Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-07-06
JIMMY WALLACE,
Diminutive Negro Pet of the Ninth
United states Cavalry.


United states Cavalry.
A dog often makes a good ,regimental
pet, but from an article in the New
York Sun it appears that the Ninth
United States Cavalry has a pet that
excelled at least one boys admiration.
What 1t is will be seen from reading
the Suns account of visit made by
boy and his mother to Camp Wikoff
at Montauk Point. They had had a.
most interesting day, and on the way
home the mother asked the boy what
he had enjoyed most. Without hesita-
ton he replied:
"Oh, Jimmy Wallace!'
For a moment she was surprised;
then she realized that from a boys
standpoint Jimmy Wallace probably
was the greatest attraction in that
strange city of tents by the sea. She
had first seen him early in the after
noon, small black boy, with sweet,
childish face, gazing up into an officers
eyes with adoring. appreciation. The
officer was saying:
''Now, Jimmy, don't do it again. You
gave me an awful scare when they said
that they could not find you. l thought
you had got on some train and been
carried off. Don't wander far from the
camp"
And Jimmy touched his ridiculous
cap in true military style and scamper-
ed away.
f1v0 nd hi nd VI
Ing his suspender on the one button of
his ragged trousers, and for blissful
ten minutes she and her son had Jim
my all to themselves. AT first he was
shy, as any important little boy might
have been; but presently he lost him.
self in the glory of his achievements
and possessions and then indeed jim
my was brilliant.
Il did live down in Tampa" he said,
'but didn't have no folks, so de Ninth
Cavalry dey took me long wild dem to
Cuba"
II suppose you were in the battle at
Santiago? the woman asked, with a
smile.
"Yessum, I was, an l didn't hide.
stood long by de Colonel all de time.
/ saw de Spaniards all covered up wild
leaves Like de trees, an dey shot at us
like murder. An sometimes dey yell
out, 'We'se Cubans!' an den when
we uns went up close dey'd fire on us.
Yessum, an l wasn't scared. / just
ran after de Colonel"
After a pause he went on, looking re-
gretfully down at his airy costume:
Use got a suit just like de boys, an
a gun, an little Spanish pony named
Buffalo Bill an "a mule named Jack, an
Use got little tent all fur myself up
on de hill by de Colonel -an'-an
OATS what I got!' with a final burst
of pride.
The woman could not believe all that
he told her, for he was certainly not
more than ten years old, so she went
to one of the Ninth Cavalry and ques-
toned him. Yes, it was all true, the
trooper said, but the boy had left out
one item more touching than all the
rest. While he was standing by the
Colonel in the battle of Santiago a
bullet went clean through his left foot,
and when he was lifted up to be can
ried back with the wounded he said:
use glad got de ball stead OBJ de
Colonel"
When the woman left camp at night
she spied Jimmy Wallace in a side
tracked parlor-car eating slice Of
watermelon which almost hid him
from her view.
Goodnight, Jimmy" she called.
"But why did you not tell us about how
you were woundedY'
Down went the watermelon and all
the white teeth showed.
"Why, I done forgot datH' he said,
and again he attacked the melon.
"Poor, little felloww she murmured.
''PoorH' exclaimed her little boy
'Why, I'd rather be Jimmy Wallace
than President McKinleyv