City and town life -- Fiction; United States -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"Before leaving Iowa, and after considerable pressure, Judge Balderson
consented to act as agent for a number of powerful Eastern fire
insurance companies, and has in contemplation the establishment of the
Southwestern distributing point for the Multum in Parvo Farm Gate
Company, of which corporation Colonel Balderson owns the patent right
for Kansas. This business, however, he would be willing to dispose of to
proper parties. Terms on application.
"The colonel desires us to announce that there will be a meeting of the
veterans of the late war at the schoolhouse next Saturday night, for the
purpose of organising a society to refresh and perpetuate the sacred
memories of that gigantic struggle, and to rally around the old flag,
touch shoulders again, and come into a closer fellowship for benevolent,
social, and other purposes. The judge, on that occasion, will deliver
his famous address on the 'Battle of Look Out Mountain,' in which battle
Colonel Balderson participated as a member of an Iowa regiment.
Admission free. Silver collection to defray necessary expenses."
Accompanying this article was a slightly worn woodcut of the colonel in
his soldier garb, a cap with the top drawn forward, the visor low over
his eyes, and a military overcoat thrown gaily back, exposing his
shoulder. The picture showed the soldier in profile, with a fierce
military moustache and a stubby, runty goatee, meant to strike terror to
the civilian heart.
From "Aunt" Martha we learned that before Judge Balderson had been in
town a week he had dyed his whiskers and had taken command of our forces
in the county-seat war then brewing. During the judge's first month in
the county the campaign for the county-seat election was opened, and he
canvassed the north end of the county for our town, denouncing, with
elaborate eloquence, as horse thieves, mendicants, and renegades from
justice, the settlers in the south end of the county who favoured the
rival town. The judge organised a military company and picketed the
hills about our town day and night against a raid from the Southenders;
and, having stirred public passion deeply, he turned his pickets loose
on the morning of election day to set prairie fires all over the south
end of the county to harass the settlers who might vote for the rival
town and keep them away from the polls fighting fire.
Our people won; "the hell-hounds of disorder and anarchy"--as Judge
Balderson called the rival townspeople--were "rebuked by the stern hand
of a just and terrible Providence." Balderson was a hero, and our people
sent him to the legislature. "Aunt" Martha added:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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