The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-04-10
GENERAL sHERMAN's Joke.
How He Gave Two West Point Cadets q
Bad Quarter of an Hour.

erals are always good reading, and
the following story, illustrative of
ono of the best traits in General
Sherman character, il no exception
to the rule. The narrator thereof
was Lieutenant Davi1 Du b. Gail
lard of the corps of engineers, U. s.
A., who told how the general once
paid q memorable visit to himself
and his chum while they wero ca
diets at West Point.
"You know" said tho lieutenant,
"that all the rooms occupied by Gu
diets in the barracks have big open
stone fireplnoes, with correspond
ingly large cbimneys. In these
chimneys the boys, even since tho
academy was established, have been
in the habit of rigging up shelves as
storehouses and places of conceal
ment for luxuries in the nature of
food and drink, which arc forbidden
by the exceedingly strict military
regulations imposed upon us. This
smuggled provender we were in the
habit of devouripg with great gusto
late at night, after final inspection
was over.
Now, it so happened that my
roommate and myself occupied the
quarters which had once sheltered
General Sherman when he also
wrestled with his comic sections and
military engineering at the Point.
One Juno afternoon, just before eX.
animation time, wo were both sur
prised by n smart rap at the door. l
opened it, and in walked tho illus
trious former occupant, with party
of ladies and gentlemen, who wero
anxious to sec what cadets quar-
ters looked like. Of course my ohuin
and myself saluted and stood at at
tention' all the time tho old general
was bustling about showing his
friends around.
"The veteran looked happy enough
as no pointed out the hard mattress.
es and iron bedsteads which consti-
tute the young West Pointers sleep
ing accommo rotations and illustrated
the manner in which VIC folded up
our trousers and slept on them 10
keep them from becoming knee
sprung, closing his explanation with
a detailed account of tho cadets
method of sweeping out and keeping
their rooms in order We both
thought he was through, but he
wasn't.
Just as the party was about to
leave the room their experienced
guide went up to the fireplace and
said in an exasperatingly cool way:
when I was cadet, the boys used
TO secrete ali SORTS or plunuer tnat
was contraband of war in their
chimneys. wonder if they do it
now?' Then he took his cane and
poked it up the chimney. Chummy
and 1 looked at eaoh other with anx-
ious eyes, and nearly had fit.
"The eminent strategist's recon-
noissance was one of the most sue
cessful in his career. He knew just
where to look, and his cane hit the
mark at almost his first poke. The
pics, cakes and bottles of prohibited
fluids fell on the hearth with clat-
ter and dull thud, breaking to pieces.
By this time chummy and were
ready to faint. The old general must
have observed it, for he turned to
US with q hearty laugh and u merry
twinkle in his eye, saying: You
needn't be afraid, young gentlemen.
1t was all my fault. l shan't say
anything about it,.
"We were on tenterhooks for sew
eral days, fearing court martial and
dismissal. But our distinguished vis-
itor religiously kept his word, and
we heard nothing more about the in
cident. Sherman's bummers burned
my grandmother house at Colum-
bia, S. c." concluded Lieutenant
Gaillard reiectively, "but 1 liked the
dear old fellow all the same. He was
so genial and considerate of Others"
New York Herald.