Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-12


A member of the Washington bar who re-
Gently returned from trip to the Ozark
mountains OF Arkansas relates an amusing
experience he had with tall. gaunt ma
tive in one of the most desolate passes of
that range.
I'VE were riding In a springless wagon
over the toughest road it has ever been
my misfortune to encounter In all my trav-
els" said the lawyer. land the desolation
about us was almost appalling. For more
than an hour we had not seen human
being. Suddenly a member of our party
spied the figure OF man against the sky
line ahead of us. AS we approached the
man we observed that he had basket on
his arm He greeted US with the saluta-
ton:
Hello. you 'uns. Be you strangers?
We assured him that were visitors
and remarked about the utter desolation
of the place, to which he replied:
Yes, this is a lonely kentry up hyar in
desc mountains. Thar amt much hyara-
bouts but rattlers an big stones an the
like"
A member of our party informed the ma
tive that we were as hungry as hawks
and asked him If he knew where we could
purchase some food. Uncovering his
basket he exposed about six of the tough
of and informed us blandly that they were
for sale at 30 cents apiece.
"Whew! Fifty cents aplece?" 1 queried.
''Why. at Little Rock you can buy fine pies
ait from 10 cents to 20 cents EACH
Huh" rejoined the native disdainfully,
~ reckon you kin at Little Rock. but yer
In the Ozark mountings now, an say.
stranger. duz yer think I'm up hyar In this
dodblasted pizen kentry fer the good of my
health?"
*~*
THE impression prevails that never be-
fore in the history of war has artillery
been employed so extensively and effec-
lively as In the present Titanic struggle
between the white and yellow races now
going on in the east said one of the most
scientific expert officers In the artillery
branch of our g > I'm manner this
is erroneous, fol is singular fact that
from the days of the Napoleonic cam
paign down to the present time the pro-
portion of artillery to personnel engaged
in battle has been preserved unchanged.
Napoleon had just as many cannon in
play at Austerlitz and Jena per thousand
men In the fight as did Gen. Oyama at
the battle of Shakhe. 1t must be said.
however. that the Japanese artillery was
very much more effective, piece for piece.
than any of the field artillery of Napo-
Icons day.
(Which has the better artillery, Oyama
or Kuropatkin?" was asked.
Probably the Russian is of more recent
date" was the answer, but there is
son to believe that the Japanese is better
served owing to previous drilling" was
the reply, though the Russian gunners
now well veteranized themselves"
Then the officer looked away and remarked
absently, Il don't know that we ought to
say too much about this now; but the fact
is that neither Russia nor Japan can COM
pare with our artillery arm in efficiency
| further and that nation.
not even France with her famous field
gun which nearly involved one of our best
ordnance officers in disgrace, can equal the
modern American rapid-ffre breech-loading
rifle. In accuracy, rapidity of fire, light
ness and endurance 1t Is far ahead of any
known weapon. We have not been able
yet to make many but the output is in
creasing weekly, and 1t will not be long be-
fore we will be able to completely rearm
the field artillery and to turn over the
present guns to the militia"
There is a small boy in South Washing
ton who would rather go to a fire any time
than be called 10 the dinner table. The
ringing OF a bell never fails to attract him.
One Sunday morning not long ago he hur-
ried from the house when he heard a
church bell ring and started on run to
intercept the fire engines. 1t happened that
no engine appeared in that section. but SO
certain was he that there was fire that
he ran across the mall and did not stop
until he had reached the headquarters OF
the water tower
Where's the fre?" he gasped. as he en-
tered the door.
Where's what?" one of the firemen ask
ed him.
The fire." said the excited boy. II heard
the bells ring, but didn't stop to count the
alarm"
There's been no alarm IN today" said
one of the firemen to the fire enthusiast.
You must have heard the church bells. L
suppose they have such bells in the section
where you live"
81 know we have Them the boy admit
ted. but i forgot it was Sunday. and now
I'm late for church"
Z. s X 4
you appear to be unusually glad to see
me- remarked a man who, surprised at the
effusiveness of the greeting which he had
been made the object OF in entering the
office of a friend whom he was accustomed
to see every day.
Il am always glad to see YOU" said his
friend subsiding into his usual manner,
but do you know that when you hove in
sight 1t was just as II 1 was going down in