Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-09-05
Was. Out mt the Rifle Range.
AUGUsT "a. 1 A. NJ. 1901

AUGUST Il, L A. M,
Mfr. Edator-Yes. we've been out te
the Rifle Range! Who caresP Whose
business is it? That's what I'd like te
know! The officers are all right; the
men are all right; the Range is al
right, and we're all right. So, whats
wrougP Didn't we have a right to go!
Isn't this a free country, and isn't it q
poor heart that eve reioices? An.
swer me that, or hold your peace while
/ tell you all about it. / won't sci
down anything in malice or try &c
paint the lily, etc., but give it to you
straight. Gus he fixed it up and We
got into the wagonette and rolled out
in great shape. When we got to the
Range, the officers met US halfway,
just like they'd meet the enemy if they
had to. s'Good evening. gentlemen!
Be seated and make yourselves at
home.n No, sir; they didn't say We
ought to be at home. On the contra
ry, they sal out camp-stools, which
somehow don't exactly fit a civilians
notion of e~asiness; but they did the
beet they could under Uncle Samuel's
military regulations, and we took it at
that. The Scripture says. s'better a
dinner of herbs with one of the right
sort than roast turkey accompanied by
the marble heart" or words to that
effect. Hunt it out and get it exact
for yourself. It will be a new expert
ence and do you good or general prin-
ciples. Well, they rendered US the
hospitalitles and We accepted them.
Then the band played and the soldiers
soloed and quarteted and all went
merry as q marriage bell-though, to
tell the truth, all bells, except the COW
bell, sound alike to me. Then we
hospitalitied some more, and played,
and sang ssSweet Home" said ssGood
night" and started for the destination
whose humbleness is equalled only by
it's sweetness. We .srolled along,
rolled along" for a half a mile when
it developed that Gus had left his lam
tern in camp-owing solely to the
hurry of our departure. OF course we
had to go back and get it. From this
innocent incident I fear misconception
may arise. When we got back we
found that another officer had arrived
and of course we had to see him and
undergo some more hospitality. Any
thing wrong in thatP Not on your
life! Then we started for the wagon
cite, just outside the lines, accompan-
led by the officers with more hospitali-
ty uncorked and ready for USE We
accepted it. as by the rules of social
etiquette we were bound to do. Then
we sang two or three parting songs,
the burden of the last expressing our
determination to see the sunrise beau
tify our lovely Valley On the succeed
ing morn. II we had had any doubts
about the ~salu5rity of the Ranges
climate this evenings experience
would have dissolved them as water
does the sugar in the bottom of the
glass-only more so. One of our party
of tuneful voice was suffering from
cold hat day, which had settled on
his vocal chords and tangled them
completely out of tune. He couldn't
sing a note early in the evening; but
a two hours inhalation of the balmy
breeZes of the Range, aided no doubt
by the curative rays of the full moon, |
SO completely restored their power
that, ere we departed the second time,
he was singing like a nightingale,
with never q suggestion of the malady
that had closed his lips for the previ-
forty-eight hours. It was wonder
full, and excited general remark.
Well, we left for home, sound in body |
and mind, and the drive was a mighty
pleasant one with the bright moon
and various songs to cheer
on our way. About hallway we
met a rig with half a dozen men, and
as we passed them one fellow said,
''all drunk" and | really believe they |
were. Now, fearing our company
in some way be COMPOUNDED with
those roysterers, / at this late hour
Il A. ny bannish repose &c that the
truth may be known from an unques-
TONES source. This is perhaps the
more necessary as one of the band,
after We got in town ate rather freely |
of the lunch Gus set up to the crowd
and in consequence, On his way home
ward stubbed his toe and fractured his
In the fall. He fell it Is
true. but he fell to rise again with the
s'I'm all rightf" And SO
he was; 10 am I; SO are we all; and
the mex time the Rifle Range extends
its Inequalities, may | be there to see
1t done. o. x.
P. SIT you can't get this in the
this week, publish 1t in the next
issue. Its Importance bespeaks its