The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-03-04
rHE eLrrrER sooN Fades.

THE GLITTER SOON FADES.
The officers in the army and navy
nave a good deal to contend with from
rich mems sons that go soldering and
soon learn that all that glitters is not
gold. When they come to themselves
and find that, so far as their superiors
are concerned, they are just like any
other Bill or Jack in the ranks. they
almost invariably begin their frantic
wriggling to shed their blouses for
good and all, and they use the liberal
spending money allowed them by their
parents in their efforts to effect this
end, says the New York Sun.
Wouldn't Let Him Quit.
A few years ago a young fellow
whose father was a millionaire lumber
man Of Michigan, took on after a ca
rouse at Fort Sheridan, near Chicago.
He had been a pampered youngster all
his life; had got his education at Hell
dleberg and had had money to burn
since his boyhood. He was an only
son, stalwart and clever, but a natural
born seapegrace and black sheep. About
a week after this young man found
himself with a Springfield on his
shoulder, humping his little post with
only the shelter of a rubber poncho he
rubbed his eyes, thought it over and
reached the conclusion that he didn't
like soldering a little bit. The next
day he respectfully submitted an ex-
preston of tins feeling to the captain
Of his company, and vas grimly
laughed at for his pains. Nothing dis
heartened, he went to the office of the
commanding officer, a stern strange
man, famous in his day for these quail
tiles throughout the army, and told
him that he really believed he was
aweary of the service. and would the
commanding officer be considerate
enough to obtain his immediate dis
charge? The commanding officer ap-
peared to be in two minds about put
ting the young man in the guardhouse
for his impudence, but finally chased
him back to barracks with a roast.
W%hereupon the young man. doing
his duty right up to the handle and
giving none of his superiors a chance
inaugurated a little scheme of his
own. He vas a member of two of
the SWEETEST clubs in Chicago. Every
evening then, he would doff his uni
form, after having got the required
cave Of absence, don a swell suit
OF multi, drive to a Chicago hotel and
rig himself out in his evening clothes
and repair to his clubs.
Embarrassed the Omcers.
Many of the officers of Fort Sheri-
a were members of these clubs. The
young buck soldier would deliberately
salute them, as the regulations re.
quired, every time he passed his of.
hcers at these clubs. Sometimes he'd
salute each of them fifty times a night
at the two CLUBS, apparently passing
to n from the rooms in which they
lounged especially for this purpose,
and they'd have to return his salutes
every time. The officers complained
ENORMOUSLY to the club authorities OF
this situation, which they truthfully
said caused them to look and feel ri.
d1culous; and they were Informed
that, inasmuch a the young man be.
havei himself with perfect propriety,
and was a member in excellent stand.
ing, they'd have to grin and bear it.
So the officers, finding it impossible
to associate with those who mingled
on terms of equality with enlisted
men, temporarily gave up attendance
at the two clubs.
Bouquets for Bridget.
The young man did his soldering
like any veteran, never missed a call,
never drank to excess while he was
working his little dodge, never did
anything to give his superiors an
opportunity to restrain him to the
limits of the post. One day, about a
month after he had been in the ser.
vice, he went over to Soapsuds row
and talked 70 the laundresses and
told them he believed he'd send them
some flowers on the following day.
He got their namas-Bridgets and
Norahs and Katies &4d Maggies. and