The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-07
Two Americans
Abroad
By F. A. Mitchell

Wilkinson enlisted for the Spanish
American war when he was seventeen
years old, went to Cuba and fought tn,
dons and returned with his command a
the end of the fracas. When the grea1
European military confiagration broke
out, DESTROYS of seeing something more
of fighting, he went to Canada, enlist
ed in the first expeditionary force that
went to England and thence to France.
Wilkinson was machinist and very
ingenious. When the British COM
manders learned of this they wanted
him to go into the mechanical corps of
the army, but he said he had had enough
of that at home. He preferred TO re-
main in the ranks, where he would get
something different. So he became a
trench fighter like the rest OF them.
But 1t is not every man who can get
just what he wants, no matter how he
arranges for 1t. Wilkinson had no soon
er got into fight than he was captur-
ed and taken to the rear. This was in
Flanders during the late autumn of
1914.
One day an officer came into the pris-
on where Wilkinson was confined and
asked in English If there were any me-
chanics there who would volunteer to
work at bridge building. Wilkinson,
whose active nature rendered confine-
ment unbearable TO him, called out that
he was an engineer by profession. The
officer accosted him, asking if he would
agree to give his services TO the Ger
man government In good faith. 1t
turned out that the officer, Captain
Kaufman, was German American,
who had gone over to fight for the ia
therland.
Wilkinson and Captain Kaufman be
ing both Americans became quit
chummy. Wilkinson impressed the
captain so favorably with his knowl
edge OF engineering that the latter pro
posed to take him TO the chief engineer
with a view to his entering the en-
gineer corps of the German army in a
prominent position. wilkinson assent
ed, or. rather. pretended to assent, for
portunity TO get back to the army of
which he was legitimate part
Captain Kaufman took the prisoner
into an automobile for a ride 10 a point
where large railroad bridge was be.
ing rebuilt. There be expected to find
one OF the chief engineer officers OF the
army to whom he expected 10 turn over
the American for service. During the
ride the two men chatted about Amer.
ica and what they would do there on
their return at the end Of the war. Nat. /,
urally Kaufman was warm In his ad |
vocacy OF the German cause. while |
wilkinson's sympathies vere with the |
allies. But they talked little on this
subject. for Wilkinson, who had a plan |
20 get away from bis captor, led the
conversation In a line that would facili |
tate his doing 30.
Il tell you what wei do. Kaufman"
he said when this slaughter bust !
ness IL over and We both get back 10 |
the land OF the free I've got the biggest
scheme on hand for making money you
ever saw. Its a device that may be
applied to all pumping mechanisms
Its use VIII be enormous. III take
you in with me and wen make out
everlasting fortunes. You attend 20
the sales while I attend to the manu-.
facture-seef
Where VIII We get the capitaly-
asked the captsin
'aCHpitali Why. there's capital
enough In she United States 10 promote
any scheme n IL can be proved al
right. can get millions for anvthine
] propose. Mr. defice f. - simple that
= child ean understand u. Let me have
= Pencil and q piece 81 paper and I'D -,
make you n drawing o. n i,
kaufman had the uhrei. 80 he