Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-04-18
HE WON HIS STRAPS.

A few wseks nro ran across Young
army ofiicor whose hronzod skin and
sharp, piercing eyes denoted that 10 had
Just come In from the froutlcr-thnt IL. s0
much Of that great frontier a. IL now ieit
The sight Of this young Lieutenant brought
W mind the hard time ho had getting The
shoulder straps and Of narrow escape Dc
had shortly nitor his blue uniform va.
adorned BY the plain yellow shoulder lsr
About nine years ago be was nn ON.
ploy0o Ia one ~ the departments, and, Uw
Ing 10 u change " administration. lost DBL.
position. Like great many uf tHHl WIN
work for the government, he had Ignored
the lesson In tho fable VI tho ant md tHH
Rrasshuppor. 10 whom ho was turned out
on the world he received u cold reception.
The few dollars no had wcro soon spent,
and then bis crclit was gone. and at last
hunger stared him IN the faoc. Il wns
while tho knocking aud gnawing which
come after "a day or two without food
was making Itself isit when be- saw
United States nag hanging out VI win
dow On pcnnylyauia avenue. ON the
lower odgs OF chat flag were the letters. 10
big black type, Recruiting Oiilcc" The
young man read those words, aud 10 10
OF dospalr assembled tho stairs 10 the office
above.
llo was greeted by big sergeant who
sized him up, and thun told him that ho
would layo o. return tho following morn
Ing, as tho officer who enlisted iucu had
gone homo.
but want 70 enlist now. said tho
applicant
GENT.
say, old fellow. you Just OK mo 20 I
can stay hora until tomorrow" pleaded
tho young man.
"Oh, H. hungry you nro, IL il. We'll.
III lct you stay over nj ght and maybe tho
captain will take you
That night ho bad his first meal IN two
days. II was not such a. he had boon 49,.
custumtd ~, but IL was "dlliug as be-
aftorwArd said In speaking " 10. Whom %
came v O'Clock, tie sergeant walked Into
the squadroom aud ordered the half dozen
or 20 recruits Into their bcds and turned
out the light, not however tlll BIO IaH
called tho roll, FOR army discipline cDwrI
early. In the darkness tho oI.oiOra lay
awake, thinking u tho past, Of the day4
whom hu had been receiving good salary.
Of tho manner In which no had dl.sipa.od
all Of H., and VI tho many friouds-ihusg
Tho past was dark, and the future wa
even darker. What could he, y yuurp
man Of good family, amount u aitoF i've
years In the armyi Several times he nru.g
aud was going 10 escape but each time
tho mite " courage that had byun revived
with u full stomach uUzod away, and whom
morning. came DO was still az applicant
for enlistment
breakfast brought back some spirit. aud
whom tho uilCrr came in tho young man
was ready for him Tho nUyuru medical
examination wins passed, aud everything
being satisfactory, up won't his right hand,
and lao swuro to boar truo allegiance 60 thr
United states and 10 protect 10 against
ita enemies whOmsooyor, la u frw min.
utes tho doughty looking On government
clerk was transformed into u decidedly
awkward government soldier In uniform
that had m ueh tho 1t Of gunny shrk on
q bean polo.
Some time passed, and tho young sol,
der was Mt his post, think Il was Fort
NiobrAra, Kan, and he had a diIorunt np.
poarnuco His clothes lifted him perfectly.
and hu know how 10 handle his feet and
hands lilo was corporal Ina troop uf
the Seventh cavalry. Two years passed.
and hO had received PROMOTION " tho high