davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1916-10-22
By JOHN WALKER HARRINGTON
officers are it's head. o,

"IlE officers are it's head, OF
course, and the men It's hands
and feet. yet tho non-coms are
the backbone of the army. Best Of all
10 the first class sergcant--thc very
marrow Of its spine.
Such was owen Bierne. whose last
deed brought words Of praise from the
lips of Brig. Gen. Bell. The tribute
was made In naming the camp site OF
the Tenth Provisional Division down
on the Mexican border Camp owen
Bicrnc in honor of the veteran. The
sergeant was killed the other day In
the discharge Of his duty while break
ing up u saloon brawl as leader Of the
provost guard.
The world at large knew nothing OF
this model soldier until the news came
from FL Paso that for the first time in
the military annals of the United
States IA camp had been called for an
enlisted man. Usually the designa-
tons OF camps are bestowed as COM
pliments to governors. statesmen and
generals. In naming this camp Gen
Bell has given deserved recognition to
the merits Of commissioned Off
GERS.
: Bierne had nearly finished his thirty
years OF service and his pension time
was close nj hand. Had it not been
for the swift bullet Of a Texas Ranger
he might this year have been in some
little gray home In the West enjoying
the reward Of his gallant exploits and
The sun., 1916-10-22

those pages, or comes along In thu
nick Of time. len real life ne Is one OF
the most dependable beings one is like
ly to fiGd. Ask the rank and file. in
quire OF the newest of the rockies. and
you will certainly get the certificate OF
the non-commlssioned officers of the
L. S. \.
II !s one of the great and particular
Jobs OF these valiant men-at-arrn To
preserve the traditions Of the army.
The drill sergeant IL s~choolmaster. dis
c!pl.narian. doctor and nurse and frioOd
and brother TO the young fellow who
has just put on the khaki. The intro
duction to the military establishment
Is done by HIM in a way that II the re-
cruit is OF the right kind OF stun soon
makes him q soldier worthy Of the high
name and Ideals OF the service.
First the rookie. OF r~oughneck or
rawhide, whatever he IL colloquially
called that season. passes before men
like Sergeant Simpson, who has the
needle eye. The sergeant calls of to
the clerks the kind Of uniform the new
solder ought to nave and the size. He
has been doing this for twenty-five
years and has had only four insists.
After that for some drilling by n
man like good old Sergeant Watt. who
has been making finished soldiers out
of raw material these twenty-seven
years. A newspaper man who had him.
The sun., 1916-10-22

than 55, for when soldiers are on for.
eign duty, such as campaigns In the
Philippines among the little brown
brothers and the Moros or dallying
with the Boxers in China. they get
double credit. II a SOLDIER were serv-
, ing fifteen years in the Philippines he
would be permitted TO retire on his
pension at tho end Of that time.
The next time you look at n nom
| commissioned officer observe that he
wears service stripes on his sleeves.
each 6ne OF which stands for three
| years OF actual service. At the right
Of his chest also note a little string Of
ribbons placed tandem fashion II more
than one campaign IL visunlized-rcd
for the Indian fighting; red. blue and
yellow for Cuba; red and blue for the
Philippines.
There are n score or so OF the vet
erau non-coms in the recruiting sta
tons Of New York. where they give
much assistance by precept and en-
ample in gathering In more soldiers for
the defence OF the stars and Stripes.
They are able assistants to Lieut.-Col.
X. -. Walsh and to Major +. W. Smith
and Capt. W. G. Tremaine and Capt.
Louis II. Dice in presenting the advan-
tages OF the service to the young men
of the district of New York.
When the non-com at last leaves the
colors there are many avenues open to
him II he is In fairly good health.
Even IL he IL o well yerstd in book
lore he can get a place as foreman or
overseer. He has been trained In the
management of men: he knows how TO
get results out of them as we'll as TO
Keep them interested in their work.
The ideal drill sergeant plays upon
the spirit Of competition and pride that
Is ingrained in every human being.
The most awkward OF the awkward
squad is convinced that he IL re-
sponsible for keeping back all his fell
lows. When he gets into civil life and
Is made 81 boss the non-con carries
the traditions Of team work which he
got In the service into everything that
he does for the rest Of his life.
The non-commissioned officer who IL
alert TO his opportunities can be more
II a foreman or Waterman. The army
has its schools where many Of the arts
and trades are taught and IL is about
to branch out into more vocational
The sun., 1916-10-22
Sergeant Owen Birne, Who Was Killed While on Duty and Received Unique
Honor, a Type of the NonconmESioned Officers Who Preserve the
Armys Traditions and Train Uncle SAM Fighting Men

