River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-01-09
2 r IVA z Z
TIONS SON .s
BY LYNN ROXY MEEKINs.
copyrighted by Daily story Pub. Co.,

TT WAS in the midst of the civil
war Harner went out to take
last look at the field. A battle would
certainly be fought the next day. His
own differences had been corrobora-
ted by hint from the headquarters
to which he was temporarily at
tached.
When he first appeared as war
correspondent, full of the romance
that his work promised, he waited for
the fights and then threw into his de-
scriptions all the resources of his
ready pen and prompt vocabulary, but
it would not do. He soon found that
by the time his copy was ready the
other fellows held the wires and he
was left to receive pleasant messages
from the home Office about his dis
patches being quite good, but some
what ancient, with an occasional re-
hinder that the paper he represent
ed was not a monthly publication.
So he learned to gather and arrange
the preliminaries and then to dash IN
the details while the cannons were
booming and the bullets were scoring
their points with human lives in the
great and glorious game of war. Even
with the swiftness that experience
had brought him his lot was far from
happy. He did not mind hard work
that was a part of the business
but after he had run through one OF
the hottest and prettiest skirmishes
he had ever seen, had witnessed won
derful deeds of yalor and had taken
his own life into his hands and made
a bold dash across country to q tele-
graph station only to receive in &C
acknowledgement of his superb descrip-
ton the message: "Adjectives are
cheap and telegraph tolls are not"
his feelings were honestly hurt. True
it was that the sl<irmish was but an
incident in the mighty conflict be-
tween the great sections of great
country and history has not found
space to mention it, but Harner knew
that it was more savage and pictur-
esque than many of the battles to
which pages were given, and he wrote
as he saw.
Then, too, there was the restraint
of his work. When a soldier is fired
at he has the satisfaction of firing
back, but it is never pleasant to have
the other fellow do all the shooting.
AS a correspondent Harner was a
noncombatant. He was shot at as
much as any of the soldiers and a
great deal more than some of them,
and he simply had to stand it without
the privilege of returning the compi-
ment.
But he had become used to it all
now and the battle of the morrow
must be attended to. He knew the
locations of the commands; he be-
lieyed he had the plans of the fight,
and he wanted to get the field of OPP
erations so clear in his mind that his
account would be as accurate in it's
geography as in its other important
particulars. He had permission to
rove within the lines and he was on
his way to the line.
AS he turned into path which would
save him some of the distance young
soldier overlook him. He was hand
some and young, with the rosy health
of perfect physical manhood. Harner
viewed him closely and into his mind
came a pity that such hope should be
used as food for gunpowder.
''My name is Monson, of company c,
Eighth volunteers" he said, "ard l
want you to Go me favor"
''Very glad to do anything can, }" re-
piled Harner.
'Your paper goes to our town and
anything that is printed about us will
be read there" he went on. "What |
ask may seem a little strange, but
know that you can do it without much
trouble to yourself"
''Well, what is ?"
''In your dispatch about to-morrow's
fight, want you to report as dead Will
liam III. Monson, private in company c,
who enlisted from Spring Falls"
Harner took a more careful look at
the young man, but there was nothing
in his countenance to indicate that he
was either insane or insincere. But it
SIS emed to be jest, and Harner smiled.
"How would you like it put?" he
asked.
81 don't understand"
''Of course, you want to die a hero's
death. Shall | have you leading your
company over the enemy's rampar4s S;
or dashing forth to grasp the flag from
hostile hands; or picking up burning
bomb; or throwing yourself in front
of your captain TO save his precious
uniform from an approaching bullet
or shall it be just a plain case of dead
in the line of duty with only an empty
knapsack and visiting card to tell the
story of Life cut down in the bloom of
youth?"
'You can fix it as you please" said
The young man, solemnly. 81 suppose
you newspaper fellows have to put
things in 10 fill up and as / am going to
die it won't make much difference how
it happens. But I'll be satisfied with
just line-just say I'm dead. That's
all / ask"
<T SUPPOSE" he said, "that you have
never taken time to consider why my
paper keeps me out here or why