Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-06-28

on, hO CoilcctuI VI lutrelldl ne-
venue.''
so be is; ! bad forgotten. And Col
onel Echelon?''
"He's Postmaster.
Sure enough. And Major Kam-
stuhl?'
''He's Sheriff.
And Captain Tompionp"
United States Consul to Gutta
Percha, believe it is
step?"
Omitted States Marshal"
''And Captain TumbriIpn
''He is Judge of the United States
Court"
"Oh, yes; and Quartermastcr Salt
horse?''
''He was in the Treasury Department
until last week.
"And where is he now?"
They don't KNOW said Private
Rankanfile, evasively. "They think he
is in Canada, but they haven't found
him yet"
"Ah, yes; and where are the other
officers of your regiment?'
''ln the Legislature, all except Sur
geon Greensash- is in Congress
and Adjutant Tenshun, who is in the
Pension Bureau"
what are you doing?" | asked.
Il am shipping clerk down here at
Hide Il Tallow's, and'-with a trou-
bled look-'they won't want me after
the 1st of June; they have to make a
place for old Tallow's nephew. But
I'll find something, reckon. I'm never
out of place very long. Come in and
see us when we get together on the
29th, won't youp' and all the trouble
died out of his face at the thought of
meeting the old boys again.
l looked after him as he limped away
His gait is ungraceful, because he has
a stiff knee-stiff as a bone. 1t was
shattered at Antietam. The bullet
went crashing into it when he ran back
to pick up and save the regimental flag
that had fallen from the dead hands
of the color sergeant.
Don't tell me that the Republicans
are ungrateful,'' said the big-hearted
private one day, his eyes swimming in
grateful tears. Look here, all this
just for little thump like that" He
had just drawn his pension. Eight
dollars month"; he said proudly, 'sfor
a stiff knee
His old commander, General De Res
paraid, gets great deal more than
that and never got scratch in the army
But he has something mysterious, with
a long Latin name, that has affected
some four-syllable portion of his anat-
omy. Every time Rankanfile hears of
(which is every time he meets the
General--he shudders, and says 'fhat
thing will carry the General off one of
these days.
| would not be surprised. 1t is big
enough to carry off rhinoceros.
But | wondered no longer that Private
Rankinlile seemed lonely. He is think
ing, perhaps, of his comrades, the
other privates in his regiment. There
were several private soldiers in the
army. Rankanfile, whom l know, was
one. The name of the other one has
escaped me. Nor do know where he
is. He may be dead. Perhaps he is
married. Something has happened to
him, certainly. l look for him in the
Legislature, but his captain tells me
he is not there. seek him in Congress
but his colonel tells me he has not
seen nor heard of him since last cleo
ton. miss him in the Cabinet. He
doesn't appear to be Consul anywhere.
And yet, if he would only come for
ward and show himself, grateful
country has remembered him. He can
secure farm of 160 acres in the Far
West, after the railroad has secured all
the best sections, twenty miles from the
nearest postoffice, twice so far from
water and as far as railway train can
run in day from coal bank or forest,
on precisely the same terms as are ac-
corded to man who has been in this
land fifteen minutes 1t is great boon
and the private soldier should appre-
ciate it. And undoubtedly he does lin
quiet way. He does not make much
fuss about it. And really there isn't
very much for him to grow enthusiastic
about.
But the private soldier, though in
deed he is exceeding rare and marvel
ously scarce at intervals, is not entire
ly lost. 1t will rejoice the hearts of
his anxious friends to learn that his abb
sence has been noted. People are in
quiring for him. Eminent statesmen
are looking him up. Distinguished
congressman, who are not morally
certain of .'going back, are after him.
Great men who have poitively s.gone
out of politics for good, unless the
voice OF the people should imperatively
call them back to public life, are seek
ing the lost soldier in his retirement.
The time of the quadrennial reunion
draweth nigh. Also, the year of the
national convention. In the DAYS gone
by. when a private soldier was more
numerous than to-day, very near a
thousand of him were required to make
one colonel More than many times
so many are some time requisite to the
election of a member of Congress and
exc President.
Therefore he will be found. He win
be dragged from his lurking place. III
he has not been seen at the polls by
p m. the Generals own carriage viii
come after him. 1t will not come after
him again for another four years. Bnt
1t will come for him then.
Inc pages of history teach us, then.
dearly beloved, that the private soldier
is extremely necessary, during the
progress of war. He is Indispensable
so long as actual hostililies continue:
he is even useful at intervals in time of
peace; but between the intervals no
body appears to want any of him--dur-
ing the spaces of period that elapse be-
tween the times when there is to be
somebody elected to something.
And it is pleasant to see him dragged
out into the light of day even once in
two or four years. 1t is pleasant to be
thus assured that he is not dead, but
speeches.; to know that he is still good
for something; that he swells the line of
torchlight procession; that, as in the
days OF yore and gore, he is useful in
digging trenches, as it were. 1t is a
great joy to know that be is not alto
gether gone. There used to be so many
of him that now we seem to miss hun.
even when we catch him out alone and
count him.
And we rejoice. too, in the thought
that his tina g n.