El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-01
HIS PROMOTION


army officer whose bronzed skin and
/ sharp, piercing eyes denoted that he had
! just come in from the froutier-that is, so
much of that great frontier as is now
left The sight of this young lieutenant
brought 10 mind the hard time he had
getting the shoulder straps aud of a mar
: row escape be had shortly after bis blue
uniform was adorned by the plain yellow
! shoulder bar.
About nine years a 90 he an en-
! ployee IN Que of 5he departments and.
owing TO a change Of administra ton. lost
/ his position Like great many of those
Who work Tor the gDrernment, he had
4; ignored the lesson in the fable IF the ant
| and the grasshopper. 7-hen he vas
turned out the world be received u
cold reception The far dollars he had
were soon spent. snd .hep his credit vas
gone. and at last hunger stared him in
the face. II xas while the knocking and
gnawing which come after day two
without food were making themselves
felt that he saw United States flag
banging ont nf window an Pennsylvn-
mia avenue. On the lower edge of that
Tag were the letters, In big black type.
Recruiting Office" The young man read
those words. and in a fit of despair as
cended the stairs 20 the office above.
lie was greeted by hig sergeant who
sized him up and then told him that he
would have IN return the following morn
ing. the officer who enlisted men had
gone home.
But want to enlist now said the
applicant
well. you can't. my boy" said the ser
geant-
Say. old fellow. you Just fix me so
can stay hero until tomorrow" pleaded
the young man.
'Oh. it's hungry you are. is 1t? Well
I'll lot You stay overnight, and maybe the
captain will take you
That night he had his first meal in two
days. 1t was not such rs he had been
accustomed to. but it was "filling," as he
afterward said in speaking of it, When
il came 9 o'clock. the sergeant walked
into the Squadroom and ordered the half
dozen recruits into their beds and
turned ont the light. not, however till he
had called the roll. for army discipline
comes early. In the darkness the ex-
clerk lay awake. thinking of the past; of
the days when he had been receiving a
good salary. of the manner in which he
had dissipated all of it. and of the many
friends-thoSe who were his friends while
he had money. The past was dark and
the future was even darker. What could
he. a young man of good family. amount
to after five years in the army? Several
times he arose and was going to escape.
but each time the mite of courage that
had been revived with a full stomach
oozed away. and when morning came he
was still an applicant for enlistment.
Breakfast brought hack some spirit.
aud when the officer came in the young
man was ready for him. The severe
medical examination was passed. and. ev
erytbing being satisfactory. up went his
right hand. and he swore to bear true
allegiance to the United States aud to
protect it against it's enemies whomso-
ever. In few minutes the doughty look
Ing er government clerk was transformed
into n decidedly awkward government
soldier In n uniform that had much the
fit or n gunny sack on n bean pole
Some time passed. and the young SOL
dicr vas ut his post think il was Fort
Niohrnrn. Kansas--and he had different
appearance. His clothes fitted him per
fectly. and he knew how to handle his
feet and hands Tie wns n corporal in n
troop Of tho Seventh cavalry. Two years
passed. and no had r"ceivcd promotion to
the highest noncommissioncd rnnk OBJ
tainahlc in n troop-thnt Of first sergeant.
Another year. and his captain had recon-
mende1 him for promotion. His record
had been such that he was ella sscd MS a
merit"rions non"ommissioned officer and
worthy Of Incoming n commissioned Off
Ger IL no passed the examination.
Tho serCcant's hopes and the ambition
he had gained since his cnliStmcptN were
about to d" gratified. Rut. alas. a
cold Hooded rcSimentaI commander had
TO pass on the recommendation. And he
did SO. He Endorsed thereon the one
word "pisapproved." Tho document
was then forwarded to the headquarters
of the department aud there fell into
kind hands. for the cold. unfeeling colonel
was mad" to tell why he 5isa pproved. 1t
was for no other reason than that he per-
snnally LISA pprovcd of enlisted men get
ting commissions. This was hardly of
enough weight to set inside army re2ula-
tions. the sergeant was ordered up for
examination
Again disappointment came for he was
sent out in the Geld on a campaign
against tue Indians and did not the
post again till the examination had been
held.
In the next few mouths the colonel was
partial to the sergeant and. opportn-
nifty arising. made him sergeant mai
the highest rank obtainable by a soldier
and still remain enlisted man. Every
one in the post thought that the young
''noncom.'' had won the old colouers
good will by his excellent beha vior while
in the field. This idea was set ut rest
around. for the colonel refused to give
his sergeant major recommendation. and
he alone now had tho power.
For the remainder of his enlistment the
colonel kept the young soldier in the posi-
tion of sergeant jor- The latter had
decided 10 give up. when ono day lucky
thing happened. The colonel was pro-
NOTED to be n brigadier general and thus
taken from his regiment The NEXT wear