Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-20
Another Chapter of Ottunuu From the Pen OF
W H. Caldwell of Topeka a Former Publisher Of Courier

0pekn, q
Courier giving the news Of your recent
city election. and note that my old
friend Sam Harper. landed on both
feet as mayor. He'll make good, all
right! Cass Hendershott! I've very
great notion to go over to Ottumwa
and spank that boy! Bourbon yet. Cass
knows better, but doubtless is beyond
redemption. Facetiously ! guess I'd
better have let him drown that time
that he came near doing so when
squad of us tads were in swimming
and diving from one of those arks
previously mentioned that was moored
to the willows at the north end Of the
great sandbar that formed the bend In
the river, east side. Cass was going
down for the third time in water over
his head, when I dove from the roof of
the ark and brought him up. Had I
left him to fate you would have had
one democrat less to contend against.
OF course this Is all In sport, for Cass
was one of the boys, and one Of the
young men Of Ottumwa whom I all
ways liked, and am now glad to find
that he is alive and hope we'll in
health. He had two brothers, Cleon
and Henry. II my memory serves right
Henry lost one eye by the premature,
or rather overdue, explosion of fire.
cracker. The grandfather Of these boys
was Paul Jeffries, Sr. recall an cleo
hn - tai o. 4.
was one of the judges. Grandpa JEFF
fries was brought to the polls In q
buggy, but was too feeble to walk to
the voting place. He asked for my
father to come out and get his ballot.
A vigorous powwow occurred as to the
legality of such a performance, finally
settled by the selection of the election
board of four bystanders-two demo-
Gratis and two republicans-to escort
my father to and from the buggy. It
was a comical sight to see these men
watching every move like a ferret
does rat-hole. Father took the ballot
from Jeffries' quivering hand, and rails
ing 1t above his head in plain view
of everybody, the five sedately
marched back and the vote was de-
posted. One vote In those days some
times decided an election-the two
opposing political parties, democrat
and republican, being so closely
matched in numbers-and blamed If I
can see much improvement by the re-
turns as published in your paper of the
late city election. My father being an
ardent republican ("black abolitionist"
then termed) and Jeffries as ardent a
70 NJ hot Yoff ~
father to come and get his ballot was
looked upon with almost virulent sus-
picion by the democrats and with fer
vent hopefulness by the republicans,
until Jeffries made the funny excla-
nation, Joe, she's straight democrat
from head to foot, and by the grace of
God and his humble servant you've
given aid and comfort to the enemy!
It is now my impression that good old
man Jeffries soon afterward passed to
the great unknown country that is not
governed by political parties. Right
here I'd like to ask Cass II he remem-
bers the case in which his father was
attorney, believe for one Broderick
Tor Bradbury who , was accused of
stealing very fine dog? 1t was a case
that cost lots of money and became a
famous one in the decision Of the SUI
preme court. Some years ago met
Mr.. Bradbury, then an estimable resi-
dent of Jewell county, Kansas, who
RECALLED me with a recital of that trial
Cass ought to look it up (if he has not
already done so.) ! am at fault in re-
Numbering the persons, but 1t seems
to me that Andy Dummler was the con-
tending owner of the dog,
The Shepherd brothers, who were in
the agricultural implement and light
ming rod business-are they yet alive?
One of them lived right across the
street from us, close to Joppa.
Then there was Hopkins, who had
a grocery in that neighborhood. The
place where we lived was bought
from man named Hopkins, and our
house was painted by a man named
Frank Hopkins. no relation to each
other. Next door east of us lived Dave
Boyer, who married John Pomeroy's
daughter. Dave got piqued at us over
some trivial matter and revenged him
self by building twelve-foot high,
tight fence of very rough boards be-
tween our houses; which reminds me
of an incident that l saw numerously
duplicated when my wife and I we're
visiting our daughter in Santa Monica,
California. This was contention be-
tween Mr.. Harmon, Gather of joel
and his immediate neighbor, whose
name just now escapes me. They lived
on Second, close to Jefferson. The
latter built a two-story brick dwell
ing, the caves Of which extended over
Harmon's ground. Harmon sued him
for trespass and won his case, the
other party being compelled to clip
off the caves shear with the elevation
OF the house. shall never forget the