The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-06-25
Two Americans
Abroad
BY F. A.. Mitchell

years old, went to Cuba and fought the
dons and returned with his command at
the end Of the fracas. When the great
European military confagration 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 a machinist and very
ingenious. When the British com
manders learned Of this they wanted
him to 60 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 it 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 a 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 prts-
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 a German-American.
who had gone over to fight for the "a
therland.
ing both Americans became quite
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
he a simply looking out for an OPP
~portunity to get back to the army of
which he was a legitimate part
Captain Kaufman took the prisoner
into an automobile for a ride to a point
where a large railroad bridge was be-
ing rebuilt. There he expected to find
one of the chief engineer officers Of the
army to whom he expected to turn over
the American for service. During the
ride the two men chatted about Amer.
lea 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 were with the
allies. But they talked little on this
subject, for Wilkinson. who had a plan
to get away from his captor. led the
conversation in a line that would facili
tate his doing 50.
II tell you what We'll do, Kaufman
he said. when this slaughter bust.
ness is over and we both get back to
the land Of the free I've got the biggest
scheme or hand for making money you
ever saw. It's a device that may be
applied to all pumping mechanisms
Its use will be enormous. III take
you in with me and We'll make our
everlasting fortunes. You attend tc
the sales while attend to the manu-
facture-seeY"
"Where will we get the capitaI?'
asked the captain.
Capital! Why. there's capita
enough in the United States to promote
any scheme if it can be proved al
right. | can get millions for anything
l propose. My device Is so simple tina,
a child can understand it. Let me have
a pencil and a piece Of paper Inc II
make you a dra wing Of it."
Kaufman had the wheel. so be
couldn't get into his pocket withou,
stopping. but they were approaching &
village. and he said he would stop FOL
something to smoke. Pulling up ut &
small store. Wilkinson went in anC
returned with some cigars, a penci
and a sheet Of paper. He also hat
something else that his companion di,
not see Lighting up. the two pro
ceeded. Wilkinson making a sketch o
his device. Kaufman, who had n
knowledge Of mechanics. did not I'm
derstand it, 50 Wilkinson proceeded t
make q practical demonstration. Roll
ing the sheet Of paper int a tub
trihe smaller at n end than at thu
other, he crumpled a small portion int
a little ball. which be dropped into tn
tube; then. while the captains gaz
was on the road ahead. be dropped int
it some red pepper.
"You can't watch the road and m,
demonstration at the same time. Stol
the machine for a moment"
Kaufman brought the auto to a sto
and turned his face to his companion
This tube represents the pump, an
the crumpled bit Of paper inside is m
patent ball valve. The greater tn
pressure on the ball the tighter 1t Is 1
the tube. When I blow on It ike thi
-see?"
Kaufman did not see. because Wi
kinson had blown red pepper into hi
eyes. Wilkinson jumped from the aut
and ran like a deer till he struck
road. where he disappeared.
A few months later Captain Kau1
man returned to America minus a lie