The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-03-16
A SOLDIERS WAY.

Abraham Haarschcr was one of the
beaux IF his regiment. He attended
the dances o. the enlisted men as re-
ligiously as he attended reveille. but
at 70 dance was there any particular
maiden singled ou+ for the attentions
OF Private Haarscher. He went the
rounds md danced with every girl that
came to the enlisted mems merrymaA-
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 Zoe that his adopted country
had to face. Few men knew as did
this private what absolute devotion
to duty meant.
y Haarscher was intensely proud of
his French, nativity. One night at far
Northwestern garrison he was walk
ing post as sentinel upon frail tenn
pofaFy bridge th-oWn across a stream.
The ends of the structure marked the
end Of bis POST
A STORM arose il sudden fury. The
stream (which flowed under the bridge
had beensswollen before w the rains
of the season.. In d few minutes it
was a raging. roaring torrent. The
bridge began to show signs OF weak
ening. Haarscher kept on walki:,g his
post. The timberc were creaking I'M
der his feet and the water was begin
ning'to creep over the p!ankirg, when
the officer Of the day appeared at the
end of the bridge. He saw the senti-
mel 'anC his peril.
Come off that bridge, 20. 81 he
yelled above the storm.
Haarscher walked calmly If the
bridge in obedience to orders and came
to an farms :oort."
''Haarscher. you fool, don't you
know that bridge is, goina?'
Even as the officer of The day spoke
the bridge was whirled way.
E. s:That; was my post, Lieuten mt"
Sid Private Haarscher, ':and you for
get>that I am a Frenchman."
. At the end of the Franco Prussian
War Haarscher came to America en-
Uttered because his native province,
Alsace, lad become the spoil of the
enemy Ee enlisted almost Immediate
ly upon ::e%Ihis ARR val in this country,
ri INF hcn. Of o.
Sheridan he never passed an hour, save
when on occasional leaves Of absence:
beyond sight of the flag that marked
the campus, the garrisons or the bat
tlefelds OF America. p
k 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
a model Of .soldierly neatness. disci-
pine and, intelligence, ~ never wore
the stripe of a non-co mmissioned off,
Ger. refusing cheyrons time after zine;
his reasons for refusing being known
to no one but HIMSELF: TIT j; IS, 511 r =
!" Haarscher did MOI $kno -N.#w,hai the in
side Of a guard house looked like from
1.-The viewpoint Of a prisoner. s There
never: was soldier. IS camp =or bar
tracks whose lie = ndzequii pments were
like init So <.at:g uard mount. as
I the nea test sold Ter: be was chosen for
the dun fo,ft orr e:iy to the Command
Eing officer: The soldier huIs chosen
I'D st obliged TO- wal pos; and when
tat too comes he can turn into sleep
without fear ofs bern e uted out for
| Tie daties g gmidI guard -