The Press., 1898-01-13
PRIVATE LAUFER.

I remember well the day we all met at the adautant's office to receive our portion of blg batch of recruits who arrived on the previous day Recruits are sent out without assignment except to the regiment in general. "250 re- cruIts to the Tenth cavalry. for in stance.
 ~ Then the colonel. stiff old West Pointer. from the general list assigned to each troop the number required to fill up the gaps the last campaign had left We were all standing around the porch as Church, our adJutant called of the names of the men for each troop, A, B. C, D
 As each man s name was called he stepped one pate to the front and side step to the right. so that they would form a separate squad when the list was completed When my troop, J, was reached, 1 naturally had a general in terest1 in what manner of men might fall to my lot, but 1 confess 1 was not so absorbed as l would have been If l was receiving 20 horses instead of re- crults .:..~
 However. l was short of good timber just then and was struck by the appear ance of the man who stepped out as Church called George Laufer His crisp. distinct Here ln reply to his name made me think that It was his own and name he was proud of The vast majority of enlisted men names in the army. like those in the peniten- tlary, are fictitious and run from Chris tlan Scripture to George Washington. with only one rule seeming to govern their select1on-the better the name the worse the man Christian Scripture was the worst soldier drunk or sober. ever knew ...4. .. .~..
 Laufer. however. had every mark of a well bred man about hlm, was ot an aver age height. with a light. strong frame. weighing l65 or TO pounds. young with brown eyes and haIr small dark mustache. clean, well groomed face and 8 complexion that dissipation would now clear and healthy
 My sergeant took the squad and marched them down to the troop quar- ters where. With my lleutenants. 1 ln- spected them. listening to the stories of all the reSt-the same old story l had heard thousand men tell and vary only ill detall-as to where they lived, wheth- CT they were married. why they had en- listed, etc Laufer promptly told me all that It was reasonable l should know and as promptly showed hIs manhood when any irrelevant question was pro- pounded by declining to answer | was satisfied that he had told the truth and that l had luckily picked ul | 1ewel of man made up my mlnd that should he fulfill my first 1mpres- I slons during hIs setting up and grad | uatlon from recruit to a private he should be a corporal after one or two | tours ot guard duty
 The colonel frequently came around from one troop to another during the ceremony of stables Morning and even ing a cavalryman horse Is thoroughly | groomed. ted and watered, each private and corporal grooming the horse he rides the extra horses beng taken care of by the recruits or by the stable guard | when there were no recruits
 That afternoon 1 was right glad te walk down with the old man. as we called our colonel He was a harsh ont | and swift In "hls punrshments yet no slow Ill hls rewards-Just. but colo blooded and almost unmerclful. mar in many ways cordially hated by us all yet ln many more ways ldOllzed by every one who knew hlm. We turned into my troop stables. and to my utte, astonlshment5l found my stable sergean standing With Recruit Laufer. ready fo my order to put hlm Ill the guarCthouse Dressed now 1n hls white stable frocl and trousers he looked typical caval | ryman but there was that ln hls fac' | mot defiance. rather determ1natlon- plainly showing that he had made hi decision T.. F.:
 l Whats the matter, Sergeant Cars well2', asked the colonel
 Recruit Laufer refuses to groom hi horse.~ SIT. reported CarswelL with hl hand at the visor of hls cap. -....
 Refuses to groom hls horse. eh?' the colonel asked, with that twang il hls voice which every soul from the klt bugler to the lieutenant colonel knev meant mischief Then. turning to Lau fer 1n- a manner to make stout nerve qulver he asked :..
 Why won't you groom your horse?'
 
 cause such was not explained to me a part of my duties when 1 enlisted sal Laufer salutlng but steady as veteran
 The you say roared the old man now mad beyond all hope of calming Sergeant Sergeant Carswelli Ser geauti he yelled
 r. Yes. SIT said the sergeant wh had stepped aside to look after the oth CT recruits E-t
 Sergeant Carswell. have the saddle make a halter for thus: man, tle hIm u in thls vacant 'Stal1 when It $ on hlm feed him in the troJ..,h, lead him out t water and bed him with straw unti further orders'' '.+ -
 "Yes, sir" " Carswell saluted and le my good timber away to obey that or der, from which there was no appeal
 Rather a bad beginning for a man had picked from the batch to make corporal" l .smilingly said when W were alone again. ,s zsa- 1*
 "Oh. you can't tell, !" the colonel re piled and then, we talked about tn Wint saddle and the new carbine W were trying and other post subjects UT til he left my stables. "@e >.-