The Portland daily press., 1890-11-27
SAW GREAT CHANCES.
Veteran James Whaien tells Of his
Thirty Years Army Life.
CChicago Nesw.]


much earlier age than that when en-
rolled myself with it in 1892. The
speaker was James Whalen, one of the
oldest inmates of the Soldiers home, i'll
Washington. Though 70 years of age he
appears no more than 60. His figure is
as erect, his step as firm and elastic and
his whole bearing as graceful and ener-
getic as that of man in the full vigor
of youth, while his head is completely
covered with thick growth of hair, but
slightly tinged with gray.
Though he has known little of school
instruction or the study of books he pos
sesses that natural intelligence and lare
power of observation which learn from
everything seen or heard, and which
soon make their possessor a profound
scholar in that greatest of all learning,
knowledge of men and things. He
also possesses the natural genius of an
orator and writer, and when he once be-
gins to talk upon some subject which
arouses his interest and enthusiasm he
rattles away with n fuency and elo-
quence that seem incredible in one so
comparatively unlettered.
81 was 80 years of age when | enlist
ed" he continued. THAT was in 1912,
and l was go when | retired, in 1872,
after thirty years of faithful service,
during which passed through the two
most important wars, with the exception
of the revolution against Great Britain,
in which the United States ever engaged
the war with Mexico and the late civil
war. think the Mexican war of great
er Importance than that of 1912, be-
cause it added to our country an i'm
mense territory of almost priceless value.
CHANGES IN GUNS.
Though am more than eight years
beyond the three score and ten allotted
as the life of man / constantly think
and speak of myself as a boy, and it is
only when / consider the wonderful
changes that have taken place in our
country and its military service since
first shouldered one of Uncle Sans
guns that l realize my age. The only
arms we had then were heavy, clumsy
old muskets that contained only one ball
at a time, and had to be loaded from the
4AuALiC dltSi pOl1lS OuCO u1oCtAdl ecu.
''We did not even have cartridges.
With an old fashioned ramrod we first
rammed down some powder. Then we
placed bullet in the palm of our hand,
covered it with powder, poured powder
and ball into the gun, rammed them
down, rammed down small wad of pa
per, placed a cap on what was called the
nipple of our gun-something that no
modern gunmaker or user knows any
thing about-and then we were ready to
shoot.
How different from the needle guns,
Chassepot rifles, the Winchester and
Remington arms of the present day! A
little brass cannon carrying a twelve
pound ball was the largest gun we had,
and was considered something terrific.
Now Uncle Sans cannons are sixteen
inch guns, carrying ball weighing 500
pounds, which requires $50 pounds of
powder to fire it, and which will perfor-
ate steel plate sixteen inches thick at
a distance of twelve miles.
sit was but short time after my en-
istment before became convinced that
man in the army has far easier, pleas
anter life and much better chance to
prosper and do well, if he behaves him
self, than in any mental position-such
as that of laborer or servant, for ex-
ample-outsde of it. The officials al
ways manifest an interest in a private
who shows a desire to be faithful and
improve his condition, and will encour-
aua o,,d old hin, ~, or,a,x, ,1occ;b1a WOW
WIVES IN THE ARMY.
''ln the army, as elsewhere, the man
who squanders his money will be always
poor and wretched. On the contrary, if
he is industrious and thrifty there is no
walk of life in which an ignorant, I'M
'lettered man, lacking the education
necessary to enable him to aspire to any
thing better than daily labor for daily
bread, can do better.
Though only officers are now permit
ted to have their wives with them, yet
when became soldier in 1912 and for
many years afterward a certain number
of women were allowed to each company
in regiment as laundresses. These
women were the wives of the private
oOleASlo, f'AO do L W do 81 W
secure one of these positions for my wife
/ was able to have her with me until the
breaking out of the late civil war This
practice is still observed in all the armies
of Great Britain and her colonies, and /
think our government made great mis-
take in abandoning it. Married men
with wife and children by their side
make the best soldiers.
1.-The presence of those dear ones re-
strains a man and tends to make and
keep him ever sober. faithful and brave
in the discharge of his duty. In time of
battle he has more direct interest in
winning the fight than the single man,
or he whose wife and children are in per-
feet safety hundreds, perhaps thousands
of miles away. He feels that he is bat
ting for personal stake, and accord
ingly puts forth his highest, best efforts.
''In this respect British soldier has
marked advantage over the American,
though in every other way the condition
of the former is not SO good as that of
the latter. The British soldier is not so
well paid nor so well fed, and his chances
for promotion are not nearly so good, but
to be allowed to have wife and children
with him more than compensates him
for all his other disadvantages