Lincoln County leader., April 21, 1899, Image 2

I O mo TH6
I WAS just 10 years old. It waa In
the January of 1871. The French
town In which I lived was besieged
by the Prussians. For two months the
enemy had held our little garrison
blockaded like a fox In its hole. It was
a terrible winter. It snowed Inces
santly. Cold and hunger were harder
to contend with than the enemy him
self, and the fever thinned our ranks
faster than his bullets.
In order to warm our blood from time
to time we made little sorties; but it
was labor In vain, for we were Inclosed
in a circle of fire. Those who fell suf
fered no more, and those who survived
continued to deceive themselves with
the hope of escape. In our home there
remained but my mother and me. My
father was sergeant and color-bearer In
one of the companies which the citi
zens bad formed from the first moment
of the invasion.
One morning he came home, having
fought through the entire night, and,
embracing my mother, Inquired for me.
My mother replied that I was at the
military school, where he had entered
me. Just then I came In with my drum
on my back and my drumsticks thrust
through my shoulder belt, happy to be
alive In spite of the misery of the time,
and whistling like a blackbird. My
father fixed his eyes on me.
"Tell me, my son, if you have not al
ready learned something of the art of
war?"
"I felt very proud, and answered:
"I believe so, my father."
In fact, I knew there was no one who
could teach me how to better handle a
lrum.
"Let me see how you can beat your
drum," said my father. "Very well.
Now beat for a charge."
I beat my drum bo furiously that
under the Inspiring call I felt that I
could lead an assault on the bells of
the cathedral tower.
"Well doue!" said my father; "that is
first-rate."
Then he said nothing more until my
mother had gone to her chamber, when
be drew me closer to him, and said,
gently:
"Listen, my son; the enemy has kill
ed many of our men, and, besides, 100
iiieu, at least, are wounded. The drum
mer of our company has two bullets In
his breast. We must have another. In
this hour every one ought to be willing
to do his whole duty wilt thou take his
place?"
My heart filled my throat and choked
my answer. I do not know that this
was from pleasure, but It certainly was
not from fear.
The day passed. That night, while
my mother slept, my father, with his
gun on his shoulder, and I with my
drum on my back, set out for the camp.
Thus I became a soldier.
For one month all went smoothly.
This did not prevent me, however, from
bringing down with my father's gun a
brigand l'russluu who showed his head
nt the comer of the woods. I had a
steadier aim titan the old soldiers even,
and the mnu I drew on was n dead
man.
One morning nt daybreak the cap
tain, who had collected his men on the
parade ground near the old gate of St.
Claude, called to my father, who was
drilling his men.
"Sergt. Itlgorue," he said, "the enemy
presses us each day more closely; if
this continues, In eight days he will be
within our walls. This must not be.
To-night the commandant has ordered
a sortie In order to re-enrorce tho troops
at Lunevllle, who hold the country In
tho enemy's rear. Your division is to
be the advance guard, sergeaut. It Is
the question to pass the enemy or die
In the attempt."
"So be It," answered the father; "we
will go."
And we went. This was a dreadful
day. Tho enemy had been Informed,
and received us with a volley of grape
shot. However, we held out firmly
until evening, so firmly that uot one of
us heard the order for retreat, aud
when night fell we were encircled by
tho enemy, with no hope of escape.
Ail the same, these civic guards, shop
keepers as they were, did not know
when they were beaten, and when a
comrade fell they simply fought for
two.
Of our owu section only two were
left. 1 counted for nothing, being so
slender that I think I must have passed
between their bullets. My father had
received a Salter wound lu the shoulder,
but I could see him still bearing aloft
the flag above the smoke of tho battle.
Our flro slackened; the ammunition
lind given out; the end had come. Tho
word strangles me yet when I think of
It we were forced to surrender.
Two hours later they Imprlsoued us
In a farmhouse that tho fires of war
bad spared. A Prussian, field marshal,
followed by bis chief of staff, dismount
ed for a look at his prisoners.
