The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-10-17
Now and Then Poor Humble Citi-
zen Is Given a Share of
... the Giories of
War.
WATERS TWO MEDALS
Henri Wears Decorations Which He
Won by Valiant Service While
..s Fighting For
France.


EBy William Philip Simms, United
Press Staff Correspondent
i PARIS, Sept. 20. [by maiD-You
| have danced at the Bal Tabarin,
haven't you? At any rate you've
been there if you have ever been to
Paris. Well, here is the story of a
Tabarin waiter which proves that
one doesn't have to be born either
rich or noble to be a hero.
| The last time l saw Henri Barlet
was in July, last year. 1t was mid
night at the resort in Montflartre-
The spotlight was on the Guadrille--
that famous quadrille, danced by q
squad OF paid women, tired and bored
and eager for the end of their day
and much tobacco smoke turned the
atmosphere into a choking opalescent
haze. Tourists were everywhere-50
per cent of all present occupying
chairs on the four sides of the dancing
/ floor. Languid walters moved to and
fro taking orders.
You will have ........"
Henri Bartlet-only I didn't know
his name then, only his face-was
standing at our table. napkin on arm,
waiter fashion, asking for the Amert-
cans order.
1.-TWO coffees and three citron-
ades.' Henri moved away swiftly.
Henri was only eighteen, and youth
is careless Besides the closeness OF
the Bal Tabarin tends to make one
| dull, what with bad ventilation, hun
! dreds of cigars and cigarettes going
full blast, and a couple of thousand
people dancing or looking on. So
| Henri brought three coffees and two
lemonades.
There is no use talking, Henri was
a regular waiter, and when his atten-
| ton was called to the twisted order,
he was. to say the least, Indifferent.
A coffee was fifty centimes and
| lemonade was seventy-flve centimes
and if he took one lemonade back and
exchanged it for coffee, the book
keeper would pounce upon him.
Such things in France call for a
grand amount of complicated book
keeping. Naturally, Henri objected.
"Oh, let it drop" somebody said,
what can you expect, I'll drink the
coffee. I'll lie awake all night. but it'll
save Henri trouble, all right ..
That was the last time I saw Henri
! Until today.
The door of the office opened. A
, young soldier came in, his rusty gray
uniform betraying much service
"Is Andre Jolly in?'' he asked.
/ Eyes" I said, that's Andre over
there in the corner DOING"
! The young trooper was wearing
two medals--the much sought for wal
cross, which only comes to thoss
cited in the order Of the day-and the
military medal, the private soldiers
Victoria cross.
/ Andre, once restored to his fun
faculties, welcomed the strange sol
der
why it's Henri" he exclaimed.
well, well, well!'
There was some conversation, Their
Andre asked If he might step outside
while with his friend.
/ And when Andre returned, ! got the
hero's stcry-as I knew I would.
Henri thought l had seen that sol
died some place beforehand left the
Bal Tabarin at the outbreak of the
war with Andres brother, also a wait
err, to volunteer. Not yet of military
age, he was not Obliged to go. But
he wanted to go and away he went.
Henri was sent to the Vosges, in
the east, and soon found himself in the
thick Of the fighting IN Alsace
This is not a biography of Henri. 1t
| is simply to prove that hero may
be shining your shoes at the corner,
sweeping out your office, splitting
your wood, or laying sewers.
Henri, one day, was in a fierce at.
tack. He and his fellows we're forced
to fall back after the charge. Their
captain was missing; Henri volun-
teered to go back. The battlefield was
swept by German shellfire. He re-
turned with his captain on his back
For this, Henri was cited in the order
Of the day.
Shortly after Henri was in another
attack. Under storm Of machine
gun fire, he and his comrades swept
forward to the German trenches. The
position was taken. Henri had cawled
through the barbed wire entangle-
ments, getting a bullet through his
scalp, and captured a machine gun,
Staying its four servers. This got
him citation and because OF his other
excellent record as a soldier, Henri
was awarded the military medal
which generals are honored to re.
ceive.
Across the street from the United
Press is Jean Jaures' paper. Human
ite" This paper is giving five francs
to every soldier who returns to Paris
on leave Henri refused to present
himself. He was too modest.
At the start Of this war. DR.. Charles
Wagner, author Of THE Simple Life"
told me:
mo man. be he ever so humble.
can come back from the war without
having been ennobled."
Henri, who used to take tips at the
Bal Tabarin. felt ashamed to take the
gratuity from the 'Humanite." The