The Cordova daily times., 1916-11-11
FOCHORN'S $ RAPID RISE TO
 MAJOR

big army Canada has sent over tC fight for the mother country. Gen. eral Sir Ham Hughes, Canadian min ister of militia and defence, is not jealous of "Foghorns" distinction The rawest rookie in the rearmost ranks of the Dominion forces pro, claims it on the fighting line, and looks up to this world wandering scion of the clan Mcdonald as a shining ex- ample of what a lowly buck" can do in trying times like these.
 For "Foghorn" came over as a pri- yate himself just two short years ago. Some of his home folks told him he was alarmed old fool' to enlist at 53. But "Foghogn' had been a miner all his days. He had hit the western train from sun-baked Batopilas in the wilds of Mexico, to the snow-shrouded valleys of the Yukon, and he knew what perseverance and pluck and courage and sacrifice could do.
 He knew he would make the grade" and so did a great crowd of his friends who gathered a day or two ago to wet that new third stripe and crown on the cuffs of his khaki army jacket He was back from the front to receive this latest promotion, and he was toasted major of his majestys forces.
 "Fogholn" was born Neil Roderick Mcdonald. but there are comparative ly few who know him by that distin- guished name It's just plain Fog horn" nowadays from one end of the trenches to the other, and one earful of that low, rumbling, window shatter- ing, rock shivering voice explodes all possible doubt as to the derivation of the nickname.
 There are plenty of Germans who know "Foghorn," too In the days of the deadly deadlock, when trenches crept closer and closer together, he was one of those who burrowed be- meath the earth and set off great mines under the enemy. He had not been a mining engineer in vain. Of ten his voice would go booming acros No Mans Land" hurling picturesque invectiye at the Germans.
 Not to know "Foghorn" Mcdonald is to miss one of the big human per sonalities of this war. It is not diff ficult to realize what a tower of en- couragemen+ and strength he is to the soldiers at the front.
 "He is the sort of officer whose men would follow him to the gates of hell itself and walk in laughing declared Major Eddie Holland, a long time friend, and a "N. C." of the South African war.
 And speaking of he'll" he added, there may or may not be something in the fact that "Foghorn" belongs to the Black Deyils.'
 That is the name the Germans have given the Eighth battalion, Canadian infantry, and the battalion has adopt ed as it's insignia q small black imp dancing in glee They were delighted with the appelation. and are living up to it according to all reports from the Somme.
 It has been said of "Foghorn" that hes not afraid of any man - and very few women" His home is in the great American west He has lived much in the United States and almost every province of Canada can claim him as her own. His heart is as big as the world in which he has lived; and he has a way of calling a superior officer Bill" or Jim" or George" and referring to corporal as a brother officer" that is quite baffling to the Englishmen's ideas of disci- pline. Someone spoke to "Foghorn about it.
 Well, sir" he explained, its a mans man, by God, sir, and I respect every mothers son who is out there doing his bit I was full-fledged buck myself once, and l know what they have to go through"
 "Foghorn" has been serving for some time as transport officer of the "Black Devils" and has been riding about the front lines on what he de scribes himself as mighty fine hoss." Where he got the horse he will not tell you. Tt wouldn't be passed by the censor" he says.
 A good transport officer tries to keen his losses at minimum and to make the deficiencies good as quickly as he can. "Foghorn" had his men in the Black Devils trained to the min ute in that respect.
 "One night" he said, i've were tax ;oo some loads of ammunition away nm in front. It was blacker than the ace of spades and if you struck match you'd get your eye shot out put in the midst of all this blacknes' ana rbe shelling we were getting hoard one of my men say to his part per. Keep your eye out for goo' boss. Bill, this ought to be a good nigh