Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-07

+, militia company drilled in that room
under Captain George Laswell, who
was the son Of the banker. On Ger
tain Fourth Of July, the captains sis
ter presented the company with a
/ beautiful flag-the stars and stripes
Captain Laswell responded to the pre-
sentation speech in language fervid IN
patriotism and devotion to our coun
try, and at his suggestion we all raised
I our hands-he took off his hat and
held his sword aIoft as he repeated the
oath of allegiance, we all responding
ward he disappeared and in short
time we learned that he had gone to
Louisville, KY, and Joined the rebel
army Major Hamilton, doubtless, re
members better than where We were
when Capt. Laswell, a confederate
brigadier general, came walking into
our camp, surrendering himself. I 1t
seems to me that it was when the
remnant of our regiment was
bivouacking at St. Charles, Ark, on the
White river. From the natty. almost
dudish captain Of our militia company
| Chat afterward was known as Com.
pany K, in the famous second Iowa in
fantry), he came wandering into our
camp an unkempt, dirty, miserable
| looking creature One Copeland was
the first Ottumwa banker and money
| loaner. When my apprenticeship ex.
pired Dick Warden owed me $50. He
had hard time scraping 1t together.
He offered me town lot-think : is
the. one at the corner of Jefferson and
Main on which Masonic hall was
built, but l spurned the offer (dern
fooD. He got together the money, in
some way. paid Copeland per cent
to convert the red-dog currency into
gold. The next day Thompson's De-
tector informed Copeland that that $50
wasn't worth thirty cents! He tried to
make me rue the bargain but wasn't
right then in the rueing business
might list as we'll have been, though,
for l blew it all in-don't now remem-
Der how or what for
believe that Tom Harkins was the
first express agent that Ottufnwa had.
Afterward Pinney was agent, succeed
ed, think, by Mort Heath-,at any
rate, it runs in my mind that Mort
was the agent when we left. A very
funny thing occurred one day when
old Dan Tisdale was standing, leaning
against dry goods box in front o. his
store, his frontispiece bullying out
threateningly to his vest buttons. Pin
ney came along, fished match from
his vest pocket and dragged it clean
across uncle Dams front, never look
ing at him-deliberately lighted his
cigaE and plugged along just as If he
had ignited the match on a brick
wall. If you can recall the quizzical
look that uncle Dan usually gave in
squirting over the cclored spectacles
he wore, you can right now see him
gazing at Pinney-amazement depicted
on his countenance. It was Heath who
married Vina Barlow.
Tom Holmes was postmaster and
Tom Potter was his first assistant
along in the sos I believe When
fishing was good Potter would dump
the few letters in his straw hat and go
down to the wharf to fish. Any person
wanting mail would have to hunt up
Tom. This quaint, itinerant postmas-
ter's assistant became the famous sup
erintendent of the c., B. & @. r. r.,
and afterward president of The Union
Pacific railro ID, in which capacity he
yielded up his life from overwork. It
was through his generosity that we
passed my family and the household
treasures we brought alcng-also my
father, who came with us. he mar
ried Jane Wood.
Andy Karnes, who was foreman OF
the Courier when it was located in
the Spaulding building on Main street,
married Josephine Wood, and Mr.
of Burlington, married
Hattie Wood Nose Walker married
Winnie Wood; these four girls were
sisters, daughters of Bill Wood, who
lived right on the bank of Sugar Creek
al the ford on the Agency road. The
Spaulding building which Is spoken
of above, was owned by brother
of the Rev. Spaulding, who
I believe, was the first Congrega-
tional minister,-a missionary to us
heather. And now, say, who was that
elegant little fellow-the first Uni
versalist preacher? remember very
distinctly how the old pulpit Founders
preached him and his handful Of be-
levers straight down into hell!
Nevertheless he and they survived and
I doubt not some of them are still liv-
ing. Whew! this. brings up the red-hot
Gf sulphurless) war when the first
organ and choir singing invaded the
Methodist church-"all the works OF
the devil with his back-sliders." A
very serious schism separated the old
first church and a new church was
built away down on Main street the
leading "conspirators' as I now recall
them being James Hammond, George
Bowen and Jim Hackworth-all good,
honest citizens and Christians. do not
now recall whether brother Porter
Jim Hackworths brother-in-law) went
along with the organ gang"-for it
was the supporters of the innovation
Of organ and choir music who broke
away and founded the Second church.
The Devin family were the aristo-
Gratis of early Ottumwa-I recall John,
Tom and George-but cannot place
them accurately as to occupation -
think John and Tom we're lawyers,
George storekeeper. The Chambers
family were intermingled with the
Devin. 1 remember Joe Chambers,
who was a partner of Charley Law
renee. Close by the Devin mansion
! L. = =