The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-09


(who ranks as a colonel). on leave in
Paris. meets at cafe a major OF a
cavalry regiment; II the latter does not
salute him or mlsbehayes himself in
any way. the naval oHicer can punish
him ON the spot. It constantly hap
pens, for instance. that a trooper of
cavalry regiment passing a corporal
Of the line fails to salute him. The cor
poraI has the right to punish the
trooper forthwith"
The men who were ordered to enlist
at the time that Mr.. Decle was called
were for the most part the lowest and
toughest" in Paris.
There were over hundred Of them
and they were shut up in an unvent-
lated room and ordered to strip all but
their socks, and then they were placed
under measuring gauge, hrst with
the socks on. then without them. To
quote from the books,
THE gendarme who measured us was
q sergeant, and he dictated to a pri-
'vate the result Of his measurements.
When my turn came he placed me un-
der the apparatus and then asked for
my name.
"'Decle,' / said.
And your Christian namer
p" Lionel
Lionel he replied. That's not a
Christian name
''I assured him that It was my Chris
nd a
only one possessed.
"'Well, It's a queer Christian name,
and l don't know where your people
fshed It out he remarked. After q
glance at the scale he dictated:
"'l.7S meter In his socks to his sub
ordinate. He then ordered me to. re-
move my socks, and measuring me once
more pronounced the verdict:
"I.7s meter without socks
"'But, sergeant asked, how can
/ be taller without my socks than with
them on?'
You win perhaps teach me my bus
iness!. he angrily replied, and seeing
that the private was hesttnting to write
down the figures, D you, he shout
ed, are you going to take that down
or notT
'The private silently obeyed. doubt
less accustomed for years to passive
obedience.
His first night in his army quarters
was frightful experience.
81 cannot possibly give an adequate
idea Of the horrible stencil which
caught me by the throat when opened
the door Of my room. Imagine the
odor OF eighty human beings, seventy
nine Of whom had not had bath with
In the last three months; add TO that
the emanatlons from 160 pairs OF boots
which had been in use for an average
of three years, sheets that had not been
changed for q month, and crown the
mixture with smell OF stables when
rose through the floor Jour room stood
over a stable which contained one hum
dred horses), and you will perhaps be
Able, to gather faint idea OF what
the place smelt like"
Each trooper had to take care Of his
own horse and certain number were
told off to clean the stables, N. Decle
among them.
Neither pItchforks nor shovels are
used, the men having to separate with
Their hands the dry from the wet straw
and, having also to pick out with their
HtHgers whatever may be mixed with
the1lItter."
Not reiishIng this sort of work he
tipped another private to do 1t for him,
The disgusting way the men are con-
demned to live, without any means OF
bathing, and only pump out OF doors
to wash at, passes belief:
ut is impossible to realize how men
can live in the state Of 9th which
seems natural to French soldiers
Hardly one OF them ever thinks Of
washing his hands after cleaning the
stables in the way have previously
described; occasionally some OF them
wash their faces, necks and hands or
Sundays or when they have to appear
on parade. but many Of them remain
all the year round Except In the sum
mer season, when they are sent In
patches to the swimming baths) With
out taking a single bath or feeling the
want Of one. It will be seen now, latel
on, when we were permanently con-
signed to barracks. / had to get spec
lal leave from the doctor to be able
to go out and have bath IN the town
When he was In the army the men
gertfood was flung ut the men In til
palls, shat were seldom washed, ant
they sat on the sides OF their beds Il
seaha General Boulnnger however
worked a reform in this as well as II
other respects. and now they sit at q
table. in barracks and eat OF enamelet
plates.
on the slightest pretext, or even with
out any pretext, trooper may be SEN
TO the sale des police, the vlleRt kind o.
nnItinventiinted hole, and there he ma!
be kept as long time as II pleases thu
officer who sentenced him.
His sergeant hated Decle because III
was gentleman and delighted In send
ing him to the sale des police, In which
vile hole he spent his first Christmas
and New Years day as q soldier. Afte'
fifteen DAYS in the lookup Decle almos
fell into the arms OF his lieutenant II
trying to dismount from plunglnl
horse,
You're drunk, you dirty plg"' hi
screamed. "You shall have eight days
saiie de police for drunkenness Then
turning towards the sergeant, he wen
on, Sergeant. can't you see that man Il
drunk? Get him taken to the cells n
once. Why couldn't you have seen be
fore that he was drunk?"
"I'll teach you, you blackguard!" h
added turning to me.
IT said: Sir, am not drunk. I an
And you dare repIy! he agar
howled. you nre always answering
back we will see what that Will cos
YOU. Sergeant he said to De Lnncy
you will put down eight days Sale d.
Police to this drunken swine for having
come to stables helplessly intoxicated
and having made lmpertlnent remarks
TO an officer
81 at once realized that II such re-
mort reached the colonel my punishment
/ would be altered to ut least fifteen dnyl
in prison, and seven days cells. In soil
tnry confinement on bread and water
md that II would further mean n dis
,,rn rn Tor mo from which | ahould neYel