your head out Of the
window and get .throughv' he shouted
holly to the man.
He turned to his writing, a thing dear
er to him than new bone to hungry
dog.
"Then you may come and tell me
what you want" he added in milder
tone.
Those were days when men said
what they meant, and their meaning
had more fight in It than was really
polite or necessary. Fight was In the
air, and before knew it there was a
wild, devastating spirit in my own
bosom, insomuch that made haste to
join local regiment. It grew apace,
but not until saw the first troops on
their way to the war was fully deter
mined to go and give battle with my
| regiment.
The town was afire with patriotism.
Sumter had fallen. Lincoln had issued
his first call. The sound Of the dfe
and drum rang in the streets. Men
gave up work to talk and listen or 90
into the sterner business Of war. Then
one night in April regiment came out
| Of New England on It's way to the
front. 1t lodged at the Aston House, to
! leave at 8 in the morning. Long be-
fore that hour the building was fanked
and fronted with tens Of thousands,
crowding Broadway for three blocks,
, stufang the wide mouth Of Park row
and braced into Yesey and Barclay
streets. My editor assigned me to this
/ interesting event.
stood in the crowd that morning
!; and saw what was really the begin
ming Of the war in New York. There
was no babble Of voices, no impatient
/ call, no sound OF idle jeering such as
one is apt to hear in waiting crowd
It stood silent, each man busy with
the rising cuUrent Of his own emotions
solemnified by the faces all around
him. The soldiers fled out upon tn.
pavement, the police having kept I
way clear for them. Still there was
silence in the crowd, save that near me
could hear man sobblng. A trum
/ peter lifted his bugle and sounded 9
Ia hQr n tho fnunf11a hn
cleft the silent air, flooding every
street about us with their silver sound
Suddenly the band began playing
The tune was Yankee Doodle" A wild
dismal, tremulous cry came out Of 8
throat near me. It grew and spread
to q mighty roar, and then such 9
shout went up to heaven as had new
er heard and know full well I shall
never hear again. It was like the riv
ing Of thunderbolts above the roar o,
floods elemental. prophetic, threaten
ing, ungovernable. It did seem to me
that the holy wrath Of God Almighty
was in that cry Of the people. It was
| signal. It declared that they wert
4 ready to give all that man may givt
4Ol t4lut AS lVVCS-Al6 LAC 1A0 kA1Akl
far dearer to him than his life. Aftel
that they and their sons begged for {
chance to throw themselves into th,
hideous ruin of war:
| walked slowly back to the offlc.
and wrote my article, When tn,
printer came In at IL. went to bill
room before he had had time to begil
work.
"Mr. Greeley" I said, "here is m,
resignation. am going to the war;"
His habitual smile gave way to {
Dober look as he turned to me, lis bill
white coat on his arm. He pursed hi.
lips and blew thoughtfully. Their b.
threw his coat in a chair and wipet
his eyes with his handkerchief.
4 "Well, God bless you, my boy" h
said. Il wish could 60 too, .
worked some weeks before my regi
Il ment was sent forward. Il planned t,
be at home 9ot a day, but they needle,
me on the staff, and I dreaded the-pail
of q parting the gravity at which m.
return would serve only to accentuate
/ So I wrote them q cheerful letter AM
kept at work. It was my duty to IN
Il teryleW some Of the great men Of tina
day as to the course of the government
I remember Commodore Vanderbilt
came down to see me- In shirt sleeves
and slippers that afternoon, with |
handkerchief tied about his neck Ii
place Of collar-a blunt man Of sim
pie manners and big heart, one VIII,
spoke his mind in good, plain tRlE, and
] suppose, he got along With as littl
profanity as possible, considering hi
z many cares.