Gilpin observer., 1915-10-21
.EATE'S QUEER TURNS.
Condolences Which War Has
Brought Forth.
First Man South Sea Islander Speaks
to in London Is Man He Is
Looking For-Other inter.
esting Cases.

prominent resident of Fulham, was at
Charing Cross few days ago he no.
tlced number of men clad in khaki
getting out Of the train He learned
they had Just arrived from the far off
Fill, where they had given up good
situations to offer their services to the
motherland in her hour of need. Mr..
James asked If any of them were from
Suva.
sure replied one of the stalwart
young fellows. 81 come from Suva.
DO you know Harry Janes?" in.
quired the man from Fulham.
Il should think l do. He and l are
overseers on the same plantation.
nave letter of introduction to his
brother, E. H. James. of Fulham."
You can hand it over now" said
Mr.. James. Both were amazed to learn
that the first man the South Sea
islander had spoken to on reaching
London was the very man in all Eng
land he wished to see
This is but one of the extraordinary
condolences which the war has
brought forth. A London hospital had
another remarkable illustration:
A young soldier was severely wound
ed in the fighting somewhere in
France" He lost consciousness. and
when he regained it he was lying COM
fortably In bed in a ward of a large
hospital. His first words were
Where am II" The nurse told him
that he was in London, that during the
period of his Inconsistencies he had
been transported across the channel
and that his wounds had been tended.
He asked the name of the hospital,
the number of the ward, the day Of
the week and the hour. The nurse
told him. Il say. nurse, you might
tell my dad 1 am here" The nurse
was in a delirium
All right. nurse. my dads in the
next ward now. You know he is the
surgeon there and this is his visiting
day."
And so it was. The father was in
the next ward performing his work.
thinking all the time that his son-was
in France. He did not even know that
the boy was wounded, far less that he
was being tended few yards away.
Writing from the front to friends
at Llangollen, Private S. N. Jones of
the motor transport A. S. c. relates
peculiar coincidence concerning
himself. He was a driver on the
Llangollen-Wrexham motor bus route
and enlisted soon after the commence
ment of hostilities. In France, strange
to say. he was drafted to the identical
chassis of the motor he had been
driving on the Donbigshire route. it
having been purchased. with many
others, by the government
The manager of the road car COM
pany has written to Private Jones stat
ing that, if it should be possible. they
will repurchase the car after the war
and place upon it plate recording
the circumstances related.
David Henderson, a Bowhill soldier
belonging to the Black Watch, has a
remarkable story to tell of how he
was able to pay back on the field of
battle the services of man who saved
his life in this country in the piping
times of peace.
About a year ago. when tuking part
in regatta at Wemyss, his boat was
capsized and he was thrown into the
water. He had been swimming towards
the shore for some time when he was
picked up in an exhausted condition
by a passing boat belonging to Dy-
sart.
Strange to say, after a fierce days
fighting in France. Private Henderson
saw wounded soldier lying in front
of the trenches. and on going to his
assistance he was struck by some
thing familiar about the wounded man.
Henderson then asked his comrade IL
1t was he who had saved "Davie"
Henderson from a watery grave at
Wemyss the previous summer 1T
was" came the reply. Then | am
Davie Henderson" was the dramatic
rejoinder. Henderson then took his
wounded oomrade by the arm and
under heavy fire. led him to place
of safety.