When The Wide Wyldewood's Get's Angry

e Wildewood. Built in 1859, it really ought to be listed as a registered state historical landmark, but Joe so far has refused to fil

ementos of generations of Wilde family veterans of the US Military. Well, and also to St. Louis Cardinals baseball history. Actually, it's mostly entirely now Ca

no big screen television sets EVER. Did I mention the surly host? During baseball season Joe might sometimes put a tired old B&W TV up on the counter turned to the Cardinals game, but he normally prefers to

ut in his place. That's one of the main reasons he refuses to serve any of the Budweiser

local "Old Ordinary". If no one is around and you catch him unawares, you might find Joe sipping a Mexican Negra Modelo, or if he's really in the mood to slum in the depths of mundane sordid depravity, a Dos Equis Amber. He draws the line at being caugh

sking for a 'light beer'.

Army and baseball was full of young kids and old men. Joe, a very unpromising young thrower toiling in the minors found himself called up to the Cardinals and pitched for parts of two very forgettable seasons. After the War, when the veteran players returned home, Joe went back to the minors to stay and had a long and very undistinguished career sulking about there in ob

elps to define your status, but you start off at pretty much at the exact same spot once you walk inside - Home. Between the two entrances there is a large stone fireplace in the corner that is original to the building that some say was built by August Wilde, the eldest son of James Wyldea long time County Sheriff and a legend in his own right who supposedly conducted near

s. This is where most of the irregular customers and locals who aren't quite family sit to drink. Family usually sits up at the bar or in a

de family veterans. Wildes' have served with distinction in the US Military since the Spanish-American War, and Joe has the uniforms, hats, helmets, pistols and photos to pr

ory, including signed cards, photos, bats and balls of nearly every era of their long hi

tle or two. Just the bare necessities. Don't be asking Joe for some fancy mixed drink - he'll just give you a beady-e

uff is all locked away upstairs, but there's more than a few innocent items here that have less than innocent histories. Here in left field is the real place where 'coup' is counted. If you have to ask what a certain photo, gun

ental work or having needles poked into their private parts too. It's the only food I've ever eaten that makes me nostalgic for Army chow hall grub. Unlike the house

family meeting and museum trophy room that I've only seen the inside of once or twice. It's got a lock on it that my teenaged lockpick kit never could bypass. The family Elders hold their really pr

f bare wall remaining showing in an ad hoc manner. Joe never served in either WW

n drink Joe's finest in the company of Hall of Fame caliber ball players. Mid-center field, shows that you've been a good boy and that the family thinks well of you and you might someday be promotion material to become perhaps a respected senior member of the clan. At least you can

or career NCO's and the right hand side is for the officers. Crude and simplistic, but a basically accurate generalization. This sounds silly, bu

their way a few feet left down the bar, but it never works. Joe knows the true score and if you try to push him he'll push you right back a good ways f

bit dense and far too curious at times, but never got caught in any trouble ... unlike my younger brother Ned. My father was not an Elder, but was respected and senior enough to have a say or two in a good deal of the family business ar

uch in dead right-center on top of Gary Gaetti (about as average as a ballplayer can be), but I've been drifting slowly leftwards ever since at the rate of about two baseball cards each week. Today I was very definitely nearing center field territory, right on top of Ron Gant's card. I was just bar

r any unwelcome ears, I leaned over across th

e cement overshoe variety. We're definitely in the cement business and have lots of it readily on hand ready for those urgent last minute late night fishing trips up to one of the deeper and remoter mountai

d to be done ... and pretty doggone soon too - like yesterday. Did you have a thought or two on t

ty bad. Way too many complications and intrusions into family privacy ... but I'm not sure how other folks are seeing it. Much better to talk it around and get a consensus befo

nything at all to do with their fathers' disappearance. Subsequently Clarke become permanently estranged from his brothers and virtually disappears for good from the historical record, travelling for the remainder of his

te Victorian London, sometime in the 1880's. While nearly destitute on one occasion, he was said to have befriended Arthur Conan Doyle and allegedly became the inspiration for the Sherlock Holmes story "The Man with the Twisted Lip" in 1889. The tragic misadventures of

For the most part, the occupying Union army was delighted to leave them alone in peace. "Anger not those wild Wyldewood Boys or you will surely regret it!" one Army

t. If August or his other brother Brett had any other adventures, I've never heard the tales. August spent the rest of his life tending the saloon while dispensing justice as the County Sheriff. Brett's post Civ

with the deeds of the Carpetbagger War. Still, I like to think that we still have the old family spirit and that we have the willingness to do equally