The Washington herald., 1909-04-11

daughter is dangerously sick he said,
"and her stomach IS badly out Of order
After each dose of my medicine give her
little OF the chicken broth, prepared in
the way I have told you, without either
salt or pepper. but be very careful not
70 overfeed her"
Your father quit the law to be a
SOLDIER
He served in the civil war as the cap
tain Of company of Illinois cavalry,
and was mustered out in 1854 while col
OneI Of a Mississippi regiment Of colOred
infantry 7 was with him several months
at MiHikens Bend. near Vicksburg. The
soldiers made me a drum out Of a large
fig box. and I walked at the head OF the
regiment with the rest Of the musicians.
When I went home I carried a formal
,dismissaI from the army properly signed
BY my father 7 heard some firing, but
I saw no lighting Having seen a soldier
bucked and gagged for chasing his cap
tain with an *. I administered similar
punishment 70 a colOred yOungster. tying
a stick 10 his mouth instead OF a bayo-
net. Personally. that was the most thrill
ing Of my experiences while sojOurning
at the front
What happened to the Ballinger fam
iiy after the war
we lived on farm at Nilwood. III.
Ny father bought sheep. and I herded
them on the prairie. following them all
day with dog as they fed upon the wild
grass Late In the afternoon drove
them home. I was seven years old. How
ever. the low price OF wool soon caused
my father 10 go out OF the sheep bust
errr 90
den. where he afterward became post
master by the appointment of President
Grant. under whom he fought at the
siege Of Vicksburg. He also had a news
stand in a corner of the post-ofice. the
care Of which largely fell to myself
Each day on the arrival OF the trains
from 81. Louis and Chicago I sold papers
in the streets I went TO a school now
and then, but during most OF the time we
lived at virden I had to work
MY father was IN energetic and vigor-
Gus man but he lacked the prudence and
balance Of my mother One of his nu-
merous ventures was the purchase Of a
little weekly newspaper quickly learned
to set type and TO pull the cumbersome
old hand press Happily for me, at least
our circulation was too small to brag
about During our life at Virden my father
kicked man named Thompson. editor OF
the Record. out Of the post-office. There
had been a violent colloquy over some
matter in politics. Thompson afterward
tried 70 shoot my father. The ARRAY
caused great excitement IN the town. and
was very proud Of the Ballinger family
as represented by the head Of the house
Subsequently. thrashed boy for abus-
Ing my dog. and was soundly whipped in
turn by my schOoi-teacher. That was the
first and last fight had with my fists
Next, we went to live in Kansas. set
Ting on a soldiers homestead. two miles
from the spot which later became the site
of the town of Larned. Indeed. We helped
10 establish the village. I was fifteen
years old. Indians. TO the terror OF nv
mother. were to the west Of US and large
herds Of buffalo could often be seen in
the distance. Ny father bought cattle
and I passed three years on horseback
in watching them. in reading the poems
OF Robert Burns. many of which 7 com
mitted 20 memory. and in trying TO study
Greek and Latin. I recited in Latin 10 a
hospital steward at Fort Larned several
miles away, and in Greek to a clergyman
who lived in the vicinity After four
years on the farm. the Texas fever having
destroyed nearly all Of our cattle. we
moved into the village of Iarned. where
my father again became an editor by the
purchase Of a weekly publication known
as the Chronoscope.
Il clerked for two years in the Offices
Of the county clerk and treasurer. A