Bisbee daily review., 1907-11-03
SO YEARS
FOR LOVING
FILIPINO
Skinny, Mop-Hairedr Pigeon
Toedn 6id Cause of Bright
Soldiers Ruined Career
Was Promising Officer

3
too. But there are some other rea-
sons
Pretty often desertions become
epidemic in a military post. Any
number of things can start an cpl
stop il short OF switching the whole
layout TO another post, and even
thai doesn't always work.
Il recall the deserving epidemic
that broke out in Fort Sheridan, near
| Chicago, a few years ago. Inside
of three months only the skeleton of
the command was left. The thing
was started by an outfit of unpopu-
lar officers who fell to quarreling
amcng themselves.
One domineering or unjust officer
! in a post can cause more assertions
/ than bad rations or crucifying fatigue
I or practice march duty. Once
| knew a little Tunt of a shavetail just
/ out from West Point TO cause 2S
men from one calvary troop to jump
/ the outfit within two months after he'd
Joined down in Arizona.
/ The death of a we'll known officer
/ or even a very popular enliENd man
will often start an epidemic or deser-
/ tiORs. Once at a little twC-battery
post in the far Northwest where
was stationed there died a First Lieu
tenant who was immensely popular
with the enlisted men, and that in
snite Of the fact that drink had got
/ him. He was a fine maa and he sure
was square in his treatment of us
! bucks in barracks. He wouldn't stand
/ for anybody imposing on the layout,
and-wsll, as near as men can get to
/ loving a man, / guess us fellows
loved that fine chap and square officer.
1T was q pretty gulpy layout when
we scraped out a hole in he ground
for that one, tossed him into it, fired a
yolley over him and listeden to a
numbering kid of a windjammer sound
ing taps
The deseTtions began the next day.
The post was not only lonesome: ii
seemed almost uncanny without him.
/ When. P month or so later. the outfit
was shifted to this seabOard we were
not much more than one battery OF
heavy artillery instead of two and
there wasn't any doubt shat the cash
ing in of that officer with the heart
and the gizzard of a sure enough man
was the cause of it.
Little unscheduled things will start
assertions. The temperance at Z
pest of a former member of the outfit
logged out in Joyous multi and show.
ing other evidences of Prosperity al
ways has the effect of getting the
gang going.
Once | belonged to an outfit that
was stationed at the Preside of San
Francisco. One of our men caught
on as a faro bank dealer Of a big San
Francisco gambling house at the wind
up CT his second enlistment. II
wsH't long before he had an interest
in the bank itself and he got the mon,
| ey fast.
Well. all declzed out in expensive
clothes ard wearing the sparks ana
dirgdoues he used TO drive out TO the
Preside behind a stylish PAGER in z
trim trap with Yellow running gear
After a few months of that the com
msnding officer of the Preside had tc
request that former swaddle as a spe
cial favor to him 10 cease his visits
to the post a large number Of de
sertions were easily traced to hi
visits.
the gang would IOoK tneir former
nate over AMI become ambitious ri
of sudden. If he had made such {
fine thing Of It in civil life, WHY
couldn't they do the sane, or MAXI
SONG kind of a stab at it, anyhow
So they hoped cut of the Preside
gate. not to come back any more. jus
because they had seen all of thest
signs Of prosperity on man who haC
once bunked under the same roo
with them.
"Rumors about the transferring o
outfits, too, is another cause, and il
the aggregate big contributing cause
to the desertion business. Men whit
enlist in a certain part of the countr!
for service in that section don't lik,
to make long shift to another par
with a different climate. More de
sertions result from the shiftn:
about of regiments than ever appea,
in the figures.
"SoldieTs who get mixed up will
women outside the post gates are par
ticularly liable to jump when thei
outfits are ordered away. The soldie
rarely has the price to pay the VIC
mans way to the new station AM
he doesn't feel like leaving her be
hind, and there's only one things
he imagines-left, and that is to quit
Queer. too, the distance some sol
diers will go when they get mike,
up with women. The most aggra
waited case of that kind | ever saw
was when | was in the Philippines tn
first time
with my outfit was snappy
busting youngster from Tennessee.
boy not much past his majority, VIII
got the eorporafs cheyrons very sool
after hitting the islands for nerv.
work in campaigning. The kid had al
the mzkings of fine soldier, and a
he was well educated a commission
wasn't any too high for him to loci
If he'd been Of that mind and ha,
kept out Of trouble.
But he got all wrapped mp in
Filipino girl. the daughter OF FIJI
pino president down Mindanao way
and when we were ordered to Manill
10 ta;se tise transport foE the Unite
States he couldn't see the thing 0
leaving the girl. believe they'd bee
married. Anyhow, when we went 0
Manila this judgment lacking gossool
ef 4 boy strayed behind with the Fill
pirn woman.
but he did something. even nor
idiotic than that. When the old ma
sent a non-ccm and some bucks back
for the kid. he was insane enough Z
Join the enemy-that war was still e
ing on down fhere--instead OF jus
fof5uO fo the f,r9darDrrsu1h and cf ~