The daily Alaskan., 1905-04-22
A FAMILY AFFAIR

We had with us In C company a man aheat forty years old named Reuben uariman. and he was the only man among us who kept close mouiiicd about his identity and his family his- bory. Some of the men thought thcc was good reason for this, but ii didn transplre that Hartman had anything 10 be ashamed Of The truth came oui mo day as he was marching and stun hllnc over a bad road, and when hls paticnce had become exhausted hc said:
 ,t;aul iurn DanTs hide, but 1T l had him here I'd wallop him till he couldn't holler, What on earth did he 90 and do it for and bring an this trouble on mey'
 Some of the boys asked him who nanI was. and then the mystery was solved. nan'l was a brother who had come south and enlisted in the COnfed- crate army and was then known to be in among the troops confronting us. If Reuben was a good Union mau nan1 was no less a good Confederate, and fl Reuben cusscd Danl for the war his adicctives were supposed to be re- turned with interest
 We wondered if it would 70 happen that the two would meet In battle, but time went on until we got around to Petersburg. As our regiment took the rife pits in the center Of Grants lines one day Reuben was one of the men detailed for the pits. At this point Union and Confederate pits were not mor,a than hundred feet apart and tO show head above the earth was sure death. Reuben had high pitched voice. and any one having heard it could identify him In the darkest night lt began raining soon after he and a comradc had rcachcd the pit and thc brother soon began the same old tirade against Daniel
 suddenly a voice from the Confcdcr ate nit opposite shouted out:
 Say. now, hut shuck my hide h | don't know the critter who owns that vOice.'
 .who be you over therey' called Reu- ben as he started up.
 "rm nan1, ot course"
 You don't mtsn itg'
 .Ycs. do. and you are Reube. I'd know that voice of yours if l hcard tt i'm Chiny. Say, old man, how are ye, and how are an the folks at honey
 I'm well nun, and the folks are well nun. but I'm powerful mad. What did YOU 60 and turn rebel for and make an this trouhlcy You hain't got a spark of decency about you. nani Hardmanw
 I'm as good as any old Yankce." rc. piled Daniel
 "Yos ain't either Just let me eil bolt of you. and you'Il sing a diaereni tune. want you to come right over here and surrender and behave your self. To you hear mey'
 Their conversation tn the pits was heard by a score of men on either side, and first one would cheer and then the other When there was a break In thr talk, a Confederate would shout across
 Hey thar. Reubc. come over to the house and sce nanl~
 You bad boy, nanl. come home and be lickedr' a Federal would shout h. answer. And for an hour the firing from half a dozen riae pits was sus. pended. When Reuben took his sec. ond trick in the pit he was So eager tc open communication that he exposed his head. and a bullet sent his cap tly. ing ten feet away.
 "Durn your hide. but that was you. nan1v' he shouted as he crouchcd down. "Yes. rn bet it was You hain'i got no more sense In your head than ., % and shoot at your brother, though you couldn't hit barn ten feet away.
 "That you. Reubey' called Daniel
 ~Of course it's me. What you askin' such silly questions forg You never did know beans, even before you ran away and joined them rebels"
 Font git mad" said Daniel. "l thought ii was some other Nguk. Say Rcubc. did you say that an the folhs tt home was wcIly haln't heard froI, hem In a hull year"
 None O your business how they gre. Anybody mean nun to % oa anJ io!n the rebel army needn't be aSkiu lbout decent folks I've got heap o' things laid up ag'in you, young man. and you'n do lot of heggin' when ] git holt Of you"