Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-09-05

and made things hum in the German
language, and then he took us off to his
farm where the most of the relics were
found, and began to sell things to dad,
until he had filled the hind end of the
wagon with bullets and grape shot,
sabers and bayonets, old rusty rifles,
and everything dad wanted, and we had
enough to fill museum, and when the
farmer had got dads money we went
back to Brussels and got our stuff I'M
loaded at the hotel. Say, when we came
to look 1t over we found two rusty Colts
revolvers, and guns OF modern construc-
ton, which have been bought on the
battlehelds in all countries, and prop
erly rusted to sell to tourists. showed
dad that the revolver was unknown at
the time of the battle of Waterloo, and
that every article he had bought was a
fraud, the sabers having been made in
America, before the war Of the rebellion,
and dad was mad, and gave the stuff to
the porter of the hotel, who charged dad
seven dollars for taking it away.
Dad kept one three-cornered hat that
the farmer told him Bonaparte lost
when his horse stampeded with him,
and it had drifted under barbed wire
fence, where it had lain until the day
Before we visited the battlefield. Say,
that hat is as good as new, and dad says
1t is worth all the stuff cost, but would
not be found dead wearing it, cause 1t
is all out Of style.
We have seen the king Of Belgium,
and actually got the worth Of our money.
He is an old dandy, and looks like a
Philadelphia quaker, only he is not as
pious as quaker. Dad wrote to the
king and said he was distinguished
American travelling for his health, and
had niece who had frequently visited
Belgium with an opera company, and
she had spoken of the king, and dad
wanted to talk over matters that might
be Of interest both to Belgium and
to America. Well, the messenger came
back and said dad couldn't get to the
palace minute too quick, and so we
| went over, and as we were going
through the park we saw an old man in
citizens clothes, sitting on bench, pat.
ting the head of a boar hound, and when
he saw us he said, Come here, Uncle
Sam, and let my dog chew your pants
Dad thought it must be some lunatic
and was going to make sneak and gel
out, when the man rose up and we saw
1t was the king, and we went up to hin
and sat down on the bench, and he asked
dad IL he had come as relative of thu
opera singer, to commence suit agains
the king for breach of promise, or t,
settle for money consideration, re
marking that he had always rather pa.
cash than to have any fuss made abou
these Mttle matters. Dad told him b.
had NO claim against him for alternating
anybody's affections, or for breach o
promise, and that all he wanted was t.
have little talk with the king ant
find out how king lived, and how h
had any fun in running the king bust
ness, at his age, and they sat down ant
began to talk as friendly as two oil,
chums, while the dog played tag will
me. We found the king was regula
boy, and that instead of his mind bein,
occupied by affairs of state, or hi
African concessions with Congo coun
try, where he owns few million slave
who steal ivory for him, and murde
other tribes, he was enjoying life jus
as he did when he was barefooted DO!
fishing for perch at the old mill pont
and when he mentioned his career a
q boy, and his enjoyments, dad toll
about his youth, and how he meyer &c
so much pleasure in after life as he di
when he had stone bruise on his hee
and went OF into the woods and cut
tamarack pole and caught suntish tt
the cows came home.
, The king frightened up and told da