Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-01-07
Eccentric Colonel Burke.

SOtOnCl 6uFkG.
yes, said Gen. Coates. Il knew
Col Martin Burke, who was in COM
mand at Fort Lafayette when prison
ers therein quartered made the fort
and the commander subjects of con-
tIoversy. Apart from any controversy,
Col. Burke was an interesting person
ality and an old character l remem-
Der him as one of the old school army
ofhcerS given to some eccentricities
that made me smile then and often
cause me to smile now. He occupied
a trying position, but he made mind
ing his own business a matter of pro-
fessional pride, and he never would
go near Washington for fear that some
investigating committee would get
hold of him.
The boys on duty at Fort Lafay-
cite had constant reminder of the
cOlonefs kindness of heart He found,
on occasion, a dog hurt in collision
with an army wagon or gun car
riage. The dogs leg was broken,
and he was in pitiable- condition, and
the colonel's orderly reported that he
was no better than dead dog. The
colonel, however, ordered the poor lit
tie beast taken to his own quarters,
and in due time the dog recovered,
with supreme disregard of all mill
tary regulations and proprieties.
This latter quality undoubtedly
grieved the colonel, but he stood by
the mischievous puppy through thick
and thin, and wherever the colonel
went with his traditional dignity went
Sam, the puppy, with his abnormally
developed bump of mischief. The colo
mel always appeared on dress parade
in the full dress of the old-time regu
lars. and he held every man in line
to most serious cast of countenance
and most dignified manner. The uni
form, as Burke wore it, was queer
enough to make any man smile, but
Sam. at these parades, was a full
comedy in himself.
He would caper about the cOlOnePs
legs. indulging in pranks that would
make horse laugh, and yet the colo
mel stood there in stately pose, blind
to the puppy's pranks, but watchful
as to the expression on the faces OF
the officers and men in line These
poor fellows nearly died of suppressed
laughter, and they were always won
dering what Sam would do next. But
whatever they expected him to do, he
always did something else, and no
matter what he did, the colonel stood
by him.
THE men on duty at Fort Lafayette
in the latter part of the civil war may
have forgotten the most notorious pris-
oners held there, but l will venture to
say that not one of them has forgot
ten the eccentric colonel or his pa
tient orderly, or the dog Sam. Those
nearest the colonel testified that the
orderly never showed Impotence or
irritation except on one occasion. The
colonel had worked late one night on
some perplexing papers, and, hating
for a moment in his work, pushed his
spectacles up well on his head, in
stead of taking them off.
This was his regular habit, but on
this occasion he pushed the glasses
back farther than usual, and when,
on resuming his work, he put his hand
up he found no spectacles. This was
disconcerting and irritating, and he
shouted, Orderly, orderly; come here,
sir,' The orderly had been sound
asleep for two hours, but he jumped
up, wriggled into his clothes, and pre-
scented himself to his absent-minded
colonel Burke looked him over in
dfsapproval of his unusual appearance
and snapped out. My glasses
1.-The orderly turned on his heel
without a word and in a minute placed
before the colonel two glasses. pitch
er of water and a decanter. Burke
looked at him in amazement and
reared, My glasses, you fool. My spec
eacles. my spectacles!' Then the
worm turned. .Yure glasses, colonel
said the orderly, are on the top of
your head, sor. An We call me from
me bed to tell We that The colonel
in high dudgeon put his hand to his
head, but found the glasses, and then
said, Having found the glasses, go to
bed at once. l never would have
found them myself Any reference to
Hotel Lafayette. or Bastile Lafayette,
or Fort Lafayette always brings to my
mind the figure of quaint but soldierly
Col. Martin Burke.''-Chicago Inter
Ocean
The Flag at Washington.