Gunnison news-champion and tribune., 1905-09-08
rU ~TsE 81

q ~ l-.s-fs. ] .tiialI -aV. aout he's Ia
tisa. J. aas shr pictHFs s-'lsl nisa bv lly
ieiies prisons on ng hrsi intr',,ise-
tian h. Sac "ToNer West Esum 81
Libby prison. 3his Nas shr ruem into
s. ieh the .tai1s IRON iaanors vs.sge
Id.
d Was a long. aide. eismal section Of
She varphouso. Wlsh iow ceiling sup
ported - aeasg uprirhfs. Fastened 10
ihore upri his Wurc lev lean t.lieH
sapsllos iram vhish came enough light
g. reveal ma-s ct raggad. paie-facea
usoa sl4o -sosa paoised uPoa the fieor
likc iish 10 q has-set.
! -oun lcaruea tnc caHse ~ the naisc
ard uproar ta.lt had pr,'c tlad nae. The
ia.sta-- esuuo to vicN af ehc head 81
Che stairs tAe rhas g booking thruHg
.ureed toward mc Viaf sucn a SERIES of
G-1ce veila as ! never hffore heard
taouEb afta uari ] iltaalaie ps.rt.sker
s. taosc Understandable or.-ies.
-fresh Frrsh Haai Fresh FISH,
was lno aalltation of tae ragrrd msh,
and every man. not aEly 81 this section
but an over thr prison seemed to be-
swelling she ncEpiioable oherus II
"a resna iishl" / soon learned that this
was che name applied To prisoners just
in from the front. aud thai every man
had to undergo the same form Of in
idiati1n.
w here's vour harragcq" I'm the
porter. give me vour checks" ~Ict me
show you Co ysur raom the best in this
hotel." keep your hands out Of that
irosn-6shs porbet, the Johnnies have
left him nothiug.' Have bath he
fore supper. sirF-' "n1t whisky punch
and ci-ars for two'~ BREAD or blood"
Vita these cries ringing in my ears. 20
the accompaniment Of shieks Of laugh
ter that had in them nothing Of merri-
ment was pulled about. and | would
have fallen had not one OF the men
seized my arm and whispered:
Don't get mad at the poor fellows,
Harry, but come with me-"
The voice of my ridle was that
Howard Scott. turnod and looked
him. ! had not seen him for year;
then there was not a ro gallant nor a
hands0mcr young s'i,.igr in the West.
Now. here BE- wa5-thin, pale aud
raced. but with Light in the fine owes
tlet showed priyauion had not weakened
his spirit.
As he led me through the crowd be
introduced me to other spectral figures.
any two OF whom might have passed for
twins. These iiguros asked me for the
latest news frora the front, and all were
earsf TO learn II there was any prospect
of an Immediate exchange. and. seeing
that J could give them no enovura.5-
- O, On y turned sadly away.
Howard led me into a room to the east.
which he explained was the .'lower mid
die" or Lower Chickamauga Room
the long apartments taking their names
from the armies or battles in which most
OF the officers were captured. The two
upper rooms to the east were known as
"the pper and Lower Potomac" We
went up another flight Of steps and di-
rectly under the rafters we reached the
u PIPER thickamauga, where Howard
hung out, and where | found many
old friends, all looking so changed and
bearing themselves SO bravely that it was
only with an effort ] could keep back
my tears
Howard gave me some corn bread.
'1ron-ciad" they called il: it was heavy
and unpalatable, but as ! had had moth
ing to eat since leaving Bristol that
morning devoured the bread nor heed
ed the bits of cob ON which my teeth
grated
bad just finished this simple repast,
ana was wondering where or how the
swarms of men about me slept, when
from the southwest corner of the prison
voice rang out:
Mine o'clock; post number one. ana
ais well! Lights out up thar Lights
out, Nanks."
Mine o'clock; post number two, and
airs wcll.H
Mine O'Clock; post number three, and
all's wellr'
And 50 from post to post, around the
prison, the cries Of the guards rang out.
while band Of men. who did not ap-
pear to be on guard, shouted: Lights
OUT till the last post ON Carey street
had announced that it was nine o'clock
and that all was we'll
With the first cry of Lights OUT"
the prisoners in the Upper Chickamanra
rushed to the crossbeam. on which
blankets and ovcrcoats were hung. and
began making their beds on the cold,
wet boards.
Howard had an Ovcrcoat and blanket
left him by chaplain who had been
recently exchanged, and. with the
former under us and the latter over US,
We lay down against the brick wall that
separated Us from the Upper Potomac
room.
The prisoners at the other side of the
wall-all of whom were fine fellows. as
| subsequently lcarned-were think the
noisiest crowd ! ever encountered. As
soon as the last tallow dip was out. one
Upper Potomac man began barking like
a dog. and this aroused scores Of roosters
and ducks. geese and turkeys innumer-
able. Thou a child began crying, and
hundred men shouted heroic prescrip-
tions Tor allaying It's collie. IN fix it,-
screamed the imaginary mother. This
was followed by the vigorous dashing
- D. II