The leader., 1905-07-01
Uncle Oliver 5
Last Fourth

Il
sYou see.% said the old settler, as he
1 yielded again to the local historian,
and shut his eyes and began to turn
over the leaves of his memory, Uncle
oliver, as we used to call him, was a
uatural marshal Of the day. The Fourth
OF July was as sacred to him as Sun.
day, and his folks used to rejoice that
1t didn't come only once year For
30 consecutive times, except once when
he had the cholera morbus. he was
head horseman of the procession; and
got into the habit of it.
If our town didn't have a celebra-
tion land Of course we used to get
tired once in awhile, and say: Let the
rest take hold'), he would go to tbs
nearest disturbance on that day, and
offer his time. and pay half the ex-
penses or less, and, of course. they
were glad to welcome him on such
terms as that, and put him forward in
way that he esteemed.
He was the most gorgeous mar
shal of the day that we ever had in
this bailiwick. No slouched-hat rough
rider business for him! Why, the old
Continental shake was good enough,
with plume that made every rooster
and peacock on the route raving crazy.
He had great big half-moon epaulettes,
with fringes like whipcord, and red
sash, and a sword that would have
killed Goliath, and pair of pants with
| stripes down the sides stabbing his
shin-knuckles. that he never wore ex-
cept upon military occasions. He
used to raise horses expressly for these
affairs. and | don't know how many
generations o. steeds he curved and
twisted up and down the roads with
him on different occasions. Nobody
ever used to think. in his prosperous
days. that the Fourth of July was at its
very finest, unless Uncle oliy,- steered
the procession, and rode up and down
the street on various specimens of gal
lop.
We'll, it was all right as long as
he was head-diver in the social swim;
but after awhile he sort of lost his
property, and grew old. and wasn't
particularly in demand anywhere. But
he didn't know that he wasn't, and
kept right on being marshal of the
day, whether they wanted him or not
| Of course there were other and young.
er and richer men who coveted their
! chance to show off; and once in awhile
| some brave captain or colonel that the
people wanted to see in that place
/ 1AhnU fn CT 81 IN
difference to Uncle divers age and
previous condition; but finally they
began to snub him little
well. he never had been in the
| habit of taking lessons in being
snubbed, so he kept right on, just the
same = ever, and spoke the longest
pieces when they were getting up the
show, and dictated how it was to be
done, and put himself in as marshal
long after he stopped paying a cent for
orator and f1recrackers and roman
candles. They got to having their
preparatory meetings on the sly, and
elected another man marshal instead OF
him; but that didn't seem to do any
good; he'd be there all the same,
cooked hat epaulettes, red sash, long
sword, striped pants and all; and On
as good horse as he could get, which
Of late years wasn't much of foam
ing, prancing steed; and the other
marshal either had to look out and not
run over him, or to keep from being
run over hy him. Everybod- got to
laughing at him, and at his old-fash-
| ioned ways in the saddle; and his boys
were all dead or moved away, so there
wasn't one of 'em left to knock the
dressing out of anybody that sneered
at their old lather.
We'll, one Fourth of July we in
| tended to have everything regardless.
The lieutenant governor was going to
be there, and the est criminal lawyer
anywhere round was to be the orator,
and the brass band had learned eight
new pieces for the occasion, and the
firemen were coming out with their
new engine, and it was intended that
there should be very hot time in the
old town from midnight to midnight.
We mustn't have Uncle Oliver in the
way this time. everybody said. Maj.
Palmer must be marshal of the day,
and the old man must lie down and fan
| himself"
Maj. Palme- had just got back from
the war, had been wounded three
times. taken prisoner and escaped, ETC.,
and he was the hero of the vicinity.
He was modest man, too, but he
| L. - 10 ;r.n, "a
make horse take two-steps all over
the village corporation. OF course we
had to have the major and not Uncle
Oliver; and the only way to head him
off was to tell committee to go and
inform him that his services would not
be required that day.
sThe committee said that the old
man replied: Certainly, certainly, gen
tlemen, but that tears rolled down his
cheeks when he utterel the words.
and he addea; I suppose can march
| in the procession somewhere? And
they replied: oh. of course. And the
old man stumped along away back
toward the rear. with his uniform on,
but looking so sad and. humble and
| everlaStlngly put down, that every
body pitied MIN. It's the first time
Uncle Oliver has put foot to ground
en- the Fourth of July, for 80 years,
said old Shubal Leonard
well, Mai Palmer, he was waltzing his
horse up and down the line, just as we
wanted him to, and putting on all
the scallops we could have desire
from SO modest a man, when he
caught sight of Uncle oliver march.
ing in rank by himself. and his head
down. and tears rolling along his
cheeks. Now, crave men are always
big-hearted ones, and the major man
aged some way or other to get the
procession in hollow square on the
village green. and made speech
and singular one. Fellow citizens.
be said, j can't stand this. For 80
years, ran and boy, I've seen Uncle