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

\ along, and never look around to Sc
if anybody saw him tumble. The las
knew Of Tom, he was driving blu
: for Con Lewis. He could and did swea
In the most comfortable language.
Old 'Tay' Sinnamon! His name wa
Thomas, but being a great big, joll
souled Irishman, always pronounce
his name as Tay, He was a characte
always had some enterprise on hand
and did build quite sumner Of
house for hotel that believe Pet
Ballingall afterward remodeled. Oh
Tom, or Tay, as he sounded the frs
letter of his given name, was very font
of "oh-be-joyful," and frequently dial
| lied with the nectar; when he got 81
full he paraded the street bawling u
the top of his voice, "I'm Tay Sinna
mon and I've got more money than
mule can pack, be gawd!" One day
about five years ago | was summoned
to serve as juryman in tn district
court here. AS took my place in tbs
box and was answering the usual ques
lions, I noticed juryman cycling me
very closely and inquiringly, and he
kept it up so assiduously that it got to
be embarrassing. When court adj
journed for the noon hour this person
came up and exclaimed right in my
face, I'm Tay Sinnamon and I've got
more money than" he didn't get any
further before had him clinched and
we fell into each others arms-it was
old Bill George, chief engineer of old
Tay Sinnamons horsepower ferry
boat t'Way back befo' de wa. And Bill
and had served in the same regiment.
the 3Sth Iowa. as private in Bill
Mahon's Company f. and George as
private in Bill Clifton's Company H,
same regiment of which G. w. Kit.
tredge was colonel and A. H. Hamilton
major; Stephen K. Mahon (brother Of
both Bill and Sam, adjutant. If any OF
these people are alive l know that
they will forgive me for the provin.
cial manner in which ! handle their
first Or given names. When we'ens all
lived in Ottumwa the politeness Of So
ciety address had not inoculated us,
and have never been vaccinated with
that virus. 1t would seem almost sac
religious to say Mr.. Samuel Mahon-it
was Sam. And to try to enunciate Mr..
Joseph Merrill would almost choke me
1t was Joe then and shall be to the
end Of my time: and know that all
those whose names have and shall use
In this manner will welcome me on
high. The name Merrill brings up
ludicrOus episode in my army life.
Stevens Merrill brother of Joe. was
the nnartermaster Of our regiment. AS
sergea nt-rlaior Of the regiment 7 waS
atlartered with Stephen Mahon, its adj
iutant. One day Malon told me to 40
10 Merrill and get some stationery
Merrill. in pure fun. demarded that
bring him written rer,is;'ion. I went
back and told Mahnn. who became
nettled. sat down and wrote
nut a re~uisiticn. sienirg his name to
t. Merrill demanded that it ho signed
~ the commanding off rer Of tie regi-
nent. who. at tl,af i1-ctr~e happened
o he Iieut.-Col r. A. Drake latter
ward governor Of 1ova> not very we'll
liked by Maflon. This demand was re-
used and was ordered back with that
'efusal. and so demand and refusal
we're bonded back and forth until nv
eet were sore. then it hecame somo
What personal between those two raj
ant officers and resulted in chal-
enge to d',el 7 think coni''g from
Iahon 1T had become en serious trn'
declined to act nr~ further ard did
nv best to mo}lifv N"hon. h',+ hi-
IRISH was llD and rOthin~ would an
,ease him until lnctilv Col 'Ci4t,e &c
his brother-in lawN r-rnencd IN cau,n
md at once nue1led The trr1>r,o-7 20. "
vas all iolse on The mart re N:nr"ii1
nd myself that we both re~retted. for
t was long time before Mahc', would
wen speak to Merrill! fe'+ It +'oe ~"r-
,eenly because Steve Mahnn and T
we're ALWAYS chums before the w"r ard
We bunked together in the rarimon+al
headquarters until tho disastrous de-
eat of our army at Moro Bottom. in
which engagement Mahon with MANY
thers (Maior Aueustus II. Hamilton
.mong them) were compelled 10 sur
ender, and were rsde prisoners Of
var. never saw either of the Stcr"s
lfterward that ! now remember. Mer-
i'll was practical ioke-na eter.s and
What he couldn't conhlre up for hilar-
ty. no one need try. likes both men
nd now yield sigh in their memory.
steve Mahcn was pretty slick on a
lutte himself and frequently went out
N serenading occasions
In letting my pencil run along ut
andom, find that do not close IN my
APPS. In the proDer place I should have
emarked that Bill George and met
or the first time in that jury box since !
We were mustered out of service in
'eptember. 1865. He is a prosperous
armer out about twelve miles from
Topeka. He recognized me, after hear
ng my name. but J would never have
ecognized him in his abundant gray
air and much weathered countenance.
uly when he got off that boast Of old
lays his voice and it fetched me to.
z = 81 Ns