Ills nteu showed in their eyes tho
pleasure our cnplure gave them; but
their white uniforms, blackened with
powder aud tho marks of our saber
eN37VIY.
thrusts, showed the evil we had done
them.
The field marshal ordered the wound
ed to be attended to, and, stepping In
front of my father, demanded the flag,
My father, whose hands we saw were
empty, declared he did not know where
It was. The field marshal turned to the
oflicer of the post and said:
"Very well, if he does not remember
by to-morrow morning, shoot him."
When they had relieved us of our
arms, and placed us under guard, my
father, who watched the sentinel from
the corner of his eye, told us that he
had hidden the flag; that, seeing theday
was going against us, he had torn it
from its standard, wrenched the eagle
from its perch, flung it into a ditch,
while he had concealed the precious
silk, riddled with balls, under his coat.
My father was a simple man, the de
scendant of peasants, a son of the soli;
but in speaking to us of these things
the man seemed to expand and become
exalted with the words he uttered.
He told us this fragment of silk was
sacred, that the wind that swelled Its
folds was the breath of the nation, and
that it moved in the midst of us on the
march as the Image of our country.
Then he thrust it Into my bosom, not
wishing It to be found on him when he
should be shot next day. I felt sud
denly that I had become a man.
In the evening the Prussians sent a
flag of truce asking a suspension of
hostilities that each might bury its
dead, and asked one of our number to
act as guide to our lines. An old com
rade, who knew the country well, of
fered to conduct the officer, when It was
discovered that no one had a bandage
"IX TUB PRESENCE OF THE ESKMT, YOU
AKK NOT MY SON."
for the eyes of the bearer of the flag of
truce.
a sudden Idea struck me. It was
running a great risk, but It was worth
the trial.
"If you wish, I will bandage the eyes
of the oflicer with my handkerchief," I
said. I produced the flag, tho red and
blue stripes of which I had folded in
side, leaving the white alone visible.
My father instantly understood my
ruse, and explalued In patois to the
guide that he was to remove the band
age, and while the preliminaries were
In progress deliver It safely into the
hands of our troops.
The lantern gave but a feeble light,
and no doubt Providence favored us,
for tho thing passed, and the officer
mounted his horse, and with his eyes
bandaged, followed tho lead of the
guide.
We could but accompany In thought
the enemy, who carried back himself
the flag within the lines of our own
army. The time passed. We heard In
the night the cathedral clock strike the
hours. At last we heard the sentinel's
challenge. The flag of truce had re
turned. I rushed to the guide.
"The flag Is saved!" I cried.
"Yes, but we are lost," be answered.
In few words ho explained that the
oflicer had discovered too late tho ruse,
aud had returned furious. In fact, be
came accompanied by a superior oflicer.
and pointed out to him the man who
had conducted the flag of truce.
"Order out the platoon of execution,"
commanded the oflicer; "this man shall
bo shot."
"It was not he, captain," I said, ad
vancing In front of him; "It was I alone
who conceived the idea of this thing."
"Excuse me, oflicer," luterposed my
father. "The commander of a detach
ment Is responsible for tho acts of his
men, is he uot? I had given au order;
my men could only obey 1L"
"What Is your name?" the officer de
manded. "Sergt Ulgorue," auswered my
father.
"Very well, sergenut, you will bo shot
Immediately."
"All right, captain; It Is war. I only
nsk tho favor to be shot by my com
rades. Return them their arms, and I
will be responsible for them."
The old officer looked at my father
with his little gray eyes a moment;
then he said:
"Agreed."
I strove to draw my father aside; I
must speak to him. Did they mean to
make me shoot my own father? It was
impossible. My father embraced me,
and, handing me my gun, pushed me
back into the ranks.
"Silence!" he said. "You cannot
speak under arms. In the presence of
the enemy you are not my son. You
are only a soldier. I am your chief.
