Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-07-24

for him, not hand was waved to him
expressed the hope that he would come
back alive, and yet-he was one Of the
forty who had volunteered to help
bring Company NJ to the maximum Of
strength.
As the train reeled of its miles past
fields and farmhouses and wayside viii
lagos Lawson felt that he had cut loose
from the old life. but there was spirit
Of cOmradeship aboard that already
bound him to his new-found friends
with tie stronger than any he had
known in Round Prairie.
He took to himself a share of the
cheers Of the thrOngs along the way.
1t was grateful music in his ears. He
wished-deep In his heart-that Lucy
might see him with these rOllicking sol
diers. Maybe-how fond1y he thought
it-she might give him the rose she had
withheld In One-time pleading, a rose
that would stand for hope and-some-
thing more.
The train swung around long curve.
A monster dome heaved itself into
view. From it's top dag shook its
stripes In the wind. Another starry
emblem beckoned from lofty pole
"Camp Tanner!" was the cry that
spread from coach to coach. Ten min
utes later Company NJ was inside the
post. Hundreds Of men just like them
selves had preceded them. Hundreds
more followed, and when taps was
sounded that night II 600 men slept the
sleep Of soldier
Lawson began the rudiments of drill
in the awkward squad. The guns Of
the nOvices were sticks. their belts
pieces Of rope or strap, their hats
motley array Of derbies and fedOras.
They We're awkward enough, but-men
do not laugh at the stumbling v0lun-
teer when war looms above the hori
ZOn.
What a day it was-that first Sun
day in camp. Fifty thousand fathers,
mothers, sisters and sweethearts came
to say another goOd-by. They brought
books and flowers and great boxes Of
sweets and poured them around, thick
and redolent as the apples in grand
fathers cellar.
There was something for every man
save Tom Lawson. Nobody had come
to see him. nobody had thought to send
or bring him a souvenir. token Of
love or friendship. For an hour he
looked on the joy OF the others in ST.
lence, then he turned away and crept
into the shadows of tent
The regimental chaplain saw him go,
and guessed the truth.
Significant whispers travelled from
man to man, from company to COM
pany. Somebody secured huge wood
en- box. On it were scrawled in big
black letters, the words:
PRIVATE TOM LAWSON,
Company NJ. Fifth Regiment.
From His Comrades.
Before the last letter was in it's place
there was material enough OH the
ground to fill half-dOzen such boxes
Comrades came singly and in groups
with contributons-the very choicest
bits from their own packages. II a
single man in the whole regiment was
not represented he never had the face
to own it afterward.
Two sturdy fellows carried the box
to Lawson's tent. Company after com.
pany fell in behind and marched along
as escort. Such bubbling up of SOL
diers' zeal never before was seen.
There was no presentation speech.
Somebody reached into the tent and
literally dragged Lawson out of it.
Somebody else thrust into his arms a
bunch of flowers big enough to start
greenhouse. Then they set the box at
his side and cheered until the whole
post echoed with the sound
When Lawson saw the black letters
on the boX-he was still soldier,
brawny and strong and brave as any
Of them. but his lips trembled and
lump was in his throat lump that got
in the way of every word he tried to
utter.
"If that bunch of fellows hadn't
caught me and tossed me in that blan-
ket just then" ne said afterward. Its
a cinch that I'd have been numbering
like a schoolboy over that box"
or course the newspapers got hold of
the story and published it the next day.
For week thereafter Lawson re-
ceived from half a dozen to a score Of
boxes every day from men and women
he had never heard of. There were
flowers and edible delicacies, there
We're books and papers, phials Of medi-
cine and articles of clothing. Bibles
there were enough to stock the com
pany. From motherly women We're
letters of sympathy and advice. from
young girls perfumed notes. telling
Lawson that their hearts went out to
him because-they had brothers in the
service. From isolation and loneliness
he suddenly became the most thought
of man in camp.
He shared with his fellows the con-
tents of the boxes and read to them
most of the letters, but there was one
he kept to himself 1t came from In
diana. 1t was signed Lucy" With it