The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-04-29

FUNSTON brigade, TO the Chicago Dali
Tribune.)
| had been to see Brig. Gen. Funston
at his headquarters in Texas City, an,
was coming back by the perfect TWEEN
ty-two mile roadway, part of it ce
ment causeway, jutting over the waite
that connects Texas ON the mainland
and the island of Galveston.
The general is not very much ovel
five feet tall and pretty fairly rount
everywhere He has kind hazel gray
eyes, at least they are kind sometimes
and they were today. He wears a lit
tie pointed beard that is grazing, and
his hair is thin ON top. He looks like
a moderately successful retail mer-
chant in moderately small city, who
always goes home to dinner at noon
But he is Funston of the Three Wars,
and he distinguished himself in the
last of them for feats of almost in
credible courage.
|
you salute him respectfully and call
him sir"
He doesn't return the salue-per-
| haps civilians aren't supposed to sa-
lutte, but he shakes hands politely and
says Have chair" as if it We're his
most serious job to consider the line
of gents footwear you are trying to
place with him.
One rather expects the general with
three wars behind him and another
two days ahead, to have a grim poker
face like Grants, or an enlightened
and inspiring one like Sheridan's or
perhaps a grave and sorrowful one
like Lees. But Funston hasn't any
particular kind of face or expression:
Just perfectly normal one. He would
pass easily in a crowd, off the battle
field Perhaps on it he looks different
Wears IA Priyate's Uniform.
The only apparent symptom of the
professional fighter was in his matter
of fact reference to brigades, strate-
gic bridges, and guns, as if they were
so many cans of soup, salmon, or
beans from his top shelves.
The general wears a privates uni
form, except for single stars which
look like oxidized silver in the points
OF the collar of his brown flannel
shirt
Soldiers are Mere Striplings.
Its taken four years off every
mans life, this outdoor life" said the
young lieutenant later, "but l am |
looking for little town life after the |
to put them back again"
How old are these soldiers?"
asked. 'They look terribly young to
me-"
They average % years. said he;
they average four years service, too,
and the only complaint | have against
them is there aren't more of them.
Only fifty-three are in my company,
five sergeants and six cor
1orals There ought to be 1920, war
strength"
Burn Straw from Mattresses.
The fire we had seen came from the
piles of straw the soldiers had emp
led out of their mattresses into the
streets and set alight.
Naturally one thought of the famous
,icture of the night before Austerlitz
When the French soldiers fired straw
bundles in enthusiasm for the Little
Corporal The American soldiers, &
owever, were burning the stuffing out
f their mattresses because they
ouldn't take the mattresses with
hem.
The first order came for permanent L
amp equipment. A half hour later
lis was changed to field equipment
My, meaning mighty little ana not u
nough of that. Everything must be
ondensed but ammunition. c
Telegraph OFFICES Busy. ;,
OF course the burning heaps high v
GIFTED the pointed brown tent tops te
gainst the dull night sky, suggesting,
5 has been so often and so well said.
luat spires to Mars The young
econd lieutenant, class of ~ in the
cademy, hailed us.
"Taxi?" said he
Sure" | answered. where will
)u go%
Telegraph office" replied. Have
cigarette?" II
The telegraph office was damned full la
persons, mostly privates, trying to b.
legraph home, collect, their money II
ing all gone. Apparently none of the p;
Iegrams were refused, although they VI
emselves were much surprised at dt
is. One young private was in a
ite of high tension. He wanted to OF
nd two kilograms, one to his mother sc
9 other to a Miss Someone. Both w
ed in Rhode Island. The cost was III
cents apiece. '"
OFFICER Helps Out Private.
Well take one, collect, Buddy"