orders and died. No loftier virtue than
this can be attained by any man"
The army has many such men as
Sergeant owen Bierne who may have
M %panegyric after they die. but those
who have see something OF the SER
vice know full we'll that they are de-
serving Of their country's gratitude
both before and after the band begins
Ia play.
There was Sergeant Dublin" Nc
Gart.an. for instance. OF Troop b,
First Cavalry. so near the end of his
thirty years that his captain did all
an officer could to get him to stay In
Texas with the supplies rather than
to go to Cuba when the Spanish-Ainer-
lean war was beginning.
stay at home? Me- said that
grizzled old fighter. ME stay at home.
with the boys down IN the firing line
and all hell popping. and a dandy
scrap at that? Not OH YOU life. saw
ing your presence, sir"
Dublin" was toppled over by q
Spanish bullet at San Juan Hill.
Sergeant Jimmy Foley might have
gone the same way instead of being
with the recruiting service and stand
ing in Bryant Park every day from Q
A. NJ. to 4 +. NJ. telling the advantages
OF IA military education.
II you happen to notice James ].
Foley, sergeant OF the first grade. he
is decorated considerably with ribbons
showing in their different hues that he
has been in campaigns. many and va
riouslikc. which took him around the
The sun., 1916-10-22

lose their tempers. Above all. they in
still into the minds Of every mothers
son with whom they come in contact
the deep love OF the Nag.
No higher tribute could be paid TO
the stamina aud the fine worth of any
man than TO say that for thirty years
he has been Il non-com in the regular
army. He may not have the basic ed
ucation to shift chevrons into ~epaulets.
but he keeps right on with his useful
WORK al the same. Men come II 20.
but the corporals and the sergeants.
first elias. fighting men, keep them in
spired with interest and are tones to
the military morale.
There might I've more Of the nom
cons If there were not slch n demand
for them FOR the work of Brigadier-
Generals. Any one who makes a stud
OF the records OF officers OF high rank
in the regular establishment will be
amazed To see how many of the SER
geants Of a few years ago have gained
commissions
one of the most notable examples Of
promotion along these lines was that
OF the late I!cut-Gcn, .Adna X. Chat
Zee, VINO WAS long n sergeant in the
sixth cavalry. There were Major
Gems. Wheaton and Davis. who served
So ably a. non-coms that they won
gold lac" and swords. Brig.-Gen. \.
W. Grce.y, the Arctic explorer. rose
through the minor grades. and he was
Sergeant Greedy when he attracted
attention by the thoroughness OF his
way OF doing things.
Among other officers Of high rank in
the United States army who were in
tho c.ass TO which belonged owen
B!crne may he mentioned Brig. Gems.
Lee. Pcnnypacker. Humphrey, Cooney.
Scully. Schwan, McGregor. Whelan,
Hauerbach, Lincoln. Bisbec. Quinton,
Hood, Graft. Dimock. Baldwin, Wood
run, Roberts. Hooper. Taylor. True
Moore. Ward, Reed and Pi,man. These
ara just a few Of the former non-coms
WHO by sheer force and ability and
bravery won their way to the TOP
places in the military system.
About 40 per cent. OF the officers o.
the United States army are graduate.
The sun., 1916-10-22

