The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-17
CURLY Kinks OBITUARY.

FL Caney, July s, via Guantanamo, July
.. via Kingston. July g. via Key West,
July 10. via Peabody, July 14.-It has been
a terrible week on US soldiers. In all my
born days I never saw such variety of
death for a man to choose from. If a
man don't like Mauser bullets he can eat
pome granates and get cholera, drink
water and get yellow fever, fall into the
Juan river and drown, get kicked by an
army mule, smoke a pipe on a powder
keg, accidentally discharge his own gun,
or ask a regular army officer for a chew
of tobacco. Death? Why, death floats
around in the air here like the Cotton
wood moultings in Wichita.
There is nothing but death. You have
got no harder hold on life than you can
get on an eel with an epileptic fit. The
very sun as he comes up in the morning
seems to wink the other eye and say:
Take a good look a me old fellow. It's
your last chance"
am sad. I have been sad all thu time.
This evening ] was strolling in the wild
woods gently singing to myself as l used
to sing in the dear dead past beyond re-
call. when some one suddenly slammed
q shiny club across my shoulders and
brought me 10 the ground.
l looked up. The man who had struck
me down was none other than General
Shafter himself
/ arose to nay full heighth and saluting
said:
Il regret that I have but one life to
give 10 my country, sir, but by the horn
on the forehead of the harvest moon, no
pot-bellled old bologna sausage like you
can deliver the goods"
The gSleral sort of smiled and said:
What was you singing for?"
Because I wanted to. most respected
stomach-in-Chief." I said viciously.
you have no right to sing" said Cen
eral Shafter. sitting down on the grass.
This is a serious business We have he
fore US and the charming art Of warbling
in the greenwood is out Of order"
saw the general was sad himself and
I sympathized with him.
Look here general" I said. I'VE have
fought two days. We have been riddled
and raddled and razzled by Spanish Maui
ser bullets and we are discouraged Ger
vera is still in the harbor. We have fought
all day and Santiago is s,il there with all
my souvenirs which a Spane stole from
me. Now who is to blame
The general dropped his chin on his
vest and thought moment and then said
with terrible earnestpess.
III be goshhggled if I know who is to
blame Do you2'
rose 70 my feet and pointing my ter
rible fore-finger At him said in a voice
OF thunder.
YOU"
He rose, pale as a biscuit just before
baking with -four sprInkled on it and said:
Speak man, What do you meaG?"
kept my finger levelIed on him and in
awful tones went on:
Listen. General and eater-in-chief This
Is SATURDAY evening. Yesterday was FRI
dav. Look not in scorn upon me I can
prove il by the almanac. Tomorrow is
Sunday. Two days we have fouSht. Two
days YOU have led us into the roar and
carnage Of battle. Santiago and my sow
euirs are still there. impregnabie"
Il know all that said the general wear
lily.
silence I commanded haughtily TAX
ing a fresh chew Of tobacco and fixing
the general with my eye. Let me con-
tinue You have failed. Why? Lack 8
counsel. say lack OF COUNSEL This is a
free country. mean the United States s
a free country. No man ought IN be bet-
ter than any other man. And Yet here.
destruction without my consent or cOun-
SCI. You lead me. Curly Kirk. INFO battle
without even asking whether I think the