Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-05-05
ARMY POST HAzINC
A Very Raw Recruit Who Got a
Very Warm Reception.
HIS CLASH WITH "oLD BULL"

Af.sr .ne Quit. Informal ln.ro5uotion
TO tire coIonei Was Effected the Ia
lies Turned ard Corporal Suds" Got
Dos. Of His Own Medicine.
General Z '. Sumner. who was long
colonel in command of the Fighting
Seventh" cavalry. was known 10 the
rank and file Of his regiment as -old
Bull" His g-uf manners may have
had something to do with the nick
name. but il came 10 him fairly By in
he-itance. His father. General Sum
uer. bore il before him.
When the Seventh was stationed at
FoTt Grant. Arizona. q very raw recruit
was sent on from Kansas City. As
usual. the men I,ersecuted him from
the start He returned rneekiy from
the ordnance stores with the inforIna-
,ion that left handed ramrods" were
all gone: without batting an eyelash he
REPORTED that the sergeant In charge
of the post exchange swore at him
when he applied for his butter
checks" They took his last two bits
away from him in the canteen in some
hH-ls ppcus game. After supper be was
blanket tvSSed" until the arms OF the
to>>e-rs grew weary. and three times
thHt night his bunk collapsed amid
roars Of alerriment. The recruit then
gave VI, the struggle and lay shiverins
upon the f,oor until morning.
He neither muruurej nor com
plaine,i. In f:ict. he seemed 10 be so un
Sophi>ticat tel that when he asked bis
rOoil corp raj where be could have
some washing done the corporal. with
jerk Of hi thumb Indicated the com
faaudiac officers house on the corner
Of the parade. Go over TO that big
houSe." the CORPORAL directed Take
your bundle with you and ask for Old
RulI. He takes in all the washin' at
This lost
Grasping his little bundle. the green
lad from Kansas City Shambled across
the irlra.e mounted the colonel's front
stoop and innoceutly pulled the door
bell. The joke was IN old one. as Old
Bull had never been known 10 answer
the bell in person. and more than one
recruit had learned the way to Soap
suds row" after a tongue lashing from
the commaudaut's dusky maid of all
work. And as she had threatened TO
scald the next man who bothered her
about his washing the tip was passed
along from troop TO troop. and the men
swarmed out on the verandas to see
the fun
sEr-- sfnrr fff.s1 rr.t tAan
who should step out but Old Bull him
se.f. bouted and spurred for his morn
ing ride
What do you want here:' he thun-
dered. surprised to see an enlisted man
at his front door.
"l-I-I wanted to see about gettin'
these sh-shirts and socks done up.
minister stammered the frightened
recruit They told me to come over
here and ask for Old Bull" be added. 9,
We'll. I'm Old Bull-" roared the
colonel. You come along with me and
point out the man that sent you over
here" he went on as be grasped the
astonished youth and buried him to-
ward the troop quarters.
The crowds upon the verandas melt
ed away as Colonel Sumner approach
ed. but the guilty corporal was found
lurking in the troop barber shop. Some
heated language ensued. and then at
the end Of the painful interview Old
Bull delivered himself thus:
Corporal. ought to have you court
martiaed. ! could have your stripes
taken away and see that you got about
thirty days into the bargain or l could
have you fined. But you've been one
OF my best noncoms. You're always
sober and good shot. and SO I'm not
going to take your chevrons. your lib
erty or your money away from you.
But since you're such an expert on
laundry matters | order you to do this
mans washing on the front porch of
these quarters every Monday morning
at guard mount.
And you. he beloved. turning to
the recruit and shaking his gauntlets
at him. ''yOn see that you have at
least two suits Of underclothes and
seven pairs OF socks for him every
week. And if he don't wash 'em clean
you report To OH Rull. that's me"
And thereafte. for several months
until band Of Tonto basin Apachas
went on !: r.,:nriaye and gave them
more serious things to think about. the
men of the Seventh looked forward
happily To Monday morning guar!
mount. The nuiItprnlis>iomed !aun
dryman became Known aS "CorporHi
SudS" and WAS tnaSel aboui the affaii
until the day piece "f irini !. Shr:p
mel cat Shnrf his existence TuU!h'.
Companion