he'd a lived a spell longer. but as twas
they couldn't nobody say nothin' aGin
him. An he was hat high spcrited an
hotty up to the day of his death what
they couldn't be no mistake about him
bein' n reel Southern gemman.
"They done give him n funeral httin'
10 "A man o. his p'sition IN s'ciety. an
the ondertaker's hill want never paid,
long o. they bein' nothin' but debts
To- the wilder alter the moggiges was
fo'closed. But they couldn't nobody
say nothin' agin the 5edge. He was
al'ays a gemman while he lived. an he
done died IN got buried like n gem
man. an the disgrace all come onto
Billy an the wilder.
"Sho' was rough on Billy. Bcin'
quality he couldn't be expected TO- to
go to work. an not havin' been learned
how TO play poker like his pa d ought
TO to did. they didn't pear TO he
nothin' TO- him to do, on'y keep on
Twin on credit like his pa done. an
they was ~c'nsid'able difficulty bout
that, him not havin' Experience into It
like his pa had,
~ was keepin' bar TO the tavern
them days an doin' tol'able well. II
was Just afo' ! bought out the p'pictor,
an just nachully Billy lone told his
troubles 10 me. o. co'se l couldn't give
him no money, they not beln' no pros
pect % gcttin' it back, but ] done bet
ter. | give him 'dvlcc.
First of ] done told him what they
want nothin' TO him to do on'y To- to
improve hisself.
The sun., 1916-10-22

ou,cn &, first on. Just nachully he
couldn't play poker, not hav!n' no
money. al they want no way o him
gittin' no money. be.n's he couldn't
play poker, Bein' a gcmman. they
wa'n't nothin' TO- him to do on'y set
round the tavern an wait TO- somepin'
to turn up. but | will say 10 him what
he done that faithful.
Mon that. he done set out To- to
improve hisself like ] told him he'd
ought. O co'se he couldn't set In when
they was a game on. but they didn't
nobody mako no Elections TO him look
in on. an he al'ays done that.
Now they Is them what en- set an
look on f'revcr an not git no good
outen It. TIL amt nothin' but actual
experience don't never learn EN- moth
in. But they's others what learns a
heap p'vidin' they knows enough TO to
understand the fine p'ints a. the game
an has the makinis OF a player into
EN-.
Right thar was whar Billy Wlthers
done proved what he was reel quality,
but just nachully they didn't nobody
reclize 1t till later on. All they seen
was what he was settin' thar 'musin'
hlsself seem who win an who lose in
the game. 'thouten takin' no part into
1t his own self.
What he was RELY dom was ed
catin' hisself. an havin' the makin's of
a player into him he done IL remark
able well, 'Twa'p't a hcl.ova while
a!o' he knowcd s much - the science
o the game as ANYBODY in G~roenyille
The sun., 1916-10-22

when they pears TO be n chanel q
they bcin' a Expense to the c'munity TO
their spot. I'm al'ays ready TO- to give
en- boat fare ruther n to have I'm
stay round under them ~circumstants.
II relieves my feelin's n comes
cheaper. bein's I has to pay mo- n half
the taxes what's elected into this yer
town.
They was a c'nspicyous Example o.
that In Greenville when I was on'y a
young man what I eve forgot"
At this moment Mr.. Pearsall groaned
dismally. and rising from his chair
left the saloon.
Young Billy Withers was tn
Example," continued the old man. "He
want much din'rent I'm none O. the
other young fellers what was CROWN
UP at the time, on'y his pa done
neglected his edicat!on somepin' shame
full.
Pears like he didn't had no reel
lin sense o. the obligations Of a par
ent. an he hadn't never gave him no
Instructions bout the fine p'ints O
poker. Consequent. Billy growed W
mo- r less ign'ant,
90 co'se. 'twa'n't nothin' to me
whether Billy Withers ever mounted
to nothin' or not. He want no kin o
mine, nor he didn't owe me nothin'
but he VAS shO' 'nough quality. an
al'ays did hate TO TO see them that was
reel quality 20 wrong. Pears like
faint what the good Lawd done
meant To- to happen when n man Is
BON into that class, An Billy sho
was BON into II long o. his pa. wha,
was ledge Withers. bein' a high toned
gen'men o. one o the richest famblie.
In Mississippi.
mon likely the ledge d a wen
wrong his own self II he'd a lived 8
year or so longer. He drinked en-,
sid'able mon he'd ought. an he ruy
bosses m ut cocks. an played poker
like mad, not bein' lucky at none OF
'em. Consequent the family state
Was mostly squandered afo' Billy wa,
bo'ned. An by the time he was growet
up the ledge d been Twin on borriet
money 30 long what his credit wa,
,igh bout Exhausted.
Mon likely he'd q been d'ssraced Il
The sun., 1916-10-22

