The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-21


the side Of q house, and under the wrin-
kles there is a chest like a hogshead Of
Burton beer. II he is not ornamental.
he 10 impressively picturesque, and il I
were q Spaniard, or two or even q half
a dozen ~Spaniards, ! fancy / should be
anxious to keep out of his way. He
has distinguished himself a dozen times,
and does not know the meaning of fear.
The stout, solid looking, elderly gen.
tleman in q straw hat, who, in his So
verely plain blue uniform, looks like a
metropolitan police superintendent. is
the general-General Wade. The other
placid, stout, solid, elderly gentleman,
who also looks like a metropolitan po-
lice superintendent, is the other gener-
al-General Shafter. They are not gilt
tering ornaments, but General Wade is
known throughout the army q q Eight
er from Bloodville. and General Shat
ter, though he occupies SO much Of the
space in his rocking chair, has been ia
nous ever since the war for the vigor
and dash Of his fighting methods. The
men who stand or sit about In groups,
looking like overgrown school board
men, are all oficers-majors and cap
tains and lieutenants. You could not
describe them as snowy, but they all
stand like athletes, and they all have
the easy, confident style Of the man who
knows his business and who knows that
he knows it.
Afoot they 60 with great swinging
strides, mounted they sit in their sad
dies as if they had been born there.
Physically, they are as fine soldiers as
one could wish to see-every man a pic
ture Of health and strength. Each man
and to the European eye it seems so
strange as to be almost ludicrous-each
man seems actually to retain something
of his own individuality. Every man
seems to retain, as well as his individu-
atty, his own intelligence. That, to
the European view, seems almost horri-
BILE. How, you wonder, can an officer
exercise complete command over an ag-
gregation of separate Municipalities?
questioned my lieutenant upon this
point. why, my boy, I" said he, that's
just it-intelligence. The American
soldier has moro intelligence than any
soldier in the world, just because he is
expected to have more. He can't point
his toes like a Boston gosling, because
he doesn't have to. He doesn't have TO
learn any parlor tricks like that, nor to
dress himself up in parlor clothes, because
he doesn't have any kings and empero-s
to come and amuse themselves looking at
him. But he's expected TO be intelligent
because he needs intelligence in his
business. and he's taught to be o daisy
shot and o daisy horseman, and IL you'll
give me an intrenched position and u
regiment Of our boys I'll hold out for q
show down against any infantry force
You can bring against me. Yes, Stree,
with 20 Of tho boys, the major ver there.
held off more than 500 Indians up In
tho White valley for three dnys-and
that was after ho'd been corralled, and
had had every horse in the troop shot
down. Why did they do it? Because ov-
cry boy used his intelligence as we'll ns
his rife"
In the vitality important evolution of
saluting an officer tho American SOL
der, as l have seen o dozen times n day
with my very eyes, ID very far from
perfect. Sometimes in tho street when
an officer passes him the huge SLOUGH
hated fellow will take no notice at all.
Sometimes he will bring his hand mp
10 his head slowly and wave what is
more like a friendly recognition than n
military salute.
No, they arc not at all ornamental,
these American soldiers, neither officers
nor men. But az an example Of q fine,
frank, straight, honest. kindly, lovable
gentleman, strong, and brave and up
right, the American officer commands
my enthusiastic respect, and as to the
men-well, IL you looked the lower
regions over FOR a collection Of hard
sHascled giants. with the eternal bonfire
Rlittering Ina their eyes, you could no