Obey!"
They gave us the cartridges taken
from our wounded. My father counted
fifteen paces from the walls of the
farmhouse and ordered U3 In line.
Then, in a solemn voice, with uplifted
hand, he went through the details of
the exercise.
"Take aim!" he cried.
The gun dropped from my hands. I
rushed to my father and fell sobbing
into his arms. He tenderly whispered:
"My son, these raw recruits fire bad
ly; they will only mangle me. Thou
hast a sure aim. I count on thee. Wilt
thou promise?"
I saw the dawn whiten behind the
city, above the roof where my mother
slept. Without doubt my father read
my thoughts, for, taking my head In
his hands, he said: "For thy mother's
sake." Then he placed himself against
the wall, while the foreign officers stcoJ
with bared heads.
"Attention!" commanded my father.
Then he went through the exercise
slowly, ordering the drill as calmly as
though he were on parade. At last he
cried "Fire!"
I fired. Spare Moments.
LAW AS INTERPRETED,
Marriage on the high seas, where
there Is no law regulating the matter,
entered into by persons who went there
with the avowed purpose of evading
the laws of their residence, is held, In
Norman vs. Norman (Cal.), 42 L. R. A.
343, to be Invalid.
The right to shoot at a person who is
merely running away from an officer to
escape from arrest for a misdemeanor,
Is denied in Brown vs. Weaver (Miss.),
42 L. R. A. 423, and, if the officer does
shoot wrongfully, it is held to be an
official act covered by his bond.
A statute which, although expressed
In general terms, enumerates restric
tions which constitute lndentlflcation,
rather than classification, and Is applic
able only to a single highway Improve
ment, is held, in re Henneberger (N. Y.),
42 L. R. A. 132, to be in violation of a
constitutional provision against local
laws.
To picket the premises of a person
boycotted, in order to Intercept his
teamsters or to prevent persons going
there to trade, is held unlawful in Beck
vs. Railway Teamsters' Protective
Union (Mich.), 42 L. It. A. 407, on the
ground that it Is an act of intimidation
and an unreasonable Interference with
the right of free trade.
Surprised.
An old clergyman who had held a
cure In a remote country district for
the greater part of his life had occa
sion, relates a contemporary, to consult
his bishop on a certain matter, and, in
answer to his letter, received an Invita
tion to the palace, where he would
have to stay all night. For forty or
fifty years he had practically led the
life of a recluse, and It was after much
cogitation that he decided to take the
Journey to the farther end of the dio
cese, where the bishop lived. He ar
rived Just In time for 5 o'clock tea, a
meal to which he was a complete
stranger. After tea the bishop asked
him to accompany him to evensong.
When they returned to the house the
bishop, remarking that It was quite
time they went upstairs, lighted a can
dle, and showed his guest to his room.
It was then Just 7 o'clock; the old cler
gyman thought It was rather early to
retire, but, admiring the bishop for
such simple habits, he prepared for bed.
He had Just put out the light and lain
down to sleep, wishing he had eaten a
little more tea, when a booming noise
rang through the house. Quick as
thought he sprang from his bed, and,
shouting "Fire!" at the top of his voice,
rushed out on to the landing Just In
time to meet the bishop, with some oth
er guests, going down to dinner.
How Ho Gets Ilia Money Ilack.
Wyseman I make It a rule never to
ask a gentleman to return money he
has borrowed of me.
Pratt Then how do you manage to
get It?
Wyseman-Oh, after I wait a reason
able time, If he falls to pay up, I con
elude that he Is uot a cronttomnn .
then I ask him. London Tit-Bits.
Flags for Biit;sti Warship,.
All the flags for British shlna r
except the royal standards, are made
In the government dockyards; and the
euormous number reaulivd n,
Judged from tho fact that in the color
on ui vuiuuam atone about 18 000
flags are made In a year.
