Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-07-28
A STUDENTS ENLISTMENT.
A Local True Story of the Present
War.


A Local True Story of the Present
War.
Nebraska State Journal, July l..
The Omaha World-Herald of the
18th inst, contained this item: AL
bert Watkins, Jr., who was rejected
from company \ on account of light
weight has been accepted in company |
through special permission of the war
department. Captain Underwood re-
served the place for him in considera-
ton of his ability as a drill MASTER"
That pessimist who goes about
grooming over the notion that college
training enervateS young men or de-
stroys practical qualities in them had
better study the campaign this youth
of nineteen conducted against the
positive opposition or the unanimous
discussion of kin and companions, to
get into the army. He has attended
school without cessation since he was
five years old; he graduated from the
Lincoln high school, four years
course, and is within few months of
graduating from the state university.
At the outbreak of the war he enlisted
in the First Regiment, but thinking
him too young, his parents withdrew
him, though he had passed the exam
nation and had been mustered in,
| just as the regiment was starting for
the Philippines. But the boy was
going to war: and on compromise
promise that his parents would con-
sent ii their should be Il second call,
| he waited.
When the call came he Joined the
home company of Bryan's regiment.
! But he had also been ambitious to be
tall and had given so much attention
to growing that way he neglected 4
little the technical military require
ment as to laternal expansion. He was
rejected on that account alone, for he
had been counted athletic at tennis,
boxing aud the punching bag. But he
was going to war. He thought he
could get a hearing in the war depart
ment and took his case there. y
modifying order was sent to the re-
cruiting officers, but true to their
tradition they were 10th to be over
ruled and there was a technically in
the way. The boy was going to the
war. SO he preferred to lose the
chance to 60 in with his home COM
pany, which by this time was muster
ing and the Office to which he had
been assigned in it, rather than run
risk of final rejection just then.
The emasculated student knew Cea-
sar and Napoleon we'll, and he said,
"There shall be no Alps; He under
stood Grant, so he would fight it out
on this line if it took all summer. He
kept the Washington wires hot and
secured a more sweeping order. Still
the martinez recruiting officers threw
obstacles in his way. They cajoled,
exhorted and protested, but the boy
saw the fine thread of finesse that ran
through their solicitude for his life
and health, and after their last assault
on his fears and tirmness, when his
closest friends charged him that he
would now surely yield and go home,
he said, " am going to the war"
He exacted the benefit of the letter of
the last order from the war depart
ment, an he has gone to the war.
In the meantime during the weary
weeks of his anticipation and suspense
lest he might be thrown out for the
reason given this enervated STRIPPING
of a student had carried on a course
of studies in the unworthy summer
school in the day time and in the
night time, while in the evenings he
trampled this streets of Lincoln as
drill master, assisting in moulding
the raw recruits of his expected com
pany into military form.
1t is "Out of the west " that young
Lochinvars rightly come. And it is
because they are "as dauntless in
war" as they are in getting into war,
that American soldiers are victorious
and their victories clean sweeps.
But this incident affords boon to
the opposition Of certain women's
philanthropic societies to the teaching
of military science for three or four
years to our young meu in the univer-
sity becaus it inculcates the military
spirit in them.
Discovered by Woman.
Another great discovery has been