The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
THE WORLD ISN'T so LARGE
NO. 4 or THE FORMER ALCOHOLIC
DEGENERATBS HAS A STORY.

II and looked IL over" remarked Ex-Tank Nc.
4 Of the Harlem Club of Former Alcoholic De-
generates after the club had disposed Of the
regular order the other night. 1T looks big
from New York, and it looks pretty derned big.
too. when you're crossing an Arizona desert on
the ties. with the water tanks about 140 miles
apart; but l guess there are bigger worlds than
this. anyhow"
Cant lose your creditors In this ono. hey ~
amiably suggested No. o. who has a sarcastic
turn.
Never had the luck to find any creditors
until j became one Of the charter members OF
this club" responded No. 4. which In itself Is
a sad thing to reflect upon. and ~ironical. con-
sidering that l don't need 'em in my business
now. But when was paid of from the regular
army, in the fall OF 90, after three years I'M
availinEly put in In an endoavor to get 4 COM
mission from the ranks. the three
Hold on there a minute. " interrupted eG-
Tank No, IL, the clubs stickler for accuracy.
Dye mean to inform the members of this
club that 80 lately as 1890 your habits were so
correct as to enable you to serve three years In
the army OF the United StatesP Are you
aware Of the fact that, IL such is tho case.
your eligibility for charter membership in this
organization Is In question and in need Of re-
consideration by the whole clubp Hey2"
We'll, I'll tell you about that" said No. 4.
- " ONSh W ~ AlAINO llulBVh ~ 1911
Fort Candy. up In the State OF Washington. on
the Pacific Ocean. or Alcatraz Island. in the
harbor of San Francisco. and take note OF the
fine, skilful construction OF the roads at those
heavy artillery posts, and you ask the station
airy Provost Sergeants OF EN- who built those
roads originally, you want to stand by to hear
my name mentioned and this will probably
lead the old Provost Sergeants to enthusiasm
about me, and they'll tell you that | was tho
finest wliteWlsher of WOOdSlnlS. chicken
coops and picket fences, and the most hustling
gravel digger, and the liveliest wood, splitter,
and the most scientific sewer tusher. and
1 understood you to, cay that you we're in
A.. That's what l was-a buck private. But /
most mos ~ Of " The f three S years IA } You s seS. they had
o%a.n!tS9srn p at both g R b and iAlIeHtraz"
"fwent1 il. to get a commission. but the can
teen 9ueered me on that proposition" said No.
4 eao rHSS see IN w 6sde yq to vet T Sset t. 10 pass Sssr by Gu ihe
tiers from the %canteep, as you have to do at
GqnBY and AlGatraz, why. you're liable IT,
my Questions. But What's ali this got to do
with the smallness Of the world. I'd like to
~. "R ! down. 2TwGG!ye" said the Chief h
AYE" asgentsd all Of the members in
d4 HFhs tss M Ts@t thFes fo ohsRs o psia Sr from Al
catreS Island on the same az that wPy;n re-
of the country. On the day the four Of US were
paid off and went, over TO San Francisco TO-
membership into any club OF Former Alcoholic
Pegenerates whatsoever, fol-, none OF, us was a
busted from post Sergeant Major at Candy and
helped me at my steady whitewashing Job fora
t moniim; Ann am o e s u y Frame m house. rie dc DOWN as; 69s
the trail in ii Waco. and he bad been a running
mate Of mine in the mill off and on eyer since
had got the Oorporal's stripes down the
sides OF his legs after three months ser
! E5Gt: D pay ' DAY q" az the hTat ]aanto e .sa ana { he d ala ten
days alongside of me at carrying coal. with "a
ssaiisy On 56f his foIj eEs After rn tha It, H HsE8F % M any
l haq G &c Iab 693ttSfFE y f tks m f9FF W 5glly i -four rd days be-
the morning, Monk and ran tho guard.
dcer's quarters at lIcatraz Island. and. Monk
with a guitar and a. | With a fddIei We started IN
I got u mdnth and a month e~ach-which means
the month in the clink and the loss of a months
Tin view Of all Of which. it is natural to sup
pose that when the four Of US were turned
dred in his clothes, we weren't going to hunt
Up any yiehy and milk to begin on We Al
home-we swore that; We might take a hooker
or two. we admitted, but we were going to get
these So r tb1{ %s| tdlG hsts 6he ei iirit 5 Iat Gs,f 2Ht Of fins the
East. Jack Fahey belonged in Chicago, Cork
M Mo! ! LIN IN s st; I louis, N2Ga af w Williams tda h,ni in
to my folks here that I'd be- back in New York
Just six days after was paid OH from A~lcatraZ.
the Government boat at tho Clay street wharf
in San Francisco, and then We went in a body
Of the hotel didn't know whether to let us sign
the register Or not, because we all had on BUCK
Rilt on him md paid for our two rooms In nd
vance he had to stand for the uniforms. Then
we al went To- a cl9thinE Joint n and rugged out
leather kicks bha $ y lids ;v to say tRSGthi4E of! haR s
5 s!Sket a'D back ei''' Gast, W. ste pFssp Into the
aanndd""weIi' We, got lost at The BeItIa;
Union found my room at ne Palace along
Fahey and Williams there ahead Of me; They
were both sIumbcring peacefully with their
the 1peS ot her in infI front OF OF TIE %qs Rst M Ing M RiT ffh
didn't a tnpg Up at FL FL ana 5ida ne passed sEo,w 6 out N % Of the
in San francisco. and we figured that he'd been
rolled and thrown into tho bay, On the tenth
Der whore or how. but he didn't turn up at the
place whore I'VE were stonping-it wasn't
ping. by tho way. at that ],time-and that
left only WyyilIiams and myself - rcmembert the
aTurkish bath that W 9 both made the simuI-
~taneOus discovery that there. was only S2.4J
ossT oar IN tn pe %S msr2 anSp FdatIy em faGS4i lsGnsntt
watElib lptG gI tbb1 .om atghSt sx} Ehen j,6 Ts mere y r sd both
ordered $if90 worth OF liquids, at our qxHo9se,
no part In consuming. III fact: and when we
showed 'em our sole remainlng six bits we
and he Just liked to be hoped this way.
and WASN'T such a SOB at ne game OF taking