The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1890-11-26
SAW GREAT CHANGES.
VETERAN JAMES WHALEN TELLS OF
HIS THIRTY YEARS ARMY LIFE.

Later-Infiuence of Wives In Camp,
"If had my life to live over again
would enlist in the regular army at
much earlier age than that when l en-
rolled myself with it in 1872" Tn
speaker was James Whalen, one of tn
Oldest inmates of the Soldiers home. /,
Washington. Though IS years of age h,
appears no more than 60. His figure i
as erect, his step as firm and elastic anC
his whole bearing as graceful and ener
getc as that of a man in the full vigoI
OF youth. while his head is completed,
covered with thick growth of hair, bui
slightly tinged with gray.
Though he has known little of schoo
instruction or the study of books he pos
sesses that natural intelligence and rar,
power Of observation which learn from
everything seen or heard, and which
Aoon make their possessor a profound
scholar in that greatest of all learning
a knowledge OF men and things. II,
also possesses the natural genius Of a,
orator and writer. and when he once be
gins to talk upon some subject which
arouses his interest and enthusiasm h,
rattles away with fluency and elo,
quence that seem incredible in one sc
comparatively unlettered.
Il was 80 years of age when enlist
ed" he continued. That was in 1S42
and | was 60 when | retired, in 1872
after thirty years of faithful service.
during which | passed through the tw,
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 l think the Mexican war of great
er Importance than that of 1919. be
cause 1t added to our country an i'm.
mense territory of almost priceless value.
CHANGES IN GUNS.
Though am more than eight YEAR
beyond the three score and ten allotted
as the life of man | constantly think
and speak of myself as boy. and il 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 | realize my age. The only
arms we had then were heavy, clumsy
old muskets that contained only one ball
at time, and had to be loaded from the
muzzle after being once discharged.
1--WE did not even have cartridges.
With an old fashioned rlInrod wa first
rammed down some powder Then we
placed IA bullet in the palm Of our hand,
covered it with powder, poured powder
and ball into the gun, rammed them
down, rammed down u small wad of pa-
per, placed 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.
Sn"s7op pot Ilnrs, sTnv- skT,sonrSle. .,-ssse.
iCctuiiitS TOM s1sfas I'.-7'ss-v
little brass cannon carrying a twelve
pound bali 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.
at was but short time after my en-
listment before became convinced that
a man in the army has IA 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 n laborer or servant, for ex-
ample-outside Of it. The officials al
ways manifest an interest in private
who shows desire to be faithful and
improve his condition. and will enc0ur-
age and aid him in every possible way
WIVES IN THE ARMY
''In 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
Iettered 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, vet
when became Il soldier in 1912 and for
aAAoAJ . NhA1CA W al Va a bdll
of women We're allowed to each company
in a regiment as laundresses. These
women were the wives Of the private
soldiers, and as was so fortunate as to
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 Il great mis-
take in abandoning it. Married men
with wife and children by their side
make the best soldiers.
THE presence of those dear ones re-
strains r 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 tlau 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 a
marked advantage over the American.
though in every other way the condition
of the former is not 80 good rs 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. Chi
cago News.
Simple Safeguards ON Electric Railways.
NJ. G. Sullivan suggests in The Elec-
trical Engineer that very wise and sim
pie precaution will be the supplying to
each car operated by electricity Of a
pair of rubber gloves, insulated pliers
and nippers, and suitable inscriptions tc
indicate their use. These may possibly
be the means of preventing delay and
inconvenience, and of obyiating serious