The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-10

~ was q memorable b1rtnday OF
mine, April 23, in the year
1877, for had just turned the
quarter of a century, and left
II Charing Cross on the evening
of that day for certainly the
most interesting and pictur-
esque campaign 1 have ever Wit
messed War was officially declared by
the Russians ON the following DAY, anu
the sharp-beaked eagles, surrounding
the pillars OH either side of the Rus
sian embassy in the Moslem capital,
were covered a few hours after dawn
with black drapery to signify that
diplomatic relations with the SUB
Russians officially threw down the
gauntlet on the Gath, they commenced
hostilities by crossing the turkish
frontier on their patron saints day,
st. George, the evening left England.
I travelled night and day until
reached the little Paris Of the east, as
fond Rumanians love to call their
capital. I had hardly arrived in
Bucharest before I was Informed by a
good-natured colleague that must
catch the evening train for lbra1la,
which I did, and was fully compen-
stated for my further exertions by see
ing fired the first shot of the cam
paign which came from Turkish
monitor on the Danube. The shrek
of the shell scared few people on
the sidewalks of the street in which 1t
arrived. 1t then entered and spoilt
building, and at last, burying it's nose
in the cellar below, it remained there
for months unexploded among the
wine casks, a relic for s1ghtseers.
That projectile was the first fired in
Europe Of the terrible war which,
civilized world. I also heard the
echo Of the last shots of the cam
paign die away in the valley of the
Martha when the triumphant Mus
covites entered the old city of Sultan
Selim the agnificent-Adrianop
peace proclaimed on the plains of San
Stefano, within sight of the minarets
of COnstantinOple.
Archibald Forbes and I chummed
together in this war, as on the previ-
Gus campaign in Servia. My comrade,
who was always a genius in the way
of equipment when starting on the
warpath, had invented a remarkable
travelling carriage covered with leath-
err and fitted with Sundry wells, which
made an excellent habitation for two,
the door of the vehicle at night be-
coming a bed-place by a simple ar
rangement Of the cushions. A pro-
lection from the tilt of the wagon
kept us perfectly dry whenever 1t
tory opened to the front. An assert
ment Of canned meats, tea and COT
fee, with a cooking stove, were stored
in the wells, and behind was a COW
cred rack for baggage. Hitched to
this multum in parvo on wheels were
two little sturdy gray horses, one of
which was blind. But this Forbes
maintained was rather an acquisition
since it made him steadier in crowd.
A Rumanian Jew looked after
the horses, and Andreas, a former
servant in Servian days, looked after
us. When we came to a halt during
the day our wagon showed further
accommodation in shape of an an
mex, for, ingeniously arranged in q
roll on it's roof, was a spread Of can
vas which, by undoing a couple OF
buckles, could be stretched at con-
venient angle to a pair of tent pegs ir
the ground. A hole for Kitchen was
dug on the lee, side of our movable
villa, and a small folding table and g
couple of camp chairs constituted the
furniture.
Forbes was so proud Of his inven.
ton that he used to aver that after
the campaign, if he could find a gooc
pitch for it in the summer months
say the garden of Grosvenor square
Or the inner circle Of Regents park
he would take it to London. How
ever, our comfortable little movabl,
home was not associated with us fo
long. We were unfortunately com
PEELED to cut it adrift one memorable
morning, when we hurried off to tn
famous battle ground of Plevna, an,
It's grateful shelter and valuabl
stores were lost to us for the rest O
that campaign.
1t was on June 20, two months afte