The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1910-03-23


or blemish. had been passed up
on favoraby by Lieutenant Ganley who had
just shuffled upstairs to his quarters, with an
eye to cigar and quiet hour or two with
certain paper covered novels in the drawer OF
his desk.
Whalen whose trick it was at the desk be-
meath the jigger, sat idly drawing complicated
geometrical designs on the blotter before MN
and listening to the munching and stamping OF
the three big grays in their stalls at the rear
of the truck.
Upstairs in the Longing room, the click OF
the balls on the pool table announced that Hall
and Began at their eternal game OF one
ball; and the monotonous chant OF hfteen-two,
fifteenfour" with it's varied call OF the rest of
the count in or fushes, told that Dan Stat
terry was Willing away the time at cribbage
with the probationary who had been recently
assigned to 73's quota.
Presently the game palling upon them, Stat
terry and the probatoner pushed back their
chairs from the little card table, and lighted
their pipes. Slattery's eyes abstractedly FOL
lowed the OF the yellow ball, spinning
from cushion to cushion on the pool table, as
Began missed a difficult shot for the side pocket
by hairs breadth
Yep said Slattery, continuing one OF his
not infrequent dissertations, which We're always
Forthcoming whenever there happened to be
green probationer on the crew who would listen
to him, its you fellers with the learnin' that
gets the show now. Learnin'-thats what
counts here as we'll anywhere else. You
can have all the experience in the world, but it
don't go for nothin' when you go up for COM
mission, IL amt got the leafnln 10 Dack IL
up
..Js old roostc" that never had much school
in is clean blu A.. Ell, when we goes up against
their examinations. Look at me- might a
been batall on chief BY this time or captain
at the very east if could "a got by them
exams; but schoon WANT my long suit.
never got but precious little OF it in my time,
and this talk about piekn up an education by
yourself is all right for some no doubt but it
don't work with others. Me, for instance.
don't know how to go about it. and I'm thick
headed too, moren likely And so when NV
chances come, and I've had EN-, lots OF EN-,
got turned down because my examination pa
pers showed altogether plain what was in
my head, rather what wasn't there.
Its different gettin now than it was III
my day, you You feers have to show
you've got some learnin' and are capable OF
more before you get on in the first place That
starts you right Then, when YOU gets your
chance you take your examinations and
cop your commission. There won't many OF you
begin as ladderman, stick to it for twenty
eight years and end a ladderman, as have.
You'll have a commission long before that.
Them examinations won't buffalo you, like they
done Learnins great thing; yep the
whole thing. The rest of it is easy enough. No
any man can obey orders and do what's expected
him. 1t don't take no brains to do that But lea
in's different"
He tamped the tobacco in his pipe with thong
full forefnger. Hall missed an easy cross-side sh
tapped the floor irritably with the butt OF his C.
and swore under his breath
Now I've got boy" Slattery droned on. Fl
straight, wellbuilt, nervy young devil. Been Ii
dernan on GS for over year now. he has Sol
day his chance is comm like my chances come
me; he'll get recommended in general orders a
go up for commission And he amt goin' to
turned down and stay jest adderman, like his
man done No, stree, he amt. He's been to hi
school, and them examinations won't buffalo hi
not mite they won't
He'll get his commission in time. He's bound
lest like you are if you stick it out and take y1
chances when they're offered He can follow ord
Jest as we'll as can, and unlimber ladders a
swing maui and go up the scaers. But
sides all that you see he's got the larnin'."
Slattery INDUCED in prophetic chuckle, who
without malice.
Some day, doubt, nell be givin' me orde
yep, givn' his old man orders; and I'll have to jul
to 'em, too. He'll go up the line, and I'll be jes
plain dub of adderman, jest where was whel
begun. That's what learnn does for you son
Better stick to it. You can't have too much of it
yep, / want to see Marty get his commissi
Ought to be in the family, seems to me- a
it's up to him to get it. ] had my chances but tn