There are different kinds of bad luck
It Is said of one woman that she Is un
lucky because her omprv h.,K..t
. ah- uu"wauu
hangs on to life, and of another woman
mui tue una una nan luck because she
has burled two good husbands.
One seldom hears
being a lottery except by men who
nave drawn blanks.
PLEASANT PROSPICT.
Astronomers Bay the Moon Is Getting
Ready to Fall.
It Is not likely to happen Just yet
awhile, but many astronomers are pre
pared for the fall of the moon at a dis
tant date.
It Is probable that eventually the
moon will be drawn well within the
sphere of attraction of the earth. At
present she Is Just far enough off to be
kept In tow, so to speak, and to whirl
round and round us as well as spin
herself.
But when the Inevitable time comes,
and she is drawn far into the attrac
tion radius, she Is likely to be pulled
right down and fall onto the earth, for
her attraction is, of course, much
weaker than ours. She Is In more dan
ger of this at one time than another,
and the danger is increasing gradually
but surely. It may be 10,000 or 15,000
years yet, but when she does fall there
will certainly be a terrific bump, and
the whole system of the earth will be
badly Jolted.
It is calculated that, taking the most
dangerous epoch of the year Into con
sideration and her consequent position,
she Is likely to fall on the northeastern
part of Europe, and will entirely wipe
Russia and Germany from the map.
Tidal waves and all sorts of horrora
will occur, and the fallen moon will
probably break up. The entire climate
of the world will be altered, and Eng
land will probably be more or less Im
proved, according to the scientists.
DEAN OF PRINCETON COLLEGE.
Tha Late Kev. James O. Murray Was
Deeply Loved by the Students.
Rev. James Ormsbee Murray, D. D.,
LL. D., dean of the faculty of Prince
ton University, who died recently, was
widely known as an educator and as a
writer. Dr. Murray was born In Cam
den, S. C. In 1827, was graduated from
Brown University In ISoO and from
Andover Theological Semlnarv in 1S."i4
He filled pastorates In South Danvers
and Cambridgeport, Mass., and in 18G3
became associate pastor of the Brick
Presbyterian Church, in New York. In
1874 he was called to fill the Holmes
chair at Princeton, and in 1880 was
chosen dean of the facultty. Dr. Mur
ray was deeply loved by the Princeton
students for his kindness and Justice,
and he was easily the most popular
member of the faculty. He was the
editor and compiler of the church
hymnal, "The Sacrifice of Praise,"
'fkm
MM
The retail grocers of the country are
having an object lesson In the value
of advertising which they do not thor
oughly enjoy, says the Cedar Rapids
(Iowa) Republican. The manufac
turers of a certain varlt.fv r 0r.,i
cult are now expending a large sum of
money in advertising this particular
product of their cracker factories
Their sklllfullv
V C -... UUUUUUVC
meuts appear In all the newspapers
and stare you In the face from all the
bill boards In the country. As a result
of this enterprise, everybody Is calling
for this particular kind of soda biscuit.
The profit to the retailer Is very small
The manufacturer Is making him pay
for the advertisement But for the
grocer there Is no help. In vain he tells
bis customers "that something else Is
Just as good," they will not have It that
way. They want what they have read
about and as the article In question Is
meritorious In Itself, and the advertls
Ing process Is continued, the demand
Is Increasing all the time. The men
who say It doesn't pay to advertise
have been given a vivid object lesson.
It does pay to advertise.
Success Rewarded Her Pertinacity.
Mile. Rosa Bonheur, the veteran an!
mal painter, often tells with a smile
of the time when, laden with several
pounds of modeling clay and her lunch
of bread, she tramped miles Into tha
country In search of subjects.
The best of everything Is always put
on the company's plate at dinner, and
the company always passes it on
KEV. J. O. MUI'.n.VY.