Of West Point and the others either
are from civil lie or have raised them
selves from the ranks. In time Of war
the promotions are often quickly
achieved. Many a sergeant. leading his
company after all the commissioned
officers had been killed or disabled. has
received his epaulets right on the spot.
several high officers Of the American
army jumped direct from private
To- Captain. There are hundreds Of Of
ficers VINO were once sergeants and
corporals in the regular establishment
who even In days OF peace were able
To make their way to high rank. The
veteran sergeant gets his opportunity
often before he Is finally mustered out
Of the service.
Such gracious acts as that OF Brig
Gen. Bel at FL Faso show that the
army holds these veteran warriors In
high esteem always.
Under the new army bill the oppor-
tunlt.es for the non-commiss!oned Of
ficcr to shed the hyphen are numerous.
There are now 1900 vacancies to be
filed hy officers. and by next July
there Will be automatically more. The
Government Is sparing no EFFORT to get
the right kind of men
\ private soldier who has served q
year may have the chance to take the
examinations for entrance into the
United states Military Academy. II
recommended as 10 his personal and
moral and menta' characteristics by
his commanding officer. He can enter
the competitive examinations for pro-
motion to the rank of Second Licuten-
ant.
Even though on account ~ age linn
its and other reasons the Gou-com can
not make his way to the command OF a
company he caH look forward to long
years of active and profitable work
after he il honorahly discharged. Few
men there are who stay in the army
for thirty years and do not get some
kind Of Office at the end of the three
decades. Retiring from the service
with his three-quarters pay and his
communication of about SIS a month he
should have at least $3.50 a month.
The average retiring age is nearer sc
The sun., 1916-10-22

'cordin' to that Pepper Il ought TO
to be prayin' most O. the time stead
O. settln' round maxim painful impress
slons."
'Speakin' o. biles.' said sam Pear
sail. they Is times when a man don't
give n damn whether he has 'em or
not"
Not il he's sober, they amt" de-
clared the old man very positively.
well" retorted Pearsall. 'he amt
liable 70 to be sober much O. the time
II he's married"
Nobody seemed to think Of any ade-
quate rejoinder to this and gloomy ST.
lence cnsued. 1t was broken o af-
terward by Jake Winterbottom. who
said In a discouraged way:
II al'ays Regarded n s'loon as a
place TO to be jovlal into. Pears like
this I'm is gttt!n' to be c'nsld'able like
a mo'ners' bench at a camp meetin',
what with matrimony an biles an
SIGH. reckon everybody Is got troubles
Of his own I done got wounded my
ownself into the wah, but ] don't never
p'rade the scyar. Pears like it's mo
decent like to keep things like that Il
yo'self."
"Gawd knows said Pcarsall earnest
ly. II don't feel like I was p'radin
nothin' long o. bein' fo'ced to 'cknowl.
edge what Is a married man"
NO" said tho old a who also
seemed to feel the sting OF Winterbot-
toms rebuke. NOR they can't nobody
say what is done put none o them siN
bilcs on exhibition. eckOn | on elf.
The sun., 1916-10-22
IN WITH CHEVRONS THE TRUE BACKBONE OF THE Arm

training. Even ms matters stand ro,
the average soldier can quit tic army
with a training in clerical wort. ia tho
making Of reports. aud with habit, ..
precision which stand him IN sooL
stead in a business world which NOR,
and more Is approaching that mi,itlt,
training makes for high efficiency.
He may become an expert electrical,
at the cost of the Government. In IN.
signal corps school enlisted men an,
trained as telegraphcrs and uircl,,,
operators. The Government makes ca,
pert farriers and horscshocrs. /, pto.
vides instruction in tho making Of mar.
ness. The fame of the army culslre
has spread far and wide and MANY ats
the pointers n man may pick up "a e
student in the schools for bakers and
cooks conducted by the Goyefnmeu.
An enlisted man may become. 4 .s
will. an expert draughtsman OