The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-27

evidences of prosperity, always has the effect of creating such envious discon- tent that the assertions result from that slight and foolish cause
 q belonged to a troop once that was stationed at the Prcsidio of San Fran cisco. One of our men, bright fellow with a pleasing way about him, and skilIful and inveterate gambler. caught on as q main faro dealer in big San
 Francisco gambling house at the wind LID of his second enlistment It wasn't long before he had an Interest In the
 business himself, and he made money
 fast.
 All logged out in expensive clothes
 and wearing diamonds, he used to drive
 out to the Presidio behind fast ana
 stylish pacer, in rig and tidy trap
 with yaller running gear. Well, after
 few months the commanding officer of the Presidio had to request that ex- swaddle as a special favor, to cease his visits at the post. Desertions by the dozen were traced to those visits. 'sThe bunch would look their ex-mate ovsr and get ambitious all of sud- den If he had made such rattllng good job of 1t In civil life. why couldn't thev. too-or, at any rate, make some sort of a stab at 1t? They went out of the Presidio gate, never to come
 back any more, in sets of fours, just be-
 cause they had seen the visible signs
 of the prosperity of man who nao
 formerly bunked under the same roof
 with them.
 "rhe death of a cherished officer. or
 even of a very popular enlisted Tnan.
 is often liable to start an epidemic or
 desertions In the far Northwest. at
 dinky li.tle two-troop post. there died
 First Lieutenant, who was enorm-
 onsly prized by the enlisted men.
 This officer died of too much drlnk He was a fine man and a sulondid sol dier-neyer was a better soldier man anywhere-but the drink had him. and If took him. The men, though. didn't think any the less of him for that al- though they all felt pretty sorry for him, for drink was a thing that had got beyond him.
 "Often when he was officer of the
 day, and I was humping my guard posts in the middle of the night, I've taken that officer to his quarters-led him ouiet-like by the arm, and him not saying a word. but just submitting like young 'un. He'd be proving around the post in the dark, dazedi and not able to take care of himself "But he was a fine mana grand athlete, too, until the drink 5apped him and he was square to us bucks of the barracks, and fought our battles in the teeth or the Olu IllGH-tHo "&JS S-s too. He wouldn't stand for anybody imposing on us, and Well. as near as men can get to loving man guess us fellows loved that good man and square officer,
 Pretty gulpy layout. we were. son, when we scraped out hole in the hard : frozen ground for that one, and tossed him into it. and fired the volley over him, and listened to the blubbering kld of a windjammer sounding taps. The Assertions began the next day.
 'Thev missed him. They said that the post was not only lonesome, hut un- canny, without him. When, a month later, the outfit was shifted to the Southwest, we were not much more than one troop. instead of two-and the cashing in of an officer with the heart and gizzard of & sure enough man was the causs of it.
 And, talking of the transferring of outfits, that, too. has go to be takon into consideration as cause and, in the aggregate. a big, big cause for de- sertions. Men who enlist in certain