a
good and true Democrat, and the choice of the people for the
office of postmaster. It is therefore our duty and pleasure to
appoint you to that office. It is our desire that you locate the
office in a part of the town which will accommodate its
inhabitants, and see to it that they always vote the Democratic
ticket at all elections. I am,

"Yours very truly,
(Seal) "FRANKLIN PIERCE,
"_President of the United States of America._"

I inclosed this letter in one of Baasen's large envelopes, and we all
drove up to the house of Mr. Kouse, and called him out. I stood up in
the wagon, and made him a speech, informing him of the creation of the
office, and that I had his bond and commission and a letter to him from
the president of the United States, which I was instructed to deliver to
him in person, and I added that it was customary on such important
occasions for the newly appointed postmaster to propose the health of
the postmaster general.

Kouse rushed into his house, and appeared with a brown jug and a tin
cup, from which we all drank a bumper to the health and prosperity of
the postmaster general, the town of New Ulm, and its postmaster. I then
handed him his credentials, including the letter from the president, and
the postoffice at New Ulm was a reality.

I have never learned whether my friend Kouse caught on to the joke, or
whether he has cherished the executive letter as an heirloom for his
posterity.

THE COURAGE OF CONVICTION.

In 1864-65 I was living in Carson City, in the State of Nevada, where, from
the abnormal condition of the inhabitants, it was nothing remarkable that
some event should happen almost daily that otherwise would have been
startling. Many such events did take place, but, from their frequency, were
soon forgotten. There was one, however, that impressed itself upon my
memory because of the cool daring that characterized it, and it must be
understood that bravery was not an uncommon trait in the inhabitants of
Carson. Men carried their lives in their hands, and quite frequently lost
them.

In order to appreciate the situation fully, you must know that the
population of Carson City was composed of about the roughest and most
disorderly agglomeration of the refuse of California that was ever
assembled at any one time or place,--gamblers, murderers, road agents,
and all sorts of unclassified toughs. They were about evenly div