Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-28

here | have q letter that informs me
that my friend Carl Schwabkey is dead.
All, Carl, what great times we have
had together-one of which comes
trimming up. Ed. Murphy had raised
company for the war which he re-
ported at Davenport, Iowa. Carts
band accompanied them. One evening
there Carl and | went to a German
play-every word uttered was In Ger
man, Of which language was utterly
ignorant. told Carl to nudge me
when 1t was time to laugh. He did so
right in an evidently sentimental
scene, and 1, laughed out. The sensa-
ton was awful, as cries of rouse NIT
im!" were shouted at me. was
scared at the angry demonstrations.
but upon Carts expostulations and ex-
plantations and my Smelling out for
key of beer, the riot was quelled and
1 was gut he'll" from then on. Carl
was quiet, diffident, Dutchman, full
Of fun-a musician that none could sp-
proach In that country. That brings
up the incident of a travelling man
representing a Chicago music house,
who played two different tunes on two
separate pianos at the same time. Has
it ever been outdcne? Not to my
knowledge. Carl said it was the finest
musical achievement he had ever
known.
This strain Of music calls up vividly
the Aspinwall family who first visited
Ottumwa, if I am not in error, as
Swiss bell ringers. There were two or
three sisters and two brothers.
George and Fred They were all
splendid musicians-and their mother.
One of the ladies married Mr. Baldwin
who set up carriage making In the old
calaboose; another married Lawyer
Stuart previously mentioned as an
author). and their mother married
Davy Inskeep, father of Carey. George
was way up in G on a guitar, one OF
the sisters-think it was Mrs. Stuart
was very fine on the violin, which In
strument she played as did her sister
the violin cello, the bridge end OF the
violin resting on q table. am not
sure that there were three sisters.
but it seems to me that there were and
that one of them played a flute. Fred
was young sort Of Lord Fountleroy
performer He married Yves. Gamers
sister. Can't remember If George mar
u. A6 d 1dlully CACy SAoIISu ~
tumwa annually, until they finally
made it their home.
In the early days no one excepting
the rich (and any one who had thou
sand dollars was rich) had any but
steel knives and forks and German sill
yer spoons-the knives and forks
usually had wooden handles. The
forks were first rate to jab into
things, but most everybody shoveled
victuals into their mouth with the
knife, Coffee and tea were poured
from the clancy" cup into the saucer
and cooled by the breath Of the i'm.
biber blown upon the hot liquid, then
sucked up from the saucer with intake
righteousness. The wave Of tenn
perance was set in motion by an
itinerant lecturer named Leland. Or
ganizations sprang up of Sons of TEN
perance, Good Templars, ETC., that
flourished spasmodically. One even
ing Hank Nunamaker's wife gave
party. Most all of the guests hap
pened to be Good Templars, though
the Nunamakers were not members
of any of the lodges of temperance.
Tea and coffee were served; everyone
poured the beverages and drank them
as customarily, but CONSERVATION
seized the assembly when it was dis
covered that most all of the coffee was
port wine and the tea catawba wine.
There didn't happen to be any wine
after the banquet but most all the
coffee and tea were. 1t was the most
grotesque performance you ever saw,
as the numerous guests sat and cooled
with their breath the almost frlgid
wines-each one trying to deceive the
next one all about the several tables.
The wines of those days were pure
mostly made by Mr.. Roemer, VINO
lived on Sugar creek and had famous
vineyard and summer resort. On the
road between Sugar creek and Ut
tumwa was another fine vineyard and
orchard owned by Mr.. Roach(D Out
on the Dahlonega road was another
owned by Clark Williams.
VIM. Garter, brother-in-law of
Jim and Fred Hawley, also had
fine orchard, cut on the Dahlonega
road. I've thought and pondered, try