The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-31
Observation-Disclosures
GOSSIP OF The Town. )
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Among the visitors to Zion is Grote
Hutchinson, first lieutenant of the
Ninth United States cavalry, who is
spending a few days at Fort Douglas.
Lieutenant Hutchinson was range Of
ficer at Bellevue range, near Omaha,
when the writer first knew him, and
was considered a very able. affable,
accomplished and adroit officer He
was always ready for a joke ana en-
joyed the same whether he was the
victim or someone else was, although
it must be confessed that he was bet
ter pleased when the laugh was on the
other man. At the time alluded 10,
the penciller of this tale was at Belle
vue, sleeping in a Sibley tent at night
and writing up the range IN the DAY
for one of the Omaha dailies. Now
a Sipley tent is all right TO sleep IN,
when il is properly managed But ad-
just conditions in peculiar 1asnion
and a Sibley tent is not III 1t with
we'll regulated hotel when comfort is
considered.
This particular Sibley mad a stove
inside. 1t wasn't a very large stove;
one of those kind which resembles the
little heater in the way car of a Short
Line freight; one which didn't look as
if it could heat a persons temper, TO
say nothing OF Sibley. With the
writer was an artist who. came along
to distort the faces of the officers and
by making pictures Of the enlisted
men, convey to the readers OF the pa
per an impression that ell the mem
bers of the regular army We're an aS-
gregation of thugs and desperadoes.
The artist sketched ali the first day
and when night came was tired. This
may have resulted from natural
causes, or because he attempted TO
draw the fight of q projectile, suffice
it to say he was tired and retired
early.
Lieutenant Hutchinson had COM
rade; an infantry officer, also a lieu
tenant, named Jim Wright, of the
Second. They pooled on mild deviltry
and when the artist retired put up
lob on him. The stove was full of
light pine, all ready to be ignited. AS
soon as The artists snores indicated
that he was peacefully sleeping, the
two banked up the mudcloth on the
tent, so that no air could get inside or
escape outside, lit the fire and with
drew, tying down the tent flap and
making it so tight that a mouse could
not have entered without gnawing
hole for himself. The stove began to
draw and draw hard. A man trying
20 fill a three ace hand couldn't have
done better. Then it grew red and
redder still and the atmosphere inside
the Sibley grew humid and hot and
hotter. The jokers could hear the
artist kick off first one blanket and
then another until finally he woke up
feeling as though he had just taken
Turkish bath. The artist swore a
great deal but Grote and his friend
laid it on 20 Wright's striker and
threatened him with a court martial
which Modified the man of the pencil.
g @ @
The left wing of the regiment or
battalion was shooting at the time,
and was commanded by Major Butler,
who has since been retired with the
grade of lieutenant-colonela and entered
the newspaper field. Butler was
jolly old man in some ways, polite to
q degree at table and had a fondness
for bottled beer at meaitime. He al
ways made a practice of asking every
officer dining at the officers mess to
have a glass of beer, which was al
ways declined with thanks, just as the
major wished it to be, after which he
ate his meal and drank his bottle with
relish.
The writer and the artist were in
vited to dine with the officers and the
former was assigned to sit next the
major. Hutchinson and Wright put
up a job on both. They came around
just before dinner and said: Now
it is barely possible that you gentle
men do not drink beer, but the major
is a biz peculiar. He always drinks
beer with his meals and always asks
every one to join him and a refusal
off ha ina VinpC 4ha
person refusing does not approve Of his
drinking. Whether you drink or not,
accept his invitation and he will be
tickled all over" This coming so seri-
ously was accepted as gospel. The two
newspaper men accepted the majors
invitation TO drink, whereat there was
great staring in their direction by Cap
tain Galley, Captain Keller, Dempsey
and the balance. But the two youth
full subalterns stood by their colors
this time and the joke was on
the major, for they took beer
and the balance took beer and
the majors bottle did not last as
long as SNOWFALL would in the town
ship where Lucifer is chairman of the
board of trustees. The major looked
surprised and somewhat panied at this
astonishing result. inasmuch as he
had to send to Omaha for fresh sup
ply for next day.
90 g q
Those old DAYS are gone, however,
and the Second with Keller. Dempsey,
Wright, Arrasmith and the balance
are scattered over the frozen north,
where the blizzard whistles through
the whiskers of the commanding Of
ficer and & man to do guard duty at
night has to wear galways to insure
safety from freezing to death. Butler
is retired and Wheaton, the then col
onCl. IS a brigadier-general. Hutchin-
son and Wright have advanced and
will soon he captains. That means in
a few short years, army computation. |
1t may be seven and maybe 20. They
will get there, however, and will be
all right in whatever position they oc-
cupy. Grote will be assured of a warm |
welcome if he arrives at this office say
about o'clock any day of the week, |
or Sunday.
1t looks to man who has to plod his |
way home about a. m, that better at
tention should be paid tc the matter of |
street lighting than is now being given |
to that important part of the city's |
welfare. OF course as it is now, when i
complaints are made to the light in |
spector, ne attends TO them, or is sup |
posed 10 at least, but that is not |
enough. There should be a light pa
troll; q man who would drive around !
the city as regularly as the business
streets are patrolled by the police |
force, and it should be his duty to