The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-03-01
IN TRENCHES At 76
French Veteran of 1870 Is Doing
W His Share.
Corporal surruaue, Twelve Years
Mayor Of Auxerre, Is Still Hale
and Hearty and Does His Bit
Like the Others.

. 4 aiio. ne IdIlb JOuIudl Olntlt
recently published the following hon
ora6le mention in army orders:
Corporal Surrugue, Charles, en-
tered under No. 9,131, in compan!
9-2 T of the Sixth regiment of En-
gineers, second company of the corps
veteran soldier of 1870, chevalier Of
The Legion of Honor, enlisted as vol
unteer for the duration of the war al
the age of sNsenty-six years, asked to
go to the front as second sapper and
miner, takes part without any physical
weakness in all the work carried on
lay and night under fire of the enemy
animated with the highest conscien.
tiousness and the most noble concep.
ton of his duty toward his country,
and offers to his younger comrades a
model discipline Of dash and energy"
Seeing this description of the old
young man a correspondent Of the
Illustration of Paris set out for the
front to find him. After wandering
about the trenches in zigzag fashion
the correspondent saw rather small
man with white beard and the insig
iia of an engineer on his cap. Re-
membering Stanley's description
Of how he met Livingstone
in the heart of Africa and walked up
to him, saying Mr.. Livingstone, pre-
sume?" the correspondent accosted
the engineer Corporal Surrugue, are
you not?"
The engineer was completely taken
iback at the idea that anyone would
want to interview him, but finally led
The newspaper man into a subter
'anean shelter, which was very humid
and from the roof of which large drops
Of water fell on the correspondents
notebook.
Asked how he kept so well, Cor.
poral Surrugue replied that he did it
by walking. Having been occupied
with work on country roads, a thirty.
mile walk was nothing to him.
For twelve years before the war he
lad been mayor Of Auxerre, in the de.
of the Yonne. Before that,
as civil engineer, he had been en-.
gagged in railroad construction and es-
Decially on the railway from Arras to
1taples, for which he offered the plans
n 1872 That year he drove the first
spade at the station Of st. Pol-en-Ter-
noise, in the same place where forty
our years later he has come to handle
he spade and pick as an ordinary
apper. mi
In 1871 he belonged to the army of
'aidherbe and was captain of engin-
ers engaged in constructing defense
works in the valley of Scarpe. He
vas twice honorably mentioned then,
nee for having remained at his post
vhen the other workers fled, fearing a
ierman advance on Athies, near Arras.
nd again for having saved a wounded
ficer by carrying him to the rear.
In 1875 Mr.. Surrugue entered the
ervice Of public roads in the Dor /
ogne, where he remained six years,
nd then took up the same kind of /
vork in the Yonne for twenty years. |
,lected member of the municipal |
ouncil of Auxerre, he soon became
ne leading man and was mayor of the
own from 1900 to 1912. His admins
'ation of public roads and works
aused him to be attached to the in
pection department of the ministry
the interior.
Such was the civil career of this
lodest and brave man. When asked
bout his present service and whether
is companions knew who ne was, he
aid: "They don't know much about
le and ] am not going to tell them
am Surrugue, who does his bit of
ench work like the rest, and that is
i. These days what one has done in
vii life doesn't count Everybody is
lual in the common effort. When a
AN has physical vigor which can be
sed there should be no hesitation.
Il passed the medical examination
nd they were forced to take me. Then
had three months of instruction in
0velties which we knew nothing
bout in 1870 and in July left for the
ont. l took part in all the works of
for the drive in Ssptem-
er and on October / was named
"The war cross which they have
ven to me surprised me, for l did
othing for that. have done less
AN others who have been here since
e beginning. know they are dec
'atine my years, but as my age does
IT count with me l am a little
hamed before my comrades.
"The only advantage of age is to
i've little Influence over the young
ones. When they grow impatient
tell them of 1870 and contrast it
ith what we have done today. We,
ho were not ready, have stopped at
e Marne and the User an enemy SUI
'rior in numbers and formidably or
Inized. We have imposed on him
IT will. He has submitted to our law
Id when the time has come we will