The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-11-16


former member OF the outfit, decked
out In happy muft rags and exhibiting
other evidences Of prosperity, always
has the eect OF creating such envious
discomfort that desertlons result from
that slight and foolish cause.
Il belonged to a troop once that was
stationed at the Presidio OF San Fran
cisco. One of our men, bright fellow
with q pleasing way about him, and a
skilful and inveterate gambler, caught
on as main faro dealer in big San
Francisco gambling house at the wind
up of his second enlistment. 1t was
net long before he had an interest in
the business himself. and he made
money fast.
"All logged out in expensive clothes
and wearing diamonds. he used to
drive out to the Preside behind a
fast and stylish PAGER, in a trig and
tidy trap with yaller running gear
Well, after a few months, the COM
manding Officer of the Preside had to
request that ex-swaddie as a special
favor to cease his visits at the post
Deserticns by the dozen were traced to
those visits.
The bunch would look their ex.
mate over and get ambitious all of
sudden. If he had made such q rat
Ting good job of 1t in civil life, why
couldn't they, too-or, at any rate,
make Some sort of stab at it? They
went out of Preside gate, not to come
back any more, in sets of fours, just
because they had seen the visible pro-
sperity of man who had formerly
bunked under the same roof with
them.
THE death of a cherished officer, or
even of very popular enlisted man,
is often liable to start an epidemic of
desertions. In the far northwest, at
dinky little two-troop post, there
died a first lieutenant who was en-
ormously priced by the enlisted men.
This officer died of too much drink.
He was a fine man and a splendid sol
dier-never was better soldier man
anywhere-but the drink had him, and
II took him. The men, though, didn't
think any the less of him for that,
although they all felt pretty sorry for
him, for the drink was a thing that
had got beyond him.
often, when he was officer of the
day, and | was humping my guard
post in the middle of the night, I've
taken that officer to his quarters
led him quiet-like by the arm and him
not saying word, but just submitting
like young 'un. He'd be prowling
around the post in the dark, dazed,
and not able TO take care OF himself.
But he was a fine mana grand
athlete, too, until the drink sapped
him-and he was square to us bucks
Of the barracks, and fought our battles
In the teeth of the old man-anJ al
ways won, too. He wouldn't stand for
anybody imposing on us, and--Well,
as near as men can go to loving a
man, i guess us fellows loved that
good man and square officer.
Pretty gulpy layout, we were, son,
when we scraped out hole in the
hardfrozen ground for that one, and
tossed him into it, and fired the vol
ley over him, and listened to the blub.
bering wind of a windjammer sound
ing taps. The desertions began the
next day.
They missed him. They said that
the post was not only lonesome, but
uncanny without him. When, a month
later, the fit-out was shifted to the
southwest, we were not much more
than one troop, instead of two-and
ha oh m
heart and the gizzard Of sure enough
man was the cause of ii.
And talking of the transferring of
outfits, that, too. has got to be taken
into consideration as a cause, and, in
the aggregate, big cause for de-
sertions. Men who enlist in a certain
part Of the country for service in that
same section don't like to make
long shift to different part with an
other climate. More desertions re-
suit from the shifting about OF regi-
ments than ever appear in the figures.
Soldiers that get mixed up with
women outside the post gates are par.
ticularly liable to desert when their
outfits are ordered away. The soldier
rarely has the funds to pay the WON.
ans way to the new station, and he
doesn't feel like leaving her. and so
there's only one thing left. and that
Is to duck."-New York Sun.
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