Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-11-20
HIS ORDERS WERE VALID.
How Ex-President Grant Taught a Lesso
to an Unciyll Soldier.

to an Uncfyll Soldier.
One hot day eight years ago, when
the sun came down with so much force
that it turned the tar pavement into a
soft paste, I was in the building in
which the United States Government
had it's exhibit in connection with the
Centennial Exposition. Hot as it was,
, the people thronged all the big build
ings and crowded the little circular rail-
road which made $4,000 or $4,000 a
day. l had been writing about the big
show and what was to be seen there
until it was sorry task indeed It
was so hot did not feel like work, and
so went over to the Government build
ing to look at some of the interesting
things to be seen there. As usual, the
place was full of people, to many of
whom the sight of such a collection of
guns and munitions of war was a great
wonder indeed. As passed out of the
main aisle into one of the side ones,
there was a slight delay owing to a
lady catching her dress on the corner
of a projecting box-the box was en-
tirely out of its place or the mishap
would not have occurred. When the
walk was resumed | found myself be-
side heavily built man, who had
stopped to watch the extrica-
ton of the 1ady's dress. He
was dressed in dark suit, with a long
tailed frock coat and soft felt hat, the
brim of which hung down so low in
front that it shaded the wearer's face.
He wore beard, closely cropped, and
allowed his chin to rest upon his breast.
A soldier who was on duty at that par
tin,,lo,. ntana around / sfnnH
there, and slowly walked down the
aisle, the man beside me bent forward
and, in a short, sharp, military tone ex-
claimed:
Private"
The man stopped, looked surprised at
the manner of address used by civil
ian, and saluted.
THAT box is in the way; help me
move it," said the man, and the soldier
with good-natured remark about the
difficulty of keeping things in order.
complied with the request. A petty
officer came up just as the the soldier
was aiding the stranger in pushing
the box out of the way. I do not know
what the officers rank was, but from
his Major-Generalship strut guessed
him to be corporal. The instant he
saw what the private was doing he
cried out:
who gave you orders to move those
boxesp''
1.-The box just tore lady's dress,
SIR replied the soldier in an embar-
raised way, after saluting.
cit was moved out by somebody, and
I Just stopped to fix it..
..Oh, you didr' said the young strut
ter, tartly. ..Well, sir, don't want
any more of this interference with the
exhibits unless you have orders from
me or from some other of your supe-
riors."
At this juncture tall, thin man,
whose cheeks were sunken and whose
hair and beard were red, came up to
the man who had caused the soldiers
trouble and with. an exclamation of re-
lief he said: 81 was looking for you,
and had given up hope of finding
you.n
..Wait a minute was all the reply
given to this salutation, and then TAX
ING step toward the officer, he said:
.Officer, the private was doing his
duty 1t is as much the duty OF the men
stationed here to see that the public are
protected from discomfort as it is to
guard the exhibits. "
1.-THE man acted without orders" re-
torted the officer. sharply.
II gave him his orders, was the
quick reply.
Before the officer could speak the
man who had Just joined him chimed
in, saying:
ssOfficer, this is President Grant. His
orders. I trust, will be strictly regarded
in future. am the Secretary of War.
And with q rather angry look at his
subordinate, the present Senator from
Pennsylvania 81. Donald Cameronl