, 1884-09-26
IN THE RANKS.
What Some of the Soldiers Have
Been.
Romantic "reminiscences Of the
Service.
A Pr..ycte With 7oya. B.ocd in His
Veins.

In no country as in this is the sollie
looked upon with 80 much contempt. TIL
uniform and brass buttons which general
are attractive to the civilian in othri
worlds do not catch the eye IF the Amer
leans. To be a soldier is almost equivalen,
to being a serf, and once in the ranks tn
condemnation Of the outside follows witt
unmerciful celebrity. Even the mosi
charitable expression given in his favor i
that he is to Lazy to work and goes int
the service only III oder 10 escape tn,
late Of a tramp.
There may be some truth in these opin
ions generally, yet there arc men in til,
ranks who will compare fayorably viii
any Of those engaged in the peaceful
pursuits Of life. May have fll,d re
ponsible positions, solue are well COLI
nected aud not Il few are well educated
aud have in their time drank wine all
eat bread with gentlemen.
Not two weeks ago IL soldier came in t.
The LEADER Office. and by his mannei
and Il ldress revealed that he was We,
educated, much better in fact than tn
ordinary business man. In the short con
yersAtion which the reporter Lad witt
him he stated that he had teen a studen
in COLUMBIA College for two years and ha
got tired Of che peaceful life which he was
leading and had entered the army. II,
had become welded to the service an.
never intended to leave it.
There is now at Fort Russell a man
who once occupied a Prominent position
in his profession and his professional
career was greater than any Of his broth
ers following the same pursuit in this
city. In an evil hour, while intoxicated,
he enlisted, and when he became sober.
r, solved to stick 1t out for the term of his
enlistment. His soldier life has been Il
good thing for him and he il now endeav
oring to reform, and is in u fair way to
succeed.
1--WE used to have more romantic char
Icters formerly than now, said a gentle
man WIN hal been in the service. Il
knew the time when a son of one Of the
most prominent officials at Washington
was a private soldier in my regiment. He
did not stay long, however, but obtained
a discharge through his fathers iuAu-
ence."
But the most romantic of all was a
young Austrian whJ at one time was sta
toned at the Fort here. He had been in
the service quite a while and was very
popular with the men. One day a tall.
straight oil gentleman alighted from the
train and enquired for him. Some of the
loungers stated his son was at Camp Car.
lin and the oil gentleman Immediately
sent for him. The interview which took
place was in German and few present un-
derstood the conversation. The end wa,
that the oil gentleman ooldly bale his
spt good bye and took the first train for
the East"
'The son afterwards told ME the sub
stance of the interview. He had RIM
away from Austria when a youth, on ac-
count Of a quarrel with his father who,
in addition TO being a Duke, was a Colo
mel in the Emperor's service. He had
never written hoL.e, and after drifting
about for awhile entered the army. While
in the ranks he ha | married a young girl
and intended TO quit the service as soon
as his term expired and go into mercan-
tile pursuits.
''In the meantime his father had
learned of his whereabouts and immedi-
ately set out to find his son. When they
met he wanted him to return home again
and forget the past. His son was willing
TO do this, but would not leave his wife.
To this his father would not agree and
left him vowing never to have anything
10 do with him again His son, however,
had but little desire to return and often
said that he would rather be a private
soldier in America than a prince in Eu-
rope"
His father, however" continued the
narrator. 'relented sOmewh It, and when
his son left the service he sent him an an
nuity Of $1,000 a year to begin life with.
He LETT and ven South. and is now a
prominent business man in Colorado.
Yes, we had royal blood in the ranks in
those DAYS for in the annals Of modern
Austrian history few names stand higher
than that Of the oil Colonel -"