The Saint Paul globe., 1898-08-24
Minneapolis.
DEATH OF SYDNEY PRATT.
Brave Boy Passes Away in q Manila
Hospital.

brave boy Passes Away in q Manila
Hospital.
MINNEAPOLIS. Aug. 2s.-when Private
sidney Pratt died at Manila, Aug. II. there
passed away model soldier, a modest worth
ana hero. He was the son of Mayor Pratt
he was 70 years of age and graduated from
the North Side high school In the class of
1898. he then went to the state university
Lor three years. After that and until the
coal office. 0 -"'nei
1t is not because Sidney Pratt was the
SON son OF ~ Mayor Pratt that his death deserves
not pc SAID OF any Of those who have offered
up their lives at Manila, but he was an eX
ceptl0nal young man in many ways, and one
oI Whom his comrades could not saw too
much. There was one little incident early In
MS career as a member of the volunteer
army that gives an inking as to his true
character. He enlisted entirely of his own
volfion. His parents knew nothing of his
intentions until he went home one day and
informed them that he had enlisted. Il was
9rtte Pratt Sno snGck Ss Tor them then but Mayor
objections. He realized that he was of apa
an9tb;o ana would be almost useless for him to say
the matter, and asked him If he raised anv
objections about his son enlisting. "A'
Il do not know that it would have made
him why he went to war, he would nrohahI,,
nave nave asked me why I volunteered during the
civil war" S-o
1t was about that time that some Yr,ons.
called on Mayor Pratt and urged him to try
and secure commission for his SON Il
Eaahesa maKes no I'D difference whether he could have
applied for. Sidney learned Of the matter
and he promptly informed his father that If
a commission was offered him he would NOT
take It; It would be because his father had
a political pull, and he did not want If that
rest of the boys. he said ''If I can work
my way up myself. that is all right" ~
Pratt was not high liver, though. He
was remarkably moderate in his tastes. As
rule the youth in the army who does not
!n,, use tobacco in any form, drink beer, or feel
lncllned to take hand at friendly oama
the one who does not take to anv of tbnso
things Is generally put down by his con-
rades as almost too good for the army and
mar nard5y d looked on as typical soldier. There
are dozens OF young men in the Thirteenth
regiment who are not addicted to anv ~
these small vices but I doubt IL there wera
any whose habits were more exemplary
than Pratts, and at the same time he was
about as popular soldier as could be fouad
in the regiment. Every one liked him. and
the members of his company would swear
Dy hlm lie was always considerate when
there was an opportunity to do them a favor.
The cooks liked him because he never COM
planned II the coffee was weak or the meat
tainted. He never found anything to find
fault with.
He had had several years experience in
drill at the university, and rapidly polished
up what he had learned there after he
Joined Company A. He was not known as
a sharpshooter. in fact was one Of the new
men in the company and was not supposed
to know much about shooting He modestIv
took his turn with the other green men. as
they were called, and proceeded to make
seven bulIs-eyes in succession. That made
some of the old shooters open their eyes
He missed one or two points, but his total
was forty-seven or forty-eight out of Dos
slble fifty and no one else in the company
InaQe as good a score. That record did NOT
bother him in the least. When informed
that he had beat them all out, he modestly
remarked. "Did I?'' and he had forgotten
all about 1t in half an hour,