Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-02

ia grocery store. 1t was in reality a
igrog shop or place to buy whisky.
This particular thirst parlor' was
Just on the border, the ground log of
the shop being on the line. A good
sign for that place would have been
First and Last Chancellor it really
was that; it was the first chance of
those going one way and the last OF
those going the other, to buy anything
stronger than water to refresh their
thirst
Would Scare Indians.
One rather amusing incident which
Judge Caldwell remembers well oc-
Cured after the opening of this part
of the country for settlement. BY an
agreement made before hand, the In
dams were all to leave the country,
as soon as the settlers took up their
residence here. A few days after the
Caldwell claim had been staked out,
probably the second or third of May,
this youngster was riding back to
Iowaville in a wagon drawn by an OK
team. A few miles below Ottumwa,
about where Garrison Rock stands,
the lad saw big band of the Indians
riding along in single file of course.
He thought that it would be decid-
eddy clever thing to do, to make some
remark to them. So he yelled out at
the top of his lungs, "Puck-a-chee,"
which means go away" in Indian
language. In less time than can be
counted almost, the entire body
swooped down upon him brandishing
their clubs and rocks. Before they
were through the young man had firm
ly decided to keep still and he was
surely careful about yelling at any
Indians after that.
Uncle is Negotiator.
Paris Caldwell, who was an uncle
of the Ottumwa visitor, was diplo-
mat and negotiator in every sense of
the word according to Judge Caldwell
On the morning, after the claim of $50
acres had been laid out, the Caldwells
awoke, to see smoke slowly rising from
point down on the creek near the
Des Moines river and to the south of
the place where the home was built,
being the same as the one in which
Mr.. and Mrs Arrison are living now.
Surprising Immediately, that some one
must be camping on their land. Mr..
Caldwell went down to investigate.
There, he found man and his wife
and an OK team. He asked him what
he was doing there and was told by
the stranger, that he had staked out
the land the night before. Mr.. Cald-
well, informed him that he had done
the same thing. They argued the
matter for sometime, but finally came
to terms, by inducing the stranger to
move on farther west, where there was
still plenty of unclaimed land. The
purchase price for the bringing about
of peace, between the two, was a
buffalo robe with all of the fur off of
it, mackinaw blanket and pot-metal
shot gun. On the same morning the
uncle, Paris Caldwell, who had also
staked out his claim the night before
noticed some smoke arising from the
tall grasses near where he had camped
during the night He started out to
look into the matter and when he
came back out of the grass he was so
covered with blood that he was scarce
ly recognizable. He also had found
party not quite so willing to compro-
mise as his brothers. friend In the
early days Ottumwa was slated to be
known as Ottumwanock and the Judge
says that it was his father who in
of the settlers made motion
to knock the mock off" and it carried
and the town was known then as Of
tumwa.
EnviabIe Judicial Record.
Judge Caldwell, today holds the
record for having been on the bench
in United States courts longer than
any other one man in the country. He
was United States district judge for
the district of Arkansas for twenty
five years and was United States cir
cult judge for the eighth judicial dis
trict of the U. S. for a period of
fourteen years, thus making continu-
Gus service on the government bench
for a period Of thirty-nine years. His
circuit comprised the states Of Arkan-
sas, Iowa, Minnesota. North Dakota,
South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colo
RADIO, Utah and Indian Territory.
He was appointed to his first posi-
ton as district Judge by Abraham
Lincoln and Benjamin Harrison ap.
pointed him to his second post on the
circuit bench. At the time of the
opening of the Wapello county court
house here in 1894, Judge Caldwell had
been asked to be present. He was,
however, unable to come but sent the
following letter, in which. he has often
said since, he sums up the policies to
which he has always tried to live as
! judge:
ST Paul, Mimi. May 10, 1894
Gentlemen of the committee:
My official duties make it impossible
FOR ma tn attend the dedication cere.