Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-15
A soLDIER's WAY.
Brave on the Dancing Floor as at
Deaths Call. ~

Brave on the Dancing Floor 40 at
Deaths Call.
Abraham Haarscher was one of, the
beaux Of his regiment. He, attended
the dances Of the enlisted men as reiig-
iously as he ATTENDED reveille, out at
no dance was there any particular
maiden singled out for the attentions
Of Private Haarscher, He went the
rounds and danced with every girl that
came to the enlisted mems merrymak-
ing. Haarscher had lodged Indian
bullets and Spanish bullets and he
lodged Cupid's shafts. He saw his
comrades marry and leave the service.
They told him his day would come,
but he laughed at them.
During the course Of his years Of
duty as one of, Uncle Sans soldiers,
Private Haarscher saw service In, four
different regiments and against every
form Of foe that his adopted country
had to face. Few men knew as did this
private what absolute devotion meant.
Haarscher was intensely proud Of his
French nativity. One night at a far
northwestern garrison he was walking
post as a sentinel upon a frail tempor-
ary bridge thrown across the stream.
The ends Of the structure marked the
ends Of his post. ~
A storm arose In sudden fury. The
stream which flowed under the bridge
had been swollen before by the. rains
of the season. In few minutes 1t was
a. raging, roaring torrent. The bridge
began to show signs Of weakening.
Haarscher kept on walking his post.
The timbers were crealdng under his
feet and the water was beginning to
creep over the planking. when the ofi-
Ger of the day appeared at the end OF
the bridge. He saw the sentinel and
his peril.
Come of that bridge, No. g. ne
yelled above the storm. ssf3
Haarscher walked calmly on the
bridge in obedience to orders and came
to an "arrns port" ~
"Haarscher you id fool didn't you
know that bridge is going?" G.
Even as the officer Of the day spoke
the bridge was wnirled away
"That was my post. lieutenant" said
Private Haascher, "and you forget
that am a Frenchman."
At the end Of the Franco Prussian
war, Haarscher came to America en-
bittered because his native province.
Alsace, had become. the spoil of the
enemy. He enlisted almost immediate
| ly upon his arrival in this country. and
until the day Of his death at Fort
Sheridan, he never passed an hour
save when on occasional leaves OF abb
sence, beyond the sight Of the flag that
marked the campus, the garrison or the
battlefields of America.
Abraham Haarscher carried one rec
ord that is probably unique in the his
tories of the armies of the world. In
nearly thirty years service, although
model of soldiery neatness, discipline
and intelligence, he never wore the
stripe Of a on-commissioned ofiicer.
yet refusing chevrons time after time;
his reason for refusing being known to
no one but himself.
Haarscher did not know what the In
side Of guardhouse looked like from
the viewpoint Of prisoner. There
never was a soldier in camp or bar
racks whose rifle and equipment were
like unto his. So at guardmount, as
the neatest soldier, he was chosen for
the duties Of an orderly to the COM
manding officer. The soldier thus cho-
sen is not obliged to walk post, and
when tattoo comes he can turn In to
sleep without fear Of being routed out
for the duties OF the midnight guard
Chicago Post.