The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-06-14
WILLIAM j. VARNES.
Another Fulton County Boy
Heard From.

Mr.. NarneS is native of Bel
fast township, u grandson of the
late Elder Joseph Correll and a
former school teacher. A few
years ago he event west" The
following letter will be interest
esting to his many friends.
81 went to Bucyrus, Ohio, in
April, 1895, and passed the teach.
ers' examination there. July 10,
1895, l enlisted in the U. S. Army
at Cleveland, Ohio, and was as
signed to the Eighth Infantry at
Fort ID. A. Russell, Cheyenne,
Wyoming | passed two eXami-
nations for the Railroad Mail
Service while at this place, and
was transferred upon my own
application to Battery q, Third
Artillery, at Preside, Sanfran-
cisco, California, in May, 1897. [
received an appointment of sub
stitute Railway Postal Clerk,
March, q, 1898, obtained my
discharge from the U. S. Army,
by favor, April %, 1898, and was
appointed Railway Postal Clerk
for a probationary term af six
months, upon the expiration of
which time | was discharged.
This discharge was caused by
my having reported the clerk-in-
charge, with whom | was run
ming, for being under the influ-
ence of liquor, and for making me
do his work in addition to my
own.
Cali clerks receive a probation
AIRY appointment of six months;
and if they prove satisfactory, re-
ceiye a permanent appointment;
but | was unfortunate in this re-
spect. | was a class clerk, and
they put me on class 4run from
Cheyenne to Ogden, just at the
time we were receiving great
ship loads of mail from Manila.
We had to work day and night
with only few days off; but the
k-in-charge wanted to do the
sleeping and wanted me to do the
work. He was class ) clerk at
Sl350.00 year and was appoint
ed by favor during Cleveland's
first administration.
Major Frank w. Hess, Artillery
Inspector ON the staff of the Com
manding General Department of
the Columbia, who is president of
the board of officers for the eX-
animation of enlisted men for
promotion to the grade of second
lieutenant, is native of Fulton
county and he says he knows you
well. He is Il son Of the late
Jonathan Hess of your town and
is Il very nice gentleman.
| forget to write you that | re-
enlisted at Fort Stevens, Oregon,
April ), 1899, for Battery M, ,
Third Artillery, at which place |
am stationed now. Fort Stevens
is situated at the mouth of the
Columbia, opposite Cape Disap-
pointment. We have here a fine
battery of six ten-inch rifles
mounted on disappearing car
riages, and battery of eight
twelve-inch mortars ON spring
return carriage; also, two batter
les of siX-inch rapid firing guns.
The ten-inch battery has been
named by the Secretary of War,
Battery Lewis and the mortar
battery, Battery Clark. Just
across the river at Fort COlum-
bia, which is garrisoned by a de
tachment from M Battery, is a
battery of six eight-inch steel ri
hes (the other guns | mentioned
are made of steel and are rifed
too,) mounted on disappearing
carriages and battery of six six
inch rapid firing guns.
"You can see why there is such
an agitation for an increase of the
artillery arm Of the service. 1t
requires fourteen men to man
one of the ten-inch rifles, includ
ing eight men for the ammuni-
ton detail, twenty-five men in all,
and it takes nearly as many tC
man one of the other guns and
this for one relief only, TO say
nothing of the extra details al
range finders, plotting boards, re