The Evolution of tha Steamiihlp,
When it seemed that the limit had
about been reached with wrought Iron
as the main reliance of the designer
mild steel had been so peifected as to
enable progress to be maintained. The
large boilers necessary to withstand the
high pressures and furnish the power
for high speeds would have beeu'irn.
possible but for mild steel, and the
same thing is true of the moving parts
of the engine. It may be noted also
that workmanship had improved, and
the use of anti-friction metals for bear,
ings, combined with this improved
workmanship, enabled the high rota
tional speed a to be oarried out with
safety and reliability.
The machinery of Wampanoag, de.
signed in 1865, was so heavy that only
3.24 i. It. p. per ton of machinery waa
obtained. The San Francisoo, one of
the earliest of the modern cruisers of
the United States navy in which ad
vantage was taken of all the faotora for
reduotion of weight, obtained 10.63 i.
h. p. per ton of machinery. Commo
dore G. W. Melville, U. S. N., in En
gineering Magazine.
Reflections of a Bachelor.
Every girl likes to think she is full
of moods.
Whom the gods destroy they first in
vite to dinner.
It takes a woman to invent a way of
going to the devil respectably.
A girl's idea of a trousseau is to have
real lace and two dozen of everything.
When a woman tries to explain how
ahe came to a conclusion it reminds
you of a tadpole explaining why his
tail fell off. New York Press.
"1." said the orator, "am an Ameri
can of the good old stock, rooted deep
in the soil" "The only stock I ever
heard of that rooted deep in the soil,"
said the farmer in the audience, "was
hogs."
Some men escape the traps of others,
only to get caught in their own.
THE DUTY OF MOTHERS.
Daughters Should be Carefully
Guided In Early Womanhood.
What suffering frequently results
from a mother's ignorance; or more
frequently from a mother's neglect to
properly instruct her daughter I
Tradition says "woman mustsuffer,"
and young women are so taught.
There is a little truth and a great deal
of exaggeration in this. If a young
woman suffers severely she needs
treatment and her mother should see
that she gets it.
Many mothers hesitate to take their
daughters to a physician for examina
tion; but no mother need hesitate to
write freely about her daughter or
herself to Mrs. Pinkham and secure
the most efficient advice without
charge. Mrs. Pinkham's address is
Lynn, Mass.
The following letterfrom Miss Maris
F. Johnson, Centralia, Pa , shows what
neglect will do, and tells how Mrs.
Pinkham helped her:
"My health became so poor that I
bad to leave school. I was tired all tho
time, and had dreadful pains' in my
side and back. I was also troubled
with irregularity of menses. I was
very weak, and lost so much flesh that
my friends became alarmed. My
mother, who Is a firm believer in your
remedies from experience, thought per
haps they might benefit me, and wrote
you for advice. I followed the advice
you gave, and used Lydia E. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound and Liver Pills as
you directed, and am now as well as I
ever was. I have gained flesh and have
a good color. I am completely cured of
Irregularity."
PORTLAND DIRECTORY.
Machinery and Supplies.
RAKES
MOWERS
BINDERS
Vrite for Catalogue.
J. 1. FREEMAN Agent,
209 East Water Street,
PORTLAND, OR.
MACHINERY
ror mhu, MjneaBhopijnd Farmg; Bteel Log;
glng and Hol.ttng Kturinei; Hoe chisel
Tooth Saw., AlbanT Qreane, etc.
TATUM&BOWEN
27 to SS Flm street Portland. Or.
-J6tromonn)treet. Ban FrancUwo.
e0" POOLE Portland, Orkoos,
mai tI0U.th? bes bargains in general
E . nefy. engines, boilers, tanks, pumps,
steri f veTt9.?n? ,w.indn,i119- The new
equalled: windmU1. by him, is un-
AGENTS WANTED.
AH,PJL!IIpWn.,ed-.,or Wholesale 8upply Homo.
Addret Paclflc Comt Novelty Co., Portland, Or.
Beat Couch Bjrup. Tuim Good. Cn
u iinis. mud bT rtniKBlntn.
n
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