‘TWENTY-TWO YEARS EARLIER’

When the four men arrived in Keokuk they were directed to Camp Lincoln, where they met with the commander and sworn into federal service. They each got in line with other men who were enlisting, and on a table were stacked uniforms and equipment. They were each issued a blue wool tunic, trousers, shoes, and a bummer cap, and an Enfield musket with accompanying satchels and flasks for power and percussion caps. They were ordered to their quarters to change and report back to the camp yard dressed and with equipment to begin drills.

They were organized into their new regiment, and they were called the 36th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. They learned to march in unison, and were given strenuous drills, such as running on the sandy banks of the Mississippi River. Their legs were sore from high stepping through the soft sand, and their evenings were spent resting up for the next day and cleaning their rifles.

“Lord Almighty,” Harrington said. “This rifle is junk. My pa’s pea shooter is better than this thing.”

“I heard from one of the sergeants that these are just training rifles,” Stuffy said. “When they send us down river we’ll be getting new ones.”

“Down river,” Harrington said. “The way toward the paradise of war.”

They continued their training for seven weeks and then the next day were ordered to gather at the river dock to board a steamboat for Saint Louis. Stronger, trained, and ready for action, this was when the men realized how much their lives had drastically changed.

* * * * *

‘Twenty-two Years Later’

The corn grew tall and the hogs grew fatter. All that the corn farmers could do now was pray for continued rain and prepare for a bountiful harvest in the fall. The hog farmers could take their daily walks with the hogs, allowing them to forage and grow. Some of the farmers had both crops and livestock. All of them had gardens, and this was a time when the womenfolk cleaned and canned vegetable to be stored in their root cellars and took extra vegetables to sell in the town markets. The Bargainman loved seeing them arrive. All sold well, and what didn’t sell made good food for his own pigs in the alley pig pen.

* * * * *

Tycoon Strickling and Mr. Bonus were quite impressed with Mr. Meng’s hotel drawings. The concept was to the proper scale for the lot available in Mystic, and perfectly accommodating to passengers who got off the train at the depot and went right to the hotel to check in. The entire face of the hotel had a long porch and upper balcony, and Mr. Meng said the porch wrapped completely around to the other side, as did the balcony.

“Great views of the town and countryside from both sides of the hotel,” Meng said.

“Great work,” Strickling said. “Let’s get a builder involved. I know just the man. Mr. Carson. Let’s see how soon he could get started, and a timeline to have it up and operating. Congratulations, Mr. Meng.”

Meng grinned and shook Strickling’s hand fervently, “Thank you, sir.”

Mr. Bonus also shook Meng’s hand. “You did it.”

“Because you all were willing to give me the chance,” Meng said.”

“We can’t make men do better,” Strickling said. “Only each man has the power, with the assistance of God, to better himself.”

“You are correct, sir.”

Strickling put a hand on Meng’s shoulder. “I have another idea for you. Have you ever been to Centerville?”

“No sir,” Meng said. “I’m not familiar.”

“It’s the county seat. Bigger than Mystic. I would like you to go and meet with Mr. Harrington. He owns the railroad there, and as I recall, the only hotel is the Jefferson House which is on the city square, quite a way from the depot. Centerville would greatly benefit from a hotel right by the depot as you are doing here.”

“You want to finance two hotels, Mr. Strickling?” Meng asked.

“I want you to explain your business relationship with me, and ask Mr. Harrington if he would be willing to do the same. And that I would be willing to be partners. I am already working with Mr. Harrington on an arrangement in Seymor where our tracks meet, and thus far it is working out very well. He’ll treat you right.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Mr. Strickling. “Should I draw up new plans?”

“No, no,” Strickling said. “Take these with you and build both hotels the same.”

“Okay, I will.” Meng thought to himself for a moment. “Mr. Strickling, may I borrow a horse for this trip to Centerville?”

“Of course. Mr. Bonus can take you down to the livery and get you geared up. I also want you to go down to Elgin’s and get suited up with business clothes. A man doing business needs to dress the part. Consider it an advance on our new business relationship.”

* * * * *

Meng did just that, and after getting his new clothes wrapped in a paper bundle, he headed to the bathhouse and barber for a shave and grooming. Mr. Bonus set him up with a fine chestnut mare and rigging better than anything he’d ridden on before. He decided to head out for Centerville first thing in the morning, and for that evening he made his routine visit to the bunkhouse where he witnessed to the other hobos, listening to their stories, and inviting them to prayer and healing. More than the blessings offered him by Mr. Strickling and Ms. Marty, the visits to the bunkhouse, seeing men the way he used to be, made him realize more just how blessed he truly was.

* * * * *

In the next episode of Centerville 1884: Twenty-two years earlier, the four young men make it down river to Saint Louis and are assigned their duties at Camp Benton. Twenty-two years later, Meng meets with Tycoon Harrington to discuss building a hotel in Centerville. Meng also rides by the stockyards and sees T. Kauzlarich arriving with a herd of horses and desires to have his own horse.