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

as he used to appear years ago, the
/ natty Jed. There were the Prughs who
I kept the clancy" stereotype they
are yet alive and happy as they al
ways appeared to be. Old Charles Sax
lis he living? I saw him once here
when he was visiting brother-in-law
several years ago. Charley and Jake
run fine clothing store. Dr.. Hinsey
whose son Norton was at one time
foreman of the Courier; Doc. Lathrol
was his partner. He, Lathrop, wanted
me to send him some prairie dogs anc
a prairie wolf from Kansas. wrote
! him about them-as I could secure
them, or an antelope, or buffalo, or ar
Indian, any day; but never heard from
him. What ever became OF Jacl
Fraunburg, who killed Barker in thu
latter's own house, and to save hin
, from the pen, Pete Ballingall spent {
fortune in litigation? And this re
minds me of that political campaign
when Pete Ballingall was one Of the
democratic NOMINEES for the legislature
and Dixon the other. Sam Caldwell
(my cousin), of Eddyvile. and Jake
Sibberell (of Blakesburg) % were the
republican nominees. was candi
date for county auditor. A genera
rally was held at Chillicothe one day
Pete was to make "the effort of his
life'' in a speech. He and strolled
out to the saw mill, and sitting there
on log extemporized paean some
thing like this: And when the white
winged angel of peace shall spread
her pinions and shelter us all In one
common brotherhood"-he conned II
over and over, fitting 1t in at an ap
propriate place in his speech. while
he was speaking he launched out UP
on that memorized stanza, got as far
as the white winged angel and fell
down, suffered, stammered and turn
ing full upon me called out What S
the rest Of it, Billy?" Say, do you
know that that break lost me that
township; but Pete was faithful. On
the night of the election went home
in my mind beaten; but the old first
ward. through the efforts of Pete Bal
enteen over Mr.. Myers, my opponent
! Myers, by-the-way, was mighty hard
proposition to run up against. In the
first place he was a competent man;
next he was favorite democrat, then
| when he muffled up his shoulders,
neck and head in that gaudy com
fortsr and appeared among the voters
as a victim Of consumption, he had
three strong pulls for sympathy and
support, ALI Hoddy g/s in some hot
work against me, for what reason
never knew. but that's not harbored,
it's all over. This same Myers was
my successor, in defeating Joe mar,
mon, by the same ruse Of that old com.
forter, for doubt not he is yet alive;
at least we didn't see that comforter
after he became auditor. Erastus ~
Washburn wasn't it? succeeded Myers
in that Office: VIM. Moss married
Sackie Washburn; A. D. Moss mar.
ried Miss Ladd, believe. The Moss
brothers were the first real thing in
the dry good store line. Let's see -
Jim Hawley married Miss Stewart -
sister Of Dr. Stewart, didn't he? Sam.
Mahon married DR.. Thrall's niece,
think. Bill Countess married Matte
Brandenburg. e. B. Washburn run a
hardware and tin store, on Main near
Court My brother. Bob. was ap-
prenticed to him. VIM. Farley was
foreman Of that tin shop. He went as
soldier and was killed at Shiloh, Or
in one of the early battles. Over
Washburn's store was located the
Courier and the postoffice-Dick War
den proprietor and also postmaster.
In that very room my troubles began,
as printers devil (whatever kind I
had previously been and afterward
Was). MY father was carpenter. With
him worked an old st. Louis friend
who moved to Ottumwa, by the name
of Powell. Joe Wagg, the bar.
Der; and family, were early recruits
to Ottumwas population, also coming
from st. Louis. where he barbered my
father, who, with his family removed
from st. Louis, coming up the Missis-
sippi by steamboat to Keokuk. thence
to my uncle Vans at Iowavllle. by OK
team. While we were there father had
severe attack of cholera, Doctor
Wright of Ottumwa, was brought down
on horseback, and saved him prin-
cipally with brandy, as ! now remem-
Der. Wagg was an Englishman. He
used to sing in one Of the church
choirs in Englan.. He had a mellow,
splendid tenor voice. can now hear
him humming while sh. ing, once III
a while breaking out In song-the most
effective one to my notion, beginning
with
I'm sitting on the stile, Mary,
Where we sat side by side
He rarely finished song-just sing
ing snatches as it we're. It was his
daughter, Hannah, who was the wife
of Henry Miller at the time Of his
tragic death. Wagg became very
studious 1 can see him porting over
Darwin and Huxley-the latter he al
ways pronounced Hooksley. I was
panied to learn Of the malady with
which he was afflicted before his
death-if he is dead. He used to live
close neighbor to us, but afterward,
learn moved to the old Auwerda place
on upper Second. The Auwerdas were
Dutch-the girls sang in the Catholic
church, and were sweet singers; close
to them lived the Dibbles, Joe's wife
being widow when we left. II re-
member correctly she was one OF the
McNamee girls when they lived on the
south side of the river. I must not
overlook the Billiards.. The father was
brick layer, and it was he who let
a half brick fall from the scaffolding
rx,1,{ nh, 7 n o$r solr