The mirror., 1907-01-17

worthy president ordered me, !
- in no uncertain terms, to write
an army story, to be read at this
meeting. Believing that implicit obe-
dience is due to one in. his exalted
position, 1 have hastened to comply
but not without many doubts and
fears. For am entirely unfamiliar
with the American army, my military
knowledge being confined to the Brit
ish and Canadian variety. A little re-
lection, however, treasures me, and
this is the way reflect. 1t would be
an extremely foolish thing for me, an
alien, to attempt to tell group of
native Americans about their own
army, They know all about it already
and have forgotten more than [ ever
knew of it. But of the British army
the reverse may be the case. may be
able to tell them something they didn't
know before, which is an object worthy
of much effort. SO, with your kind
forbearance, [ will lead off with per-
;sonal experience.
was in Winnipeg, when the South
African war broke out in 1899, and was
a member of the local militia regiment.
When the government called for volun-
teers, to form an infantry regiment,
for service in South Africa, 1, with
hundreds of others, enthusiastically
offered myself for medical examination.
There were only sixty men required,
and there must have been thousand
applicants. 1 passed swimmingly in
everything but height, and this was the
snag l stuck on. The regulations re-
.quired minimum height of five feet
six inches, in bare feet. By fierce
stretching | managed to make five feet
five and half inches. No go. Two
years before, the surgeon, who exam
ined me, had passed a couple OF men
for the Queens Diamond Jubilee con-
.tingent, who were turned back at Que
bee for being too short. The doctor
was assessed the railway fares both
ways, and apparently he was not TAX
ing any more risks. l tried all the
schemes 1 could think of, but to no
purpose. I was left behind, as were
over nine hundred others. In this case
half an inch was as good as eight
thousand miles.
I was sore, but recovered, and some
three months later, 1 volunteered fol
service in garrison regiment in Hall
fax, N. S. The British regiment ther
in Halifax, viz, the Prince of Wales
Own Royal Leinster Regiment, was tt
60 on active service in Africa, an(
Canada was to supply thousand mel
in their place. cunningly reasoned
that, when more troops were required
from Canada for active service, thi
garrison regiment would have the frs
chance, false hope that Knocked m
afterwards, when L saw three cOntin
gents sail, while we continued in garri
son at home.
This time, when the same surgeO
measured me, he gave my height a
five feet six and a quarter inches, a re
markable growth for three months.
didn't mention this fact, for fear h
would turn me down again, and wa
duly enlisted. In view of my militi
experience, the officer commanding tn
district appointed me acting sergear
over the rest of the recruits, and on th
18th of March, 1900. 1, with corpor,
and ffty-one men, entrained for Ott'
wa, where the right half battalion, 1
B, G and d companies, were mobilize'
I had sole command after the trai
pulled out, and it was an exciting 9.
perience. One man tried to desert {
the station platform at Winnipeg, ar
every time the train stopped, ] had
have guard to hold them. The su
ply of bottles and TASKS, that they hs
brought with them, lasted thru Il
FIRST day, and on the second th'
wanted to procure Q fresh supply. b
Il was determined to bring them
sober, and so, with much difficult
restrained them. 81
On our arrival at Ottawa, we we
met BY an officer who marched us
the exhibition grounds, where we we
,quartered three or four days, prior