The National tribune., 1899-08-10

of tie war-,f tha =,,riacirie Involved in it;
He simply wanted u be 4 soldier why, !
know not. He was Il ma = oi medium
hight, five feet eight. or eight and half,
stoutly built, but not heShys Weighing from
155 to 100 pounds,
The Examining Surgeon IN has ease was
a Regular. and seemed disposed 10 apply
the same rule to volunteers tliat lie mac
previously followed in examining recruits
for the Regular service. He stripped the
man. measured the girth o. his chest and
hips, the muscles OF his arms and legs
listened to his respiration, noted the actioA
of his heart, even examined his teeth, asked
almost innun.crable questions. seemed IN
doubt, but finally passed him. SAYING:
ENLISTMENT OF LoNEY.
my good fellow, accept you as volmn-
teer. but as Il Regular would reject you-
I'm glad O. that; thank you, s:iid Loney
in answer.
When we had reached the street. after
looking around to satisfy himself that no
one was near enough to catch his words,
Loncy said. in rather low tones: >,
q! was afraid he wouldn't pass me, SIR.
"Why?' | asked; for he seemed to re,
physically, a much better man than the
Il don't know why, b;lt twice in the old
country | was rejected. and when they
wanted men, too. for scrTlce III india
They didn't even stop TO question. mach less
=. --AN
said woVldn't do. And two mo lths ago
tried to get into the Muriles al 81: LOUIS
it was the same doctor. | think: lie sald
No. the moment lie saw rlr, J''st aS tie
English surgeons did. L wanted 10 ask
him why, but dare not"
The man. a.s / ssliI a mo .nent ago. seemed
to me far better man than the average;
and | wondered at his Rejection. he had
a very large head. almost perfectly round,
and it was percliel OF q very long fecA
This gave him ut first sight 4 OLD appear
ance His features were good, the eyes,
perhaps, rather small. set deep IN his head,
and surmouuted by great shaggy hrows,
but the face was not otherw sc remaraaDle;
certainly il was not repuls'ye-fttAef i
dull, good-uatIred face. ] thought. Judg-
ing from both face and figure, he would
make StroDG. hardy, Sery.ccatie and al
obedient and faithful soldier. Yet tia re
must have been Il reason for EiS previous
rejectiols, and | wanted to know what t
was.
geon soon became sufficiently acquainted
with him to repeat what Loncy had told
me. and to ask what it was that mt d
him for the Regulars.
He answeral that he could moi tell why
the English Surg@o GS had rejccted hun;
his own Objection 10 tie man was his pecli-
liarIy large alL round head and his very
long aud thin neck.
Among Regulars" he said. where
general symmetry Of form IS considered, he
would be so different from the others, that
he would become = butt for ridicule, to which
he would be peculiarly sensitive. He is n
keen. cunning fellow, though not of high
general intelligence. and if perSiStenIly
made sport of, though he might remain
passive, and apparently needless, for a
long time, he would eventually revenge
himself, not by retort-he lacks the wit for
That. but by violence, and he is a Hercules
in strength. Among volunteers, however,
where all sorts of oddities are admitted,
and where some variations of dress may be
allowed, he VIII not be so sure to excite
comment Other peculiar men will be in
the company with him, and by wrapping
up his throat he may cover that remarkable
neck OF his 50 that its small circumference
and abnormal length will not be noticed.
In every other way he is a gool man. Aid
him if you can in hiding his single defect,
but do not mention 1t to him"
When Loney came to be dressed in uni
form, he did present a striking appearance,
one calculated 10 excite ridicule, and in
the Regulars the result. ] think. would
have been as the doctor said. He altered
his coats. however, and so far as | know
escaped open ridicule, though when he
was not present his long neck was often
spoken Of
The comrades OF Loney. however. soon
discovered another peculiarly quite as
remarkable as his round heal and long
iool than any other four men III the con-
pany. He woiti absolutely eat all that
was set before aim. provided. only. it was
sweet; bit he woIII not eat tainted m at.
strong butter. nor aaythilg lg muSty. He
did not see n to really neel mOre foo than
she mltocity of his fellows. If h. got the
usual allowa Ie.-lS much as the Others
he never gruTnDlsi, bat he coull. and would.
II he could get it honestly. eat twice as
much as any other mai could hold. He
4 f. Ill,
. AT CAMP DOUGLAS.
At Camp Douglas, Chicago. while our
regiment was in procGS5 of formation. our
company hal but one mess. We always
ha / all the men could eat: 40 man was ever
hungry there because OF lack OF fool, and
at every m al there was cOo'iAi fool left,
goo |, wholesome foo that Ia not been
touched. 1t was gross waste. but parts
OF ioiYe5 Of brea |, even wholc lolyeS a day
old, large pieces OF boiled meat gallons Of
rich soIp. Were thrown into the swil barrels
by the COOKS o! all the CO On1lnies. used
10 think that, if allowed, Loley would have
eaten it all. lie did eat all ne hal time TO
eat. Yet ut Fort Dolelsoa, our first battle,
where We were 20 hours without food,
Eo1sy did not grumble. while many OF the
mo ierate eaters did. When we got food
the qua Itity was very small. but Loney
seemed perfectly satisfied with his share
After We got into the field we obtained
no such extra ratons as we had received
at Camp Douglas, but generally full ra-
tons. more than the men could cOnsume
We divided into four mesSes. The non
commissioned officers We're in one; the
privataS divided into three. The surplus
of the non-com nSSjoned mess and of the
one he belonged TO all went to Loney, and
he ate it all.
His inordinatc appetite did not seem to
affect him in any way. He never was on
the sick list; never answered Surgeons
call, or complained OF feeling unwell. |
don't think that from the day OF mis- enlist
ment to that Of his death his weight varied
apound. He was not ashamed OF his appe-
tte, as many men would have been, vet he
never boaSted vi it, as other big eaters have
done.
ANOTHER REGULARITY.
One more popularity. He was the
strongest man III the company or regiment
think the strongest man--for all manner
OF lifts without apparatus-in the army.
perhaps in the world. A box of cartridges
was considered a good load for a man, and
only the strongest men were detailed to
handle them. | could barely lift one /
could never have shouldered one if my life
had depended on my doing So That was
the way the boys usually carried them. in
loading and unloading boats and wagons
though generally the man who carried was
helped to shoulder the box Often scores
OF men were engaged in such work, some
sMrs. Elizabeth W Pulls, widow of Com
rade Wash r. p;Ilic ~ ID -C,L M