The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-06-01
A QUESTION
OF METHOD
Young Bowen's Contempt
Z For Army Red Tape.

| 1t was easy enough 10 "do things" II
you only "got down on your four legs
and exercised" that his friends, botl
new and old, expect n great deal OF
him. But they are yet awhile no near
er dropping the Objectionable introduc
tion TO his name than they were three
years ago, when Bowen had no better
sense than 20 spend week OF his pre-
cious time In the attempt, according &c
promise, 10 collect an old and out
lawed debt from n vanishing person In
the east for the benefit OF some one "at
home" Then and always they called
him young" Only this winter he had
an experience which should have beer
formative. IL stunned him, perhaps
but he awoke unchanged.
BoWens brother, a soldier In the reg
ular army, went TO the front in 1898
The stay at home, however, bore o
heavier burden OF the dlstrcsses OF the
campaign I'm Cuba than the one who
saw the battles. When he read In the
newspapers that the army was keenly
suffering for food while whole shipfuls
OF stores remained untapped at anchor
n few miles off the beach, the young
man seethed with pent up irritation
pent up until he had finished n scrap Of
breakfast at his boarding house, where
there was no one but the landlady, and
she deaf, and found the ear Of an nc.
quaintancc down town.
SAY, what good are those gcneralsi
They amt lit to be pitching hay! Say
ia get rope on 90 every one OF those
ships, one by one ana haul 'cm mp on
shore, and I'd dump 'cm out and I'll up
the brave fellows fighting for their
country till they was gorgcd"
"You couldn't do that, or anything
not If you was a general" said the
other. Red tape" lie repeated the
last words decisivcly. "Red tape"
"Id ravcl It all outw cried Clancy
and hurried Off. That was the man.;
this is the simple experience:
The brother came back from the war
not bit the worse either for the fast
ing or the fighting but the chance OF
army life did not bring him within
reach Of Clancy's arms for more than
n year Then, after everything else
had been said, the soldier let fall the
information that he had been obliged
20 leave his extra clothing, together
with most OF his worldly goods. at the
barracks in California when hc was or
dcrcd to the front and rcgrctfully wish
cd he had them now.
"Where did you put the thingsY
asked Clancy. alive at once ready to
take charge OF the matter Of getting
them back.
Captain told me TO pack my stuff in
my company locker, and ! dld-No. 6j,
Bcnlcia barracks, Second infantry
storchousc." ratified off the soldier.
"Well, all we have to do Is TO write
out TO the man, the jantor, or what
you call 'cm, who keeps care of the
building, and ask him to send your
duds along ell, as you have need of
'cm here. III fix it up FOR you"
IL dunno" said the other hcsltatlng.
ly; that wouldn't be quite right you
writing the letter ana all. I'd better
ask my captain TO write. Hen say
communicate 10 the chaps out west
Then it'll all be regular"
"Oh, WELL" Clancy shifted; that will
do. | s'posc. Is your captain a good
fcllcr? VIII he tend up TO II sharpi
If not, you'd better let me-
But the other interrupted decidedly
lie would do things I'm the right way
and II would be better I'm the end, lac
said.
Several months passed. Nothing was
heard from Bcnlcia barracks. Clancy
tried 10 make his brother punch up
the captain. lie even wrote fcycrcd
appeal himself to the man who, he
rcckoned, must have taken away those
things and sold them, but the soldier
would not let the letter bc mailed. The
brothers nearly split up over this qucs.
ton, for Clancy said nc was ashamed
that one OF his family should have SO
little hustle" I'm him.
IL tell you It's no use TO do anything
hut wait" said the brother In his stu
pid. firm way. And last week he was
proved right. A red mixed. blue linked
green linked bundle of paper all pasted
together and strung out with a pinned
copy Of his letter TO his captain, came
TO the soldier. lie brought the thing
To Clancy at the first opportunity.
"Snakcsw said the young man. "ls
that quite all? Conversational, amt
Il? Well, let's see. Respectfully FOR
wardcd TO the adiutaut, Bcnicia bar.
,scks, with request that search he in
stitutcd for the purpose of finding the
clothing said TO have been packed
away That's from your captain, and
they call Il the first Endorsement
Clancy turned and twisted the wad of
papers about until he found what he
was looking FOR, then read:
"'Second Endorsement. The box lock
er referred 10 was shipped, with all ITS
contents. To Fort IcaVcnworth. Kan.
on Dec. \, lSIo.' and nc says ne knows
you might possibly get IL IL you ap
piled TO the Quartcrmastcr at Fort
Lcaycnworth That's good news
Course they haven't made IL take any
more journeys since. Now your cap
tain takes n hand. He's respectful. hut
he puts his paw right down l see that
request that the contents be forward.
ed as soon as practicable
"'Fourth Endorsement. Respectfully
referred TO the quartcrmastcr.' That's
at Lcavcuworth Now we're getting
warm. Fifth Endorsement Respect.
fully returned the adjutaut. Fort
Leavenworth. Kansas he says. Wen
he's found your stun and wants 'au
thority To- shin That's what wc'r,
after. sixth Endorsement Respect