The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-09
PRIEST SENT 70 manila
FATHER HART, POST CHAPLAIN AT
FORT SMELLING, LEAVES
FOR THE FRONT
is POPULAR WITH THE BOYS
He Was In Spanish War and Also
in the Filipino Campaign Be-
fOre-Has Liberal
Views.

Father Hart, post chaplain for eight
years at Fort Smelling, has been assign
ed to duty in the Philippines, and left
last night for San Francisco, whence he
sails next week on transport.
Soldiers as a rule are not overburdened
with sentiment, nor are they an emotion
al class, but today there is genuine
feeling of regret at the fort, not ono
of toe hardy, and, perhaps, hard-swear-
ing Ducks but is sincerely sorry TO
lose the genial chaplain. He was no
long-faced; straight-laced divine, and he
was not forever DINING into the ears OIL
his flock the manifold dangers OF the
broad path that leads to destruction
Ever ready to enter into whatever -1un
was going on, always kind, considerable
and gentlemanly, he was general favor
lite, and Catholics and Professionals alike
were ready to swear by the Father"
The merciless provisions of the new
army bill are responsible for the taking
away of Father Hart. Post chaplains
have been abolished, and regimental
chaplains substituted. The reverend
gentleman has for the past few years
been with the Eighth infantry, the home
battalion of which is stationed at the
fort The new regulations rendered it
imperative that he be assigned to regi-
mental duty, and he has therefore been
ordered to join the two battalions of the
Eighth now stationed at Manila.
This is not the first time that the chap
lain has received travelling orders Dur
ing the Spanish war he was with the
Third infantry at Montauk, l.. l., and
later was assigned to the Third infantry
for duty in the Philippines. He sailed on
the transport Sherman, and the voyage
took him through the Red Sea and around
the Philippines by the European route
He was with his regiment until invaded,
and then he returned to his own boys
at Fort Smelling, where he was received
with open arms. This was less than
year ago, and now he is once more
bending his steps in the direction OF
Manila and will be away for an lndefl-
mite period.
Father Hart is one of the four Roman
Catholic priests in the regular army
service and, according to the testimony
of hundreds who have known him well,
is one Of the most popular in the army
Many years ago he was stationed with
a regiment which was engaged in a
frontier expedition against the Indians.
An officer who was there at the time
attended many of the services conducted
by him, and yesterday described one OF
them to a reporter of the b e,
I'm the morning he said mass, using
for a pulpit a wooden block covered
with the stars and stripes. AT this only
his co-religionists were present Later,
at II o'clock, general service was held,
and the father faced his congregation
Of several hundreds, with a Moody and
Sankey hymn book in his hand. Gospel
hymns were Justify sung, and then the
father led in eXtemporaneous prayer,
after which he delivered a straightfor-
ward, manly talk, thoroughly undenomi-
national in character and thoroughly to
the point. He was a prime favorite
with the boys in those days, and his pop
ulartty at the fort is quite as great"
AS has been mentioned above, Father
Harris first visit to the Philippines was
made via the Suez canal. He came back
across the Pacific, and he has therefore
circumnavigated the globe in the service
of Uncle Sam. His present trip will be
his second across the Pacific, and as
many of the boys in the Eighth at Ma
Mia are old acquaintance Of his, his
arrival will doubtless be hailed with joy.