The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-05-30

thing he missed was the u. A H. pos''
There were many other things thal
Boomer lacked. but the cheerful one
armed veteran did not mind these
They were merely bodily comforts ana
conyeniences or the improvements Oh
civilization, but the absence OF W. a
r. post struck him in his most sallehI
spot. 1t hurt his one romantic VANITY
and injured him in his one cherlsheu
pride. He loved the G. A. r., and ne
loved the old flag, and his honest
cheerful, hard working soul lived from
year to year in good natured unim-
oortance. to bask for one day in the
deserved honor that was his on Deco
ration day On that one day he had
always been, at Water Glen, the
proudest of the proud, as he marched
at the head of the little procession TO
the resting place of the veterans OF
Kiowa county. His armless sleeve
was none the less empty because ne
lost his arm in the Water Glen saw
mill and not In battle The arm, how
ever lost, was veteran arm, and had
bullet in II.
Not that he cared about the arm
itself 1t was left one, and he had
his pension, and his tastes were sim
pie. He could have lived well enough
in his shanty at Water Glen, but his
friend Foley got the Oklahoma fever,
and Sullivan went with him, taking
TOWNSHIP claim in Boomer.
The first Decoration day at Boomer
passed tamely for Timothy Sullivan.
There was no band, no flag, no flow
ers, no minister to open the exercise.
no exercises to be opened, not even
holiday. There were no schools to
close There was no town to speak
Of There was not much of anything
but stakes to mark the claims, tents,
and a pump, but when the second
Decoration day drew near Timothy
Sullivan grumbled audibly
I've mind to send home to Water
Glen for my arm" said Sullivan.
"'T could come in a box by the ex-
| press company, and no harm done.
| 'Twould be a fine object lesson to the
town of Boomer to have the arm of
soldier with bullet of rebel in it
| buried near by"
'Twould So" Foley agreed, with
as much enthusiasm as he could show
while lighting his pipe. "'Twould So
'Twould be the next best thing to hav-
ing yourself buried here, Tim"
Get me pen. ink and paper" said
Sullivan, It'll l write for it"
He wrote the letter to his friend,
Larry Casey at Water Glen.
Dig up and send me the left arm
| of me, he wrote, by express. to be
paid for at this end 'Tis buried in
the back yard of my old shanty, under
the horseradish bed, in the big tin
box. And hope you are the same.
Timothy sullivan
Larry Casey did the work well. and
in due time box arrived at Boomer.
Sullivan did not open it, and he and
Mike Foley buried it privately at the
rear southwest corner of Sullivan's
claim They did not attempt nor even
dream of anything ceremonial in the
act, II was merely that Sullivan, as
one might say, was getting himself
together, No one likes to be scattered
about the United States. They sim
! ply buried the box in the most con.
ventional place and went about their
business, which was principally doing
Lothing and waiting for Boomer town
lots TO rise in value.
But as Decoration day drew nearer
Sullivan dwelt more regretfully upor
the absence of memorial exercise HC
felt little delicate about himself pro
posing exercises to memorable his
own arm. 1t seemed a little like seek
ing to sing his own praises, and he fell
a natural reticence about proposing g
procession. He was glad, therefore
when Foley spoke of the idea as OF
one that had been fully decided upon
Foley opened the subject by saving.
Twill be hard to find flowers tc
decorate the arm on Decoration day
Tim. Missus Schwartz will lend the
loan OF her geranium plant, but there
be no others, except we pick the wild
ones OFF the prairie"
Have ye spoke to any one else
Mike, OF the procession, and all?" ask
ed Sullivan, Frightening up.
Schwartz will be proud to belon,
10 IT., said Foley with his accordion
And the Chaykas will be in IT, thouqI
for why they don't know, except It's ,
custom of their country, and them bav
ing took out their first papers. An,
the Rooshun Schmernoffs will contrib
ute themselves and IL OF their kids
two being sick with the measles NJ
there would be 49, And Ole Olson I,
one of them that will do honor to IN,
left arm of ye. Not one did find +,
back out, Tim"
Foley, surprised at his own looua
city, pulled vigorously at his pine an,
frowned
And all of them" he added who,
he had got the pipe to burning nor
mally again, 'all of them would hav,
ye be grand marshal of the day. Tim
Il could borrow sash ribbon of q