Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-29

!! earliest recollection to the last few
years has been spent on the frontier
of civilization. AS I was raised annie
the rough, rude scenes of primitive
nature, SO, too, have been the crea
ture to raise a family, with the uncom
| planning aid Of my devoted, beloved
wife and helpmeet-the girl married
| in Lisbon, Illinois, who was Miss
Adella Cobleigh, out on the frontier
among Indians, buffalo and untamed
nature. Four OF our children. Oral Ga
daughter now married and living in
Santa Monica, California, as Mrs
Grant Gilman, with their three chill
dren-our grandchildren); Robert, a
son (now married and living in To
peka), who is chief flnancier of the
Topeka postoff1ce: Eleanor, a daughter
at the head of the distribution Office
OF the daily Topeka Capital; Leila,
(and this is the name that the linotyp-
list seems to know how to spell better
than do for he is sure to make it
either Lilly, Leila, or some other than
properly Leila,) was born IN Belolt,
Kansas, and Is a pianist of unusual
ability las was and is my wife, her
mother), and who has performed on
the great pipe organ in the Episcopal
cathedral in this city. and is. perma-
nent organist of the choir Of the
Church of the Good Shepherd, Episco-
pal, in this city William, the second
boy, was born In Ottumwa, and died
from diphtheria, caused by exposure in
the shanty in which we lived in early
days in Beloit, kas. oh, old friends In
Ottumwa, we have drunk the dregs OF
poverty and distress since we left you,
houseless homeless, pentiless. We
have fought, struggled and managed to
live, my first and only wife, through
years of suffering in ill-health, but
now in blooming health; although her
abundant hair is silvered somewhat.
her countenance is fresh and her laugh
as buoyant as when she was an I'M
shackled girl My tousled shock Of
fiery red hair, when you know me, is
scarcely any more, and the glazing
freekles that were the bane of my
boyhood days, have faded from the
sadd1e-colored frontispiece, on which
my pug nose sits. Old Joe Wagg used
to try to shave off those freckles, but
it was useless-only the brilliant sun
shine and ozonfc air of Kansas could
overcome their obstreperousness.
Nose Walker was afflicted with
FREEZES, too, and Nose was more sensi-
tive. If possible, than was l. He and I
roomed together in Mrs. Mudge's
boarding house, corner Main and
Green streets, opposite the residence
Of DR.. Warden Dicks brother), and
he had every possible nook in that
room filled with bottles of ungents and
things recommended by his brother-in-
law, DR.. G. G. Lewis, for removing
those hideous skin splotches-but OF
no avail-they we're like the blood on
Lady Macbeth's hands, they wouldn't
out, damned spots!"
Mrs. Nudge was the widow of Albert
short, round, red-headed
pioneer merchant of Ottumwa. The
first oysters ever ate were prepared
by him. He gave the Courier force a
.reat one evening In his ''restoraw,"
hat was in squatty frame building
1t the foot of Market street. MY recol-
lection now is that I preferred, or
would have preferred, a dish of slip
nery elm to oysters la Nudge. Mrs.
Nudge always set good table. There
Yeroy OF that time sitting ar her