New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-01-04
A Japanese w DOING.
[OriginaIl

"a JAPANESE ~ OU111S
| fOriginal.l
| Jiroku Kudo was a common soldier
| in the japanese army. or, rather, he
was driver Id the artillery. One day
A1ineyama, nnrsegirl in Nagasaki,
saw Kudo ride by on one of the horses
dragging cannon, and there was such
an appearance of power in the gun
land was not Kudo, guiding the horses
| that dragged it about like toy, more
powerful than the gun itself p that she
gtraightWay fell in love with him. Ku-
do noticed the girl standing beside the
road, her hand on the baby carriage
that contained her charge, and was as
much struck with her as she with him.
Therefore, when off duty, he waited
and watched for her where he had seen
her, met her, and then and there was
| love affair.
But Mineyama's love had been in
famed by Kudo the gun driver rather
than Kudo the man. Consequently
when Kurota, q young sergeant in the
.
uniform he looked SO splendid that
Mineyama at once transferred her at
fections from the artillery to the cav
airy. The truth is that the same day
Kurota appeared with his fine clothes
and trappings Kudo came along after
driving over a muddy road all day,
| dingy and despatched. Considering
L nysicy Of o,s low hi 70
enough to turn the little nursegirls
affections. 1t was all very well for
Mineyama and the cavalry sergeant,
for that matter, but it was death to
the gun driver. He declared that he
would commit harakiri, but Mineyama
only laughed at him and told him that
he had better go and get plume in his
hat like that of Kurota; then, If he
looked well, she might reconsider the
matter.
| There had been a good deal Of talk
Of war with Russia, and that very
night the japanese fleet attacked the
Russian vessels at Port Arthur. Kudo
had no need to commit harakiri; the
Russians were quite willing to save
him the trouble. His battery was put
on a transport and landed in Korea.
kudo was in a number of fights, in
which his clothes-they could hardly
be called uniform-became so be-
grimed with powder and dirt that he
was in despair. If Mineyama were
to see me today he moaned, ''she
would spurn me more than ever To
make matters worse, Kurota rode by
one day, and, being attached to the
headquarters Of general officer, where
they try to keep everything spick and
span, his uniform was more snowy
than ever.
The great battle of the war was COM
ing on at Liaoyang. For several days
half million of men shot at one an
other. Then the affair took decisive
turn. Kudo was driving gun in one
Of General Modulus batteries, who COM
manded the center Of the Japanese
army. All Of the gun drivers horses
were killed, and Kudo, having nothing
| to drive, turned his attention to his
gun One by one his comrades fell I'M
der the terrific fire of the enemy till
at last there was but one gun in his
| battery available and one man to work
1t-KudO. A general rode by and saw
him putting shot every few minutes
| just where it was needed The officer
was so impressed with the drivers eff
fciency that he said to him:
when we have less to do report in
person at my headquarters
Well, the battle was over at last, and
Kudo, remembering the generals or
der, reported at his tent.
.'Ah, you are the last man to work
the last gun in your battery in the late
battle. Well, yoa are promoted to be
lieutenant. Is there any special desire
that you would like to have gratified ?''
Kudo thought for awhile and then
said:
General, / hear that the -th in
i fantry is going back to Nagasaki to
recruit. l would like to go with it,
.'Whatw asked the general, surpris-
ed. Are you tired Of warp
"Oh, no, general; only wish to
march into the city. / will return the
next day
In what capacity do you wish to
/ 90 with the regiment
AS drum major"
The general laughed. And why, my
brave fellow, do you desire to go home
as drum major?''
81 love a little nursegirl named
Mineyam;t who is much Impressed
with fine uniforms. If she sees me
with all the gold lace and trappings OF
drum major, tossing my staff in the
air, she will be much impressed and
4 perhaps will make me happy =
You shall have your desire, my good
man, and when you return want yor
on my staff. You are the first man
have ever met who has the sense tt
properly WOO a woman, and a mar
with so much brain in that respecf
must be wise in others
q The next day Kudo marched to the
coast with the -7th infantry, boarded :
a transport and was taken to Nagasaki
The people were wild with enthusi
assn over the great victory, and TIL,