The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-03-02

ing, Capt Gregg" or Good morning, '
Mr.. Blake" never emitting the mention
of the name, unless, Us was sometimes
tried, a squad of them came in together
and made their obeisance as a body. In
this event the colonel simply looked
each man in the face, as though taking
mental note of the individual constitu-
erts of the group, and contented him
self with a .'Good morning, gentlemen.
When in addition 70 six troops of his
own regiment of cavalry there were sent
to the post major and four companies
of infantry, some of the junior officers
of the latter organization had suggested
20 their comrades of the yellow stripes
that as the colonel had no roll call it
might be a matter of no great risk to
'scut the matinee on some of the fiend-
ishlv cold mornings that soon set in; but
the experiment was never designediy
tried, thanks, possibly, to the frank ex-
position Of his personal views as eX-
pressed by Lieut. Blake, of the cavalry,
/ who said, s'Try it if you are stagnating
I for want of o sensation, my genial plod-
der, but not if you value the advice OF
one who has been there, so to speak.
The chief will spot you quicker than he
can a missing shoe-a missing horseshoe,
Johnny, let me elaborate for your COM
prehension-and the next question will
be, Mr.. Bluestrap, did you Intentionally
absent YOURSELF and then how will you
get out of it,
The matinees, so called, were by no
means unpopular features of the daily
routine. The officers were permitted to
bring their pipes or cigars and take their
after breakfast smoke in the big, roomy
Office of the commander, just as they
were permitted to enjoy the post-prandial
! Wifi when at evening recitation IN
the same office they sat around the
, room, chatting in low tones, for half an
hour, while the colonel received the re
: ports of kis,adjutant, the surgeon and the
, old and the new officer of the day. Then
: any matters affecting the discipline or
: instruction or general interests of the
: command were brought up; both sides
of the question were presented, if
? question arose: the decision was rendered
then and there, and the officers were dis
4 missed for the day with the customary
: ''That's all, gentlemen" They left the
t Office well knowing thatonly in the event
d of some sudden emergency would they
n be called thither again or disturbed in
their daily vacations until the same hour
d on the following morning. Meantime,
Il they must be about their work-drills, if
Y weather permitted; stable duty, no mat
d ter what the weather; garrison courts
g boards of survey, the big general court
e that was perennially dispensing justice
J. at the post, and the long list of minor bu
h, none the less exacting demands on The
t time and attention of the subalterns anC
n company commanders.
u The colonel was a strict, even severe
E. disciplinarian, but he was cool, de
1t liberate, and Just. He worked" hi
l. officers, and thereby incurred the crit
d, cisns of d few, but held the respect of all
he He had been a splendid cavalry com
IS mander in the field of all others wher
he his sterling qualities were sure to finc
IS responsive appreciation in his officer
I'd and men-on. active and stirring cam
n paigns against the Indians-and amoni
Dis his own regiment he knew that deep i
ed. their hearts the TIL respected and be
is Iieved in him, even when they growle
at garrison exactions which seemed ur
lis called for. The infantry officers kne'
lg less of him as sterling campaignel
u and were not so well pleased with hi
is discipline 1t was all right for him I
ms trout out every mothers son in tn
ne cavalry at revzlle, because all the CAY
as airy officers had to go to stables 500
ay afterward-that was all they were t
lis for-but what on earth was the use
Oh getting them-the infantry-out of the
nd warm beds before sunrise on q wintr
Get morning and having no end of roll cal
nd and such things through the day, ''ju
to keep them busy The real objectic
I'm the main objection-to the colonel
IN system was that it kept large numb'
eel of officers, most of whom were educate
OF gentlemen, hammering all day long
ice an endless routine of trivial duties, {
lowing actually no time in which the
'ie- could read, study, or improve the
minds: but, as i'll luck would have
the three young gentlemen who decid
to present to the colonel this view of t
eu' case had been devoting what spare tir
e. they could find to a lively game of pok
ed, down at 1.-The store" and their petite
for more time to themselves" broug
yer down reply from the oracular lips
the commander that became imrnor
ex- on the frontier and made the petitione
oke nearly frantic.
ed, For a week the trio was the butt of
lad the wits at Fort Warrener. And yet [
entire commissioned force felt that th
were being kept at the grindstone
cause of the frivolity of these youngste
and they did not like it. All the sal
the cavalrymen stuck up for their colo
and the infantrymen respected him, o
the matinees were business like a
profitable. They were rarely unpleas:
in any feature, but this particular mo
ing-two days after the arrival of NJ
Rayner and her sister-there had bee
scene of somewhat dramatic inter'
and the groups of officers in breaking
and going away could discuss moth
else. The colonel had requested one
their number to remain, as he wished
speak to him further, and that man '
Lieut.. Hayne.
Seven years had that young gentlen
been a second lieutenant of the regim
of infantry, a detachment of which
now stationed at Warreper. Only
4. very winter had promotion come to h
NJ and of all companies in the regiment