The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-09-29
DON'T BE IN A HURRY,
Very Sensible Advice to Young Men
Who Were Not in the Army.

Who Were Not in the Army.
Smith D. Fry in the Burlington Hawk
eye: But what of us poor devils who
, were. not old enough to be in the army"
Isl question which is uttered every day
in washington by young men seeking
official positions. They feel that the Old
soldiers are In their way, and ought TO
get out of',he way OF the rising genera
tion. and that the law giving the vet
Grams the; preference should be repealed.
Again and again have heard the COM
!, plant, with sarcastic illusions to the
length of life OF the veterans, such as,
J "INill they never die?"
Young man, half a million OF them
died WHEN you were In ylir cradle
Ten thousand OF them died g!dc of hf-
teen minutes on the morning Of June 3,
1864, In front OF Cold Harbor, when te
Army of the Potomac made an assault
all along the line. Twelve or fifteen
thousand OF them died on June q, 1864.
In the Same month Of the same year, all
around 1Ienesaw's bloody heights. Many
thousands OF them died In prison or In
rebel hospitals, naked. hungry. suffer
ing, unlovrd,a and far from the dear foll;s
at home. Many other thousands OF
them hobbIe on clutches or flag empty
sleeves In the breezes. They are dying
fast enough. Half million OF them
still live, but every one OF them, barring
none. bears in his body the mark Of
battle or the germs Of disease contract
ed while campaigning In order that this
government might not fade from the
earth. But for them there would be no
government for you to serve, nor to
protect YOU. Don't be in 4 hurry. young
man! Don't be in hurry! These old
veterans are marching off the field b,l-
{ gade by brigade, every year. Regiment
after regiment Is disappearing over the
!. brow OF the hill OF time. They are
marching away into the valley OF tho
shadow. right Into the river of death,
bravely az the Old Guard at Waterloo.
Don't be in ] hurry. young man! Don't
be In a hurry! These old soldiers are
T. IIul SHiHtS OiA kut hGbI, sliu lHcy VIII
soon. all too soon for me. be out OF your
ungrateful way. God bless them. I
wish they could live forever, as their
fame will live. Sherman Is still here.
Is he In your way? Let him live. and
live on; for Grant has gone. Sheridan
has followed. Thomas is in the land O.
the Lcal. Mead Is" no more. Gone are
the SERTED columns which stood "in the
way" at Gettysburg. Fredericksburg,
Atlanta, Chickamaugn, Lookout, Vlcks-
burg. Bentonvlle and thousand othc-
places. every one OF them Their
mopylae. Their deeds are blnzoned
upon the history of more fields than
/. your weak brain can remember. The
will soon be out OF the way; but while
they are here. the republic will give
them the preference.
Very soon after the publication Of
those lines. they were reproduced In the
soldiers' papers everywhere, and The
writer was repeatedly called upon to
read them at Grand Army campfircs.
Z Hon. p. Fl. Brst0w, of Des Moincs.
wrote poem dedicated 10 the writer OF
the defense Of the veterans. which has
never been published heretofore. 1t Is
given now. because now Is an appro-
pirate timc 10 have 1t read and ponder
cd:
"In tho Way"
Tie In In my way: will ho never dIc7"
Said the vain young man as he drew n
81 nm tired and sick: this veteran crew
is always on hand where there's aught 10
do.
~ do never turn but there's Some old vel
TO dispute my way--,o IVORY and fret:
JIG has had his day. and hope. Gre long
lie Will not DO known, eXecpS In song."
Well I, may DO best that tho world for
Tha terrible strife and the old SCARED
He never has asked and he does no, non.
That all In the world shall 10 his VIII boTS.
But listen, IT s:,i yoanE man. who would hayG
90 swift on tho path to the last re,rrnt.
Can yog tell mo where you'd have been
II ones %sia vets" had no, siood-"in Tho
wayT'
l, was treaaoa's hour. and ike great
pail