East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-01-15

BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD.
Omitted Press staff Correspondent.)
BUDA PESTH, Dec 2.-(By Mail
to New York.)-What's the use of
wishing good luck to a man who's go
ing to die? There's no luck about it
But did II. just the same. in these
last two days at Przemysl; in those
garettes something about this fellows
heller skelter out of the city. before
the Russian onrush. 1t was hard
business. too. These men were going
to stay in the city. to defend it. There
were thousands of us who had been
ordered out but these men were of the
| few thousand who had been ordered
to remain and to fight to the last drop
of their blood. They couldn't go
They must hold Przemysl or die.
had dined thrice daily for some
weeks with some Of these officers
who had received the orders TO re-
main and saying goodbye to them was
one Of the hardest things I've ever
had TO do I knew their smiles ]
knew their voices. knew their jokes
their favorite wines. their favorite ci-
garettes something tabout this fellows
home life, something about this chaps
three children. had dipped into their
lives just enough to know and to form
friendships. And then the end OF the |
Russian line began to snap around /
the circle Of Przemysl's forts. like a
whip around sapling and Przemysl 1
was doomed And that last evening /
when | said goodbye to these men. |
who must stay in Przemysl through |
the seige, my smiles must have been |
CLASSY.
l saw one of them once more. Ii
was the next morning. at o'clock, in
the Przemysl cathedral. barely day
light. The evening before, the man
who is to be the next emperor of Aus
tria, had come into Przemysl in his
automobile, after hundred mile ride
He had come to go to church with
these men; TO join them in a farewell
mass to say goodbye" to them and
to tell them that Austria Hungary de-
pended on them to hold the forts OF
Przemysl or die in their wreckage
And, in this the audience OF Off.
GERS. l saw few Of my Austrian Off
Ger friends. earnest-faced. devout
kneeling, bowling, crossing them
selves, reading the prayers partaking
in the death-mass with man for
whose hngdom-to-be they were going
to give their lives. I thought OF the
storm of Russian shell and shrapnel
that would beat over Przemysl as
soon as our batteries had been brought
in from the outskirts and this Quie;
mass seemed to me like the moment
OF calm before a tornado. {
When the mass was ended the en- ,
peror to-to-be climbed into his auto
mobile and was whirled out of the
rings Of forts a hundred miles away
10 the safe shelter OF the Carpathians J
It Neu Sandec. The streets OF Prem
ysl were filled with marching soldiers. ,
They had been brought in from the
rifle trenches some miles outside the
,ity and were to be rushed away I
from Pfzemysl to some other part OF I
he line; at least were not to die in 7
Przemysl. Then, later in the morn
ng, the artillery began to come into
he city This was the beginning OF
he end. II meant that the outer Il
'efenses OF the city had been with 4
irawn; from the farms and the hills \
md the valleys. where I had seen
hese batteries holding back the Rus \
ian tide, they had been rolled to the c
oads and dragged into the city and +
low they We're being taken to the I
abroad yards to be loaded onto cars +
hat would carry them out OF the
each Of the Russians. c
The safety OF Przemysl could not 9
asst many hours. II wouldn't take the s