Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-06
CHO1RDs a I'D
ID I S C. O II ID S
ROSENFIELD ON WAR.

A. Rosenfield of the First ILLINOIS cav
airy and two of his soldier friends
whom he introduced as Joe and Bin.
AS we are preparing to retire, the
caDtain having secured quarters LOT
us-as he can well afford to after nav
ing senarated us from our last remit
lance from the home office r we
hear the trio dividing the spoiis OF the
evening. The captain admitted that
the weather had caused him to lose
speed in everything except IN MS
bridge playing.
What do you think of the war-or
the prospect of war;" the Rock Island
officer was asked.
"WeU 7 don't think much of it," he
replied. Fact is, most of US just
came for the ride, as the Irishman SAID
when a friend asked him whose III
neral he had been attending. whether
we get into action makes little diner
ence to us. after what we have already
experienced. When man rides from
Springfield to the border in chair
car he doesn't care what happens to
him. When we left the capital OF our
state | tucked a time table in my coat
to keep track of the train, but after we
had been out a couple of days l found
it an impossible task. | tossed my
time table out a window while we were
passing through a town whose name
had been scratched from the side OF
the wooden depot-and | don't blame
the one who performed the erasure-
The pamphlet caught a fat wom-
an, who had come to see the
soldiers pass through, landing un-
der her chin. She carried pork
chop sandwich in her hand. She let
loose the sandwich and it alighted in
my lap. 1t was the best meal l had
since we began our journey. During
the night the rear end brakeman re-
ported that our train was lost in the
swamps. and it really felt as though
he was not exaggerating the situation,
for l heard the bull frogs warbling and
the katydids kidding. The car l was
riding in frequently would sink, cauS-
ing a feeling as though you were drop
ping in an elevator. Then 1t would
strike something and you would pile
over against the soldier in the seat
ahead. The operation got on my
nerves, but the conductor treasured
me after | had lost several hours sleep
that there was nothing serious, that
the engineer was merely lodging tree
stumps and alligators. He warned me
not to hang my arms out lest one of
said alligators would pick one off for
breakfast Otherwise, the trip was un-
eventful. unless | might mention that
the engineer ran out OF chewing to-
baccO in a spot that looked all the
world like the desert of Sahara and
said the locomotive would refuse to
choo choo unless he was supplied the
article that would keep his jaws in
unison Whereupon l turned over to
his keeping my half pound Of trusty
Rattle Axe 4"
Tell me the news from home" said
the captain.
The captain had learned that his
home had been sold during his alb
sence, but he said it was not surprise
to him. inasmuch as he had been
threatened with its loss for months
before he was called to the service of
his country. However, he had obtained
permission from the new owner FOR
his family to remain under the roof I'M
til fall, when he hoped to be able to
get enough money together to provide
a permanent residence for them. We
suggested that if war didn't interfere
with his card playing he ought to be
able to gather enough nickels by fall
TO build a string of houses.
Perhaps" answered the Rock Is
lander with a businesslike glance of
the right optic But suckers like you
are scarce down in this country
Your correspondent suggested that
in the event the troops were detained
much longer on the border there might
be danger of Mr.. Hughes not hearing
officially that he had been nominated
as candidate for president, Captain
ROsenfieId being the member of the
notification committee from Illinois.
But / have not been asleep politi-
cally, despite that l have been far from
civilization" said our host, who had
just drawn for US cup of strong COT
fee, which was accompanied by a home
made Cigaret. Il have effected ar
engagements to break the news from
Illinois to the nominee over the long
distance telephone the day he is visited
by the committee appointed by the ma
tional convention. After all the other
members of the committee have had
their say l will call the justice to the
receiver and deliver my speech. and l
will also remind him, though with be-
coming discretion, that the gentleman
who made his nomination possible at
Chicago was none other than Senator
Sherman of Illinois, whose campaign
manager l had the honor to be"
why didn't Sherman win at Chi
cago?" An interviewer in this region
gets up courage after he has consumed
a bowl of the coffee they serve here.
There is something in it that makes
one feel like heading an expedition to
capture all the lions in Africa.
Il Fave given deep and constant
thought to that question" and the cap
tain asked us how we liked the Rio
Grande moon.
There isn't any difference between
the moon you see here and the one we !
get up in Illinois?"
That's where you are mistaken.
The one here when visible is always
full. The one up in Illinois rarely |
goes the whole route. Down here, |
after the almost unlivable heat of the /
day, you can't blame the moon any
more than you can the individual. !
But as to Sherman not landing the
place at the head of the ticket. AS |
said before | have laid awake nights |
trying to figure out why he, with all /
his advantages over other contenders
for the honor didn't win and I bava