Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-06-13
WAR VETERAN
SHINES SHOES
Shot and Sabred, Frank Nc.
Coy Ekes Out Pension at
Stand On Heron Street
SEVEN YEARS NUS. ARMY
Bullet Wound in Head Affects
Hearing and He Can't Hold
Down Old Place

On the corner of East Heron and
I streets. in the front entrance Of the
old Livingston store, a bootblack stand
has been conducted since June /, by
Frank Mccoy, late Of the United States
army In lieu OF paying rent he cleans
the windows Of the great building, at
odd times, undisturbed by fancies Of
swishing skirts of the ghostly shop
ping throng in the entrance. The
chances are Frank couldn't hear them,
anyway. One of the thirteen bullet
wounds and two saber cuts received by
him during the Spanish-American war
and the succession Of Filipino out
breaks that followed. impaired his
hearing.
Seven years, seven months and
fourteen days served in the United
States army" said Mccoy, last even
ing; first in Company n, Fifth In
fantry, then in / Troop, Thirteenth
Cavalry. I'm disabled for life. all
right; but between $50 a month PEN
sion and shining shoes can keep my
self and wife. Wife? You bet / got
one, the best ever. She's cripple,
too. That's what brought US together
see her slip on banana peel, on the
street one day in Tacoma. picked
her up. We kept company and got
married. That's six years ago: and
l amt regretted it once.
There's been some hard shedding
ct times. You see. was moving
picture operator before enlisted,
three months before war broke out
with Spain. When l was discharged
at Fort Leavenworth, in 1907, kind Of
bunged up generally, what with thir-
teen bullet wounds and two nasty sa
Der cuts-lke this one" throwing
back shock of hair to expose long
seam down his scaip-"when / got
back to civilian life naturally started
In on my old work. But it was no
use couldn't hear good enough nor
see good enough to hold down job"
It was a succession Of jobs, in
truth, that Mccoy couldn't hold down,
according to his discouraging recital.
given, albeit, in the cheeriest of tones
He tried cooking in short order res
turant in Portland, but after handing
the waiter ham and" for palmer
rare" time or two. he lost his job.
It was the same with every other job
open to a man untitled by early train
ing for clerical or any kind Of spe-
cialized work. It was on the heels
Of some such disaster that Mccoy be-
came bootblack, which trade he had
followed some years prior to his ar
rival in Aberdeen three months ago.
Il didn't have the best OF luck when
struck this city" he explained. "My
wife had been i'll and there was doc
tors bill Of 800. didn't know any
one here; and Of course I couldn't
blame EN- for requiring rent on the
nail. There amt many like that
banker down the street, Patterson.
heard about this place here and
asked what the rent would be. He
said nothing. SO far az he was con-
earned, and sent. me.sto. Mr., Meath
erwax. Mr. Weatherwax hears from
ma vvhot M paftnroCn cove ard he
says. nothing too. He says might
keep the windows cleaned up; which
do gladly.
do l ever think about the army?
You bet you! Why, come near try.
ing to enlist when the Mexican
trouble started last year. couldn't
have passed examination, likely, but
that's how / feel"