Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-08-19

enough to follow. II he doesn't, and
unwarily thinks he'd like the privilege
Of selecting his own team, 1t Is like
throwing himself to the wolves. He
gets no second chance Of salvation.
Once and out Is the motto. They fling
themselves upon him and he is dragged
thtther and yon. A torrent Of words
Is poured on to his quiverlng ear-drums
beside which the shrieks of bowling
dervish are as nothing. He makes for
one carriage, only to be snatched TO-
ward another, on the step Of which re
plants his foot to find himself hauled
down and uncermoniously pulled IN
another direction. Not till he final
ly gains the seat is he safe; then the
defrauded retire with cheerful grins to
capture others unsuspecting, while the
victor starts stoically off, and the VIC
tim, mauled, disabled, but safe,
breathes thanks for those dangers sur
vived and takes warning for the next
time.
Then comes the encounter with the
dust. When road to big camp isn't
muddy to degree that rivG's an Irish
bog 1t is dusty beyond the power OF
words to express, and for more than
five weeks no rain fell in the vicinity
of Camp Alger. Over and under and
into everything flies the dust in clouds
that are as binding fogs. The uncom.'
promising plodding of the horses kept
1t in constant state Of upheaval, and
the foliage along the way has taken
on a covering of 1t that nothing short
Of food can remove. TIE color of 1t
would make the New Jers man think
he was on his native heat; 1t has the
same reddish chocolate tint familiar
to that State of the mosquito, and you
can spot in an instant in Washington
person who has just gone In from
here.
The officers Of New York regiment
had great joke en- prominent doctor
of New York city who. accompanied by
Congressman, drove out to see them.
He left Washington most immaculate
ly arrayed and wearing long, rough,
black frock coat-"just to show the
boys what the latest thing was in cts
in New York" He certainly gave
them a treat, though not Of the sort
he had expected. When he finally ar
rived at the colonel's tent he wasn't
recognized. He looked like great
cinnamon bear. His coat and mustache
and hair were all one color and his
face was a dusty mask. With feeble
How are you, old MANI" as he grasped
the colonel's hand, in the same breath
did he demand a basin of water, and
| it was not until sousing had removed
some of the terra firma from about his
lineaments that the colonel recognized
him and fell upon his neck. The next
time he came he wore linen duster.
| The rae and fall of the pride of the
| girls who drove out to see the boys was
simply heartrending. Like the doctor
they went first in full war paint In the
laudable endeavor to look their pref
test. Mostly they looked like squaws
on their arrival, and as each girl saw
the other and knew that she must look
the same the dominating emotion was
chagrin, not to mention the inner con-
victiOn that the gowns were ruined.
AS indeed they pretty much were, and
a detected set 1t was when camp was
reached. But dear to the hearts OF
soldier are the girls whom he knows,
and he is just as pleased to see them
as though they were the prettiest and
most immaculate things that ever hap
pened, and he jollies them along by
saying how dear they are to endure all
that discomfort just to come out to see
him, and then with them all is forgot
ten and the lately devoted "cit" Is, as
usual when brass buttons are about,
RELOCATED to the picturesque back
ground. But the wise virgins took
heed, and thereafter when they went
out they wore the plainest frocks that
the dust will shake from, tied over the
faces and plain hats thick, dust-col-
ored wells, and when camp was reached
I they had the satisfaction Of removing
the latter and knowing that their faces.
at least, were clean.
When President Mckinley reviewed
the troops here few weeks after Camp
Alger was made, he was made unhappy
by the dust. For while he bore it in
dignified and official silence, but final
ly he reached the limit Of endurance
and the order Of the escort to camp was
changed. His guard Of honor was the
New York cavalry, with Troop A in
front of the Presidential carriage and
| Troop c following it. Before many
minutes Troop C beheld its revered
President being swallowed up by a
binding cloud Of dust thrown. up by
the horses Of the devoted Troop A. and