Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-10-24

Brokaw's death Capt. Ijams was in
yited to put in all his time with the
aged widower and take up story-tell-
ing as steady job.
Ho Was Made Official "story Teller"
So Capt. Iiams accepted the posi-
ton of grand vizier and raconteur-in.
chief TO Haroun Brokaw. No salary
was mentioned in connection with the
office, but Ijams figured that so long
MS he could make the old gentleman
laugh he would have little trouble to
induce him to loosen up financially.
Moreover, 1t was a safe gamble that
his stock of stories would last longer
than the venerable listener, and then
the latter would more than square
things in his will.
Ijams started in systematically with
his choice line of Chauncey M. De-
pew's favorites, then went on with his
early Illinois legends and personal
recollections of Abraham Lincoln, and
finally brought up in the comparative
ly modern period of the civil war. BY
this time he would have Mr.. Brokaw
going so that he could read a chapter
or two from the Bible, and the dear
old man would chuckle delightedly
over:
Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac
begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judas
and his brethren; and Judas begat
Phares and lara of Thamar; and
Phares begat Esrom, and Esrom be-
gat Aram, and Aram begat Aminadab,"
and so on.
The great stream of the antiques
writer of the first century of the
Christian era: "A man who fred a
rock at dog and hit his mother-in-
law said, Not such a bad shot at
thati'"
Here is specimen from early I'LL
nois:
Jake Spawr was one Of the three
commissioners appointed to lay out
the turnpike road between Chicago
and Springfield. The act required that
these commissioners should be sworn
but there was no official handy to per
form this duty. So Jake, as q justice
of the peace, administered the oath to
the other two commissioners and then
raised up the lid of shoe-box with a
| looking-glass inside 1t, and solemnly
administered the oath to his reflection
in the mirror. thus swearing himself
In, so that he could legally help to con
struct the pike"
This Lincoln story was one that old
man Brokaw pronounced "a bird"
Lincoln and Douglas were travel
ing together by stage-coach, from La
con to Pontiac, when they got into q
heated persnal debate, and Lincoln
more than limited that there was liza,
IN their party Of two, and that Il
wasn't himself. This meant fight. A
the next stopping place the fiery
Douglas pulled a pair Of pistols out o
his carpetbag and proposed to Abe
that they arbitrate their differences
with cold lead Lincoln drew himsel
up and said: I am about twice you
height, and would be too easy a mari
for you. To make things even, you'll
have to stand further away from M
than do from YOU. Douglas began Il
you what we'll do. I'll mark out M
size on your person, and every sho
that hits outside the mark won't count
Then they had a drink together an
called the fight Off"
Another warm baby was this wal
from the battlefield:
IAN Irish corporal was carrying
wounded comrade to the rear and di
: not notice when cannon-ball whiZze
| by and took the poor fellows hea
: off When Pat reached the amb,
lance with his burden the surgeo
asked: What are you bringing |
. that headless corpse for?' The Irlsl
/. man turned and looked at the remain
1 and exclaimed disgustedly: 'Bego
I he tould me 1t was his leg!'"
+. And Ijams could at any momel
5 throw the aged plowmaker into co
4 vulsions of laughter by repeating Jos
Q Billings recipe for making hoe-cak,
I Take common or garden hoe. be
' her down till she jells and then let h
3 cake"
!. Day after day and week after we,
I Capt Jams continued Keeling of the
4 stories. quips and cranks. The o
,. millionaire grew feebler, but Ike
!, alive just to laugh, Since then liar
|. has suspected that Mr.. Brokaw W
y laughing at something else besid
o his Jokes, But for two or three yea
e everything went merrily as a marria
d bell.
l. Speaking OF marriage bells reca
4 the fact that old man Brokaw was 4
o cidedly OF a re-marrying dispositic
3. | vet he Honldn't give In 10 II hecau