St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-16
THE "OhD SOLDIER"
He Objects to Remarks Made by
Police Surgeon Gibson.

He Objects to Remarks Made by
Police Surgeon Gibson.
On the 18th inst. DR.. Gibson, the pO-
lice surgeon, in his annual report made
several remarks concerning the mem
bers of the police department who were
Old soldiers. His remarks have caused
considerable feeling, and the rem arks
heard ION the side" concerning the
dapper surgeon are anything but COM
plimentarv Of MIN. One OF the most
prominent members of the department
gave reporter of the GLOBE the fol-
lowing communication last night, which
will prove of interest, not only to the
police surgeon. but to tue public at
large:
Inotice in the Journal of the 18th
inst. q statement from Dr. Gibson rela-
tive to sick policemen, in which Oc-
ours the following passage: 1t must
be remembered that service on the
police force is more trying to the con-
stitUtiOn than any other man could
enter: not only on account of the con-
tiGUOus exposure. with no let-up Sun
DAYS. button account of there being two
months night work" He says that this
exposure and loss of sleep will knock
out men OF iron, and that so long as the
public insists on 1.-The preference being
given to ola soldiers. it must not howl
when the old soldiers rheumatism lays
him I'D during damp weather. The in
ference to be drawn from this is, plainly:
That the "Old soldier" as rule. is the
officer who is "Otf duty when he
ought to be ION duty" or that the
old soldier is sick Ottener, and cOnse-
Quently does less duty than others. Let
us see how 1.-THE old soldier" Will bear
the comparison as to health. correct
habits. manlinesS and strict attention to
duty with those who are not old sol
dierS. | have before me list of eight
old soldiers who are on duty at the
central station. and. to my certain
knowledge. six OF these men are on duty
nearly all the time; while two of them
land those who have long been known
as two of the most earnest workers on
the force, have had the misfortune to
be sick tor several weeks during the
PAST two wears. At the Second precinct
I have in-mind five old soldiers, at the
Third five. at the Fourth two ana the
/ Fifth precinct five, making an aggre-
gate of twenty-five old soldiers on the
force. There may be others of whom |
do not think at this moment, but these
Twenty-Five men will compare faVOrably
with any twenty-five men on the force.
/ both as TO manlInesS and a constant at
| tentiOn to duty. If comparisons were
| not odiOus. | might follow out the idea
| and give details in proof of this. Against
! seven of these men l might set seven
| men who are not ''Old soldiers" On
/ the contrary, several of them are men
/ who should be right i'll the prime of
/ life. One of these men has been sick
( one year, or Whereabouts; another six
! months, another about the same, an
! other three months, and two others a
! considerable part or the time.
! The writer of this is ian Old soldier
| of very peculiar temperament, mas
! much as he is not a believer In the
! theory that the ''Old sOldier' should re-
ceive all the consideration in this world
| regardless of whether his daily conduct
| entities him to 1t or not. There is such
! a thing as an ''Oid soldier being all
'Old bum and rum sucker" and OF
his having lost his own self respect and
forfeited the respect CT his fellow men.
In that case he is entitled to neither
! more or less consideration than other
men who have done the same thing.
But the fact remains that Oh the police
force at this moment are number OF
old soldiers who are among the best
officers III the business. Sober, upright
manly, intelligent men, whose careers as
officers have long since proven them tC
he THE right men III the right place.
One of these men in almost six years
has had one vacation Of seven days, ano
another of ten days, and neither has
ever been seriously ill during the whole
time. At different times one of then
has been confined 20 the house for day
or TWO at time, but for every day he
has lost he has more than made it good
by extra time" thus putting in a full
year of 800 days.
4 police sergeant. whose efficient
work in the police department is known