The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-27
WIS ONCE 4 COLONEL
But Now Plain Private Was
son, Years in Disgrace.
AT "a HE HAS HOPES
To Cancel His Past in Service
in the Philippines.

the lips of an elderly man. but one still
straight and soldierly, came the clear an
swer Here"
James Robert WATSON, West Peint grad
uate. ex-United States engineer officer,
and ex-United States psymaster. vas
answering his first roll call as a raw re-
cruit.
1t was hard to define just what as
passing in Wasson's mind while the Ser
geant in the gray light OF the Virginia
morning was running through his Toll
call. was Wasson's first attendance at
military duty in eighteen years. X was
the first time that he had stood in ranks
to answer his name in almost thirty Years
The last time that he had said Here"
was in the area OF the old barracks AZ
West Point. when as a gray-clId cadet,
standing side by side with his chum and
classmate, friedrich D. Grant he lad
listened to the pattering call of names by
the cadet First Sergeant He had attend
ed reville as an officer Of engineers m The
United States army and later ate res
igpation from the service o t,,is country
as an officer high in the Sc VICE OF Japan.
where he won media ar hon)r for
bravery.
Wasson's next glimpse OF the service
was as paymaster in the army Of the
United States. a position to which 1'ress-
ide1t Grant had appointed him after us
return from the far East. Then came
tempta ton. then the falLand WATSON was
cashiered from the service Of his coun-
try. Eighteen years Of repentance and
upright life followed and now at the age
of 81, by special permission Of the War
department and by special request Of old
time classmates and friends. James Rob
ert WATSON, one time Colonel has enlist
ed in the service as a private with the
firmly expressed determination 20 w;Da
out by good service the one act which
disgraced his past.
1t will take all Of Private wass on's
fortitude to stand without ninching the
changes in his life which the change in
his rank will entail When Wass1n was
a paymaster his was the easy solny life
of a STAFF officer. Stationed more than
ninc-tenths Of the time in th@ great cities
h, reported for duty at 10 O'Clock in the
morning after a luxurious breakfast at
one of his clubs. His office hours were
over at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. and.
though short. were broken by an hour for
with the other STAFF officers.
During Wasson's career as paymaster
the troops We're paid every sixty days.and
the sum of his actual duties comprised
possibly four or five short railroad trips.
or at worst a few stage trips. taking up
about five days Of every two months He
was Jim" or WATSON" TO all his equals
and supsriors in rank. and Major 10 all
his juniors. He was an honored guest a
army social affairs and he Jed the ger
man with the Generals daughter
Private WATSON, Third Cavalry. Fort
Myer. va. meets the Major Of his squad
ron. The Major and he walked post to-
gether at West Point. They NAV have
been the most intimate friends. In the
army it is possible that they may nave
messed togethet Now. Private WATSON
looks at his Major. his right hand goes
to his cap in the salute which every in
ferior must pay 10 his superior in rank.
The salute is returned formally and Pri-
vate Wesou and the Mario have passed
each other as # they never met before or
heard Of each other.
Private WATSON I'm attending stable
call will groom his horse under the eve
Of a Second Lieutenant who was unborn
when WATSON wore the shoulder straps
of an engineer officer. Il may be that
tho stripping soldier meanly inclined,
some day will speak harshly % the vet
eran. BY going back into the ranks FOR
the express purpose OF doing what he can
to redeem his past. WATSON has shown
that he Is one Of the kind who will suf-
fer and make no sign.
Il is possible that the man grooming
his steed on Wasson's immediate right Or
left may be some veteran soldier who az
one time served under his command
There Private WATSON vii not look In
vain for sympathy and help. The Officers
will give him sympathy. too. but the in
exhOrtabIe law % the regular ssrvlce has
fixed a gulf between private and officer
over which there f. no bridge
Private wass0n's club HSs % former
years. his short hours and his luxurious
living AZ etaT officer must give place
20 a routine which includes rising AZ
o'clock. breakfast Of hash. coffee AID
hard bread az SD. and drlu and fatigue
work FOR the -esf II the day. There vii
be wood saving. rB5bi-h raklne. and diich
digging FOR Private W8zsan. and II may
5e that some " th!s work wfll ~ aooe
y FnvSie warson In @un range = the
vInE1ws re- his Majors Qua-T-- ~iIfre
NJ mental .oG All BE- seq - r1usn
vi : - nom n the dead yes-s ~ lauces
or dlned
For eighteen years Wassor'g carer n
civil lie has been above reproaeb- fIs
has stoo8 much Ehsn. IN certain places.
the history - he wro1R-5oi-E LEAKED p1f
bur ,ae hardest struggle - bss u<e - 20
come
Hsz squadron viz soosl = % ERE pafip-
pi b. I.I- n6s ard there. under ire eges -
s~orsx q his Old army ch4ane Private
azsoa hopes 20 v5a on t-e fee - ta.~
tie credit which viii rsatofs him 90 tha;
place IN mans ranks fro7 which corr
marital y his fellows oncs sepesss IN. /
Just tEs uloathz before ;he bsttle g. +
zhsch Caster ans his men we're slain. a /
young mn rcse 20 - .hs - = o. III 4
/. na-t Esen5aulin ?. HocEsa1 o. fhe Sew
nj b CavEtTr. Fzsssd ne fac. as ertsre-l /.
Immediately af'eF sn'evius eng oDa SET &
ming se5t have hesF1 ia-s-
'.NH1e-. gcB .ereT
Yes. Ho1Es7n. KS Hner. Ags Tn car f.
- nov and Z wa. 70 eaEzt~
tao hourS izter rcc~usF Carter 80 ~
sea 20 oae % TO- troops 8r 4As Severn +
.svssry. 70 tas eeid szssus- assfffe red
ki-g carter. Or rather AG.sr had aeez
n zr-nT oeaer. bar - ha1 ben rstenrss f
o iss-ltsszs ~ q c9n-t marital Heferer
80 sansz 5a1 ~ Nes; P9ias- an1 zfsfr-
sszds la re service. aas ihrozEh h,s -
'1sncs The sz-efsrsr Sak afloset - sf-
isi- TIE re- 81 fas e9zmas1 1l3 nat
ms hlzs. ssT - bad eesvhs IL asfser
sslzssaf- Tae osfses-s k1ev BIB. sesf -
hsa. ars sezns - tssm saoze o. a.m
Carte ssla saat - e azzzss "a. i