Delaware tribune, and the Delaware state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1877-18??, 1877-08-16
JOE LANE IN TROUBLE.
His Experience ~ . Warrior During
the Mecent Strike.

His Experience ~ . Warrior During
the lsecent Strike.
w,ittsn for Every Evening and OommsroiAl
1t was but a little postal card, tossed
carelessly on my desk, and it read thus:
IMPORTANT.
PHILADELPHIA, July 2O.-Every member
Of tho Didderbock Rifles must be at the
armOry tomorrow, at 8 o. M, fully
equipped, to take transportation at West
Philadelphia depot for Pittsburgh. No
excuse will be entertained.
D1DpERBooK, Captain.
Now here was pretty mess I had got
myself in. Some time ago, while in
Philadelphia, stopped in at the arrno ~
with a friend, and was fool enough to
enroll myself as an active member, not
dreaming that would ever be called on Z
perform duty, and here now WAS expected
to rush of up country to fight lot of
crazy strikers. 1t was too bad, but saw
no way Of getting out of it.; besides, as l
am naturally courageous fellow, con-
menced to feel cbock full of military order.
As soor as could comprehend the matter
fully, concluded that it was Just such
fine, tall, handsome-looking fellows as
myself that ought to 60, for great many
of the militia are composed of counter
jumpers and "sissies," who like to turn
out on dress parade, but are not worth q
cent when it comes to fight. So threw
aside everything and rushed of in a late
train, and the next morning reported At
headquarters, where sure enough I found
the company with almost fall
ranks waiting for stragglers to come
in. As soon as l appeared
the captain recognized me, and passing
the word along the line they gave three
cheers for Joe Lane" But somehow the
cheers were'not healthy ones at all in fact,
while I was thinking to myself what q
sickly kind of look the whole crowd
had, the captain called me aside and said
they had Just received dispatch from the
front, stating that the strikers were arming
themselves with muskets and rifles, and
had already shot several of our soldiers
who bad gone up the railroad. This, he
said, was what gave the boys such an
uneasy appearance, as they were anxious
to get off to the front.
But I didn't look at it in that light, and
told him 80, for I believed that everyone
of them would have stacked arms and
gone home if they could have done so.
However, we were all in for it, and it was
no use to back water.
was just on the point of going i..,s;,,
to get my uniform when TN orderl'x arnv
up at q fearful rate and handed ths canta;
a dispatch from the adjutar... general at th
depot stating that the strikers were q
thick as blackberries all along the railrosd
and would allow no trains 10 pass Wit
soldiers on, and ordering us To bring on
or-s.,,os 90 =, -, iaou' Dut 10 olsguis
hs tslsn m IN n = w. neavers, ana we woui
bsd an,aad ~. goal traln. az the striker
.ssma @ % ''N 'aot 20 interfere with the coa
Now h, m
;aas ~ "e was nice arrangement. IN
.ha,r, the Dlderoock fihes, who pride
wsx serves ON their nobny uniforms an
he .ea mastacnes; marching out as Goa
'eVers. But there was no dlsobeyin
| orders, so we were allowed an hour to rus
around IN squads IN charge OF non-oom
missioned oihoers to r1g ourselves up. A
for myself, l knew very well that, with m
magnificent side whiskers, nobody woul'
ever take me for coal HEAVIER, 30
stopped in barber shop and had then
scissored OF. Then We went around to
secondhand clothing shop and rgge'
ourselves out in blue shirt and overalls an
glazed caps.
In TINS toggery we assembled agail
and marched out to the depot, followe'
by crowd who greeted us with such en-
couraging remarks as ''shoot the cap,
"how are you, tramps,' oh, what prett
uniforms &c., but we had orders TO re
serve our fire, and did so. When W
arrived at the depot, the train was all il
readiness, and we were ordered aboard
We found the cars were the round irol
ones, with slanting sides and slotte
bottoms, SO as TO drop the coal into til
shute, and men lined with coal dust abou
an inch thick. A haif-dozen OF US got il
each car, and from Its peculiar construc
ton We were compelled to lay on our back
in order to keep in position. After W
had got fairly under way, we TOOK som
OF the coal dust and smeared it on ou
faces, SO that any one noticing our head