Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-03-05
SAW GREAT CHANGES.
VETERAN JAMES wfsALEN TELLS or
HIS THIRTY YEARS ARMY LIFE.

1870 1890 1870 FNFssWt t~sf
Feaghs In Two wars HAS Been . Prs-
waite During Hss whole CAresr--cArrs@ss
. Maskst ~ First and y Repeating miss
LAtsr-Infiasnee Of wives in Camp.
IF had my life 20 live over again I
would enlist in the regular army ut q
much earlier age than that when / en-
rolled myself with IL In 1872" Thu
speaker was james Whalen, one Of the
oldest inmates Of the Soldiers home, In
Washington. Though ~ years Of age he
appears no more than 90. His figure IL
rs erect, his step as firm and elastic and
his whole bearing as graceful and ener-
gctic a. that or a man In the full vigor
Of youth. while his head il completely
covered with a thick growth Of hair, but
sligh.ly tinged with gray.
Though he has known little OF school
instruction or the study Of books he pos
sesses that natural intelligence and rare
power Of observation which learn from
everything seen or heard, and which
soon make their possessor d profound
scholar in that greatest of all learning,
a knowledge Of men and things. He
also possesses the natural genius Of an
orator and writer, and when he once be-
gins 10 talk upon some subject which
arouses his interest and enthusiasm he
rattles away with fiuency and elo-
ausnce that seem incredible In one SO
comparatively unlettered
II was 30 years Of age when enlist
ed. !" he continued. THAT was In 1912
and was 90 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. boz
cause it added to our country an i'm
mense territory OF almost priceless value.
CHANGES ~ GUNS.
Though | ann more than eight years
beyond the three score and ten allotted
Is the life Of man ] constantly think
and speak Of myself ~ boy, and II Ia
only when ! consider the wonderful
changes that have taken place IN our
country and It's military service since
first shouldered one Of Uncle sam d
guns that ] realize my age The only
arms we had then were heavy. clumsy
old nanskets that contained only one ball
ut time, and had TO be loaded from the
muxzle after being once discharged.
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 1t with powder. poured powder
and ball into the gun, rammed them
down, rammed down q small wad Of pa
per. placed cap ON what was called the
nipple Of our something that no
modern gunmaker or user knows any
thing about-and then we wore ready 10
shoot.
How different from the needle gums,
Chassepot rifles. the Winchester and
Remington arms OF the present dayl A
little brass cannon carrying o twelve
pound bah was the largest gun we had.
and was considered something terrific.
Now Uncle Sans cannons are sixteen
inch guns, carrying ball weighing 800
pounds, which requires $50 pounds Of
powder to fire 1t, and which win parfor-
ats steel plate sixteen inches thick ct
distance of twelve miles.
at was but short time after my on
iistment before became convinced that
man IN the army has far easier. pleas.
anter life and much better chance to
prosper and do well. II he behaves him
self, than in any mental position--such
rs that Of laborer or servant, for ex-
a1nple-outside OF It. The officials al
ways manifest nm interest In q private
who shows u desire to DO faithful and
improve his condition. and viii enoonr-
age and aid him IN every possible way.
WIVES IN THE ARMY.
I'm the army, n elsewhere, the man
who squanders his money will be always
poer and wretched On the contrary. II
he 10 industrious and thrifty there Il no
walk of life in which an ignorant, an
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, vet
when became soldier In 1872 and for
many years afterwar.i certain number
OF women were allowed 10 each company
In regiment as laundresses. These
women were the wives Of the private
soldiers. and as was NO fortunate M to
sectirs one OF these positions Tor my wife
| was able TO have her with mo ufatil the
breaking ont Of The late civil war. This
practice Is eth observed In all the armies
OF Great Britain aud her colonies, and
think our government made great mis-
take in abandoning il. Married men
with wife and children by their side
make the best soldiers
The presence Of those dear ones re-
efrains "A f,sNu md f..naa "a ..x.La "a