The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-06-19
.olonel, and represented the win

tration succeeding the war treated u
shamefully, and will go down to pos
tehity as infamous"
), The colonel here left his chair an
began pacing the floor, his indignation
rising at every step.
"To give you an idea, suh," he con
tinued, "of what we Southern peopl
suited Immediately after the fall O
the Confederacy, let me state a cas-,
that came under my own observation
| Colonel Temple Talcott of F'okeel
County, Virginia, came into Talcott
vile one mornin', suh--a town settled
! by his ancestors ridin' upon his
horse-or rather mule belongin' tc
his overseer. Colonel Talcott, sub
4 belonged to one of the yehy fust fam
lilies in Virginia. He was son of
Jedge Thaxton Talcott, and grandson
of General Snowden Stafford Talcott
of the Revolutionary War Now, sub
let me tell you right here that the
Talcott blood is as blue as the sky,
and that every gentleman bearin' the
name is known all over the county as
man whose honor is dearer to him
than his life, and whose word is as
good as his bond. Well, sub, on this
mornin' Colonel Talcott left his plan
tation in charge of his overseer-he
was workin' it on shares-and rode
through his estates to his ancestral
town, some five miles distant. 1t is
true, sub, these estates were no longer
IN hls name, but that had no bearin'
on the events that followed; he ought
to have owned them, and would have
done SO but for some vehy ungentla
manly fo'closure proceedin's which
occurred Immediately after the war.
ION arriving at falcottville the
colonel dismounted, handed the reins
to his servant-or perhaps one of the
niggers around the do'-and entered
the post-office. Now sub, let me tell
you that one month befo' the Govern
ment, contrary to the express wishes
OF a great many of our leadin' citi-
lens, had sent a Yankee postmaster
20 Ialcottville to administer the pos
'ai affairs of that town. No sooner
nad this man taken possession than he
began to be exclusive, sub, and to put
IN airs. The vehy fust air he put on
vas to build a fence in his Office and
'ompell our people to transact their
business through hole. This in it.
elf was vehy CALM, sub, for up to
hat time the mail had always been
Jumped out on the table in the stage
ffice and every gentleman had helped
llmself. The next thing was closin'
Il the mail-bags at a hour fixed bv
This became a great incon-
to our citizens, who were Of
en- late in fnishin' their correspon-
ence, and who had always found our
ormer postmaster willin' either to
old the bag over until the next dav.
I TO send it across to Drummond-
own by boy to catch later train.
We'll, sub, Colonel Talcott's mis-
ION to the post-office was to mail a
etter to his factor in Richmond. Va.
n business of the utmost Importance
hlmself-namely, the raisin' of
mall loan upon his share of the crop.
'ot the crop that was planted, sub.
ut the crop that he expected to plant,
Colonel Talcott approached the
Die, and, with that Chesterfield man
er which has distinguished the Tai
'tts for mo- than two centuries.
'ked the postmaster for the loan of
three-cent postage stamp.
To his establishment, sub. he was
fused
Think of Talcott in his own coun-
town bein' refused a three-cent
'stage-stamp by a low-lived Yankee.
no had never known a gentleman in
S lie! The colonel's first impulse
as TO haul the scoundrel through the
lie and carve him: but then he re-
that he was Talcott and
uld not demean himself, and. draw
himself up again with that manner =
iich was grace itself, he requested II
loan OF three-cent postage stamp
I'll ne should communicate with his
'tor IN Richmond, Va, and again he
IS refused. Well, sub, what was
ere left for heightened Southern
ntieman to do? Colonel Talcott
ew his revolver and shot that Yam
scoundrel through the heart. and
led him on the spot
And now, sub, comes the most re-
rkable part of this story. If it had
been for Major Tom Yancey. ledge
root, and myself, there would have
N lawsuit"
'itz lay back in his chair and roar
~" vi
Hang Talcottl No, sub; we -
T hang gentlemen down our way.
gre kerfoot vehy properly charged
coroner's jury that it was a mat
OF self-defense, and Colonel Tai
was not detained mo- than half
hour"
he colonel stopped, unlocked a
et In the sideboard, and produced
black bottle labeled in ink. cold
try Bounce, 1S4S.'
You must excuse me, gentlemen
the discussion of these topics has
e unnerved me. Allow me to share
you thimbleful."
ltz drained his glass, cast his ewes
ard, and said solemnly, "To the
'se OF the postmaster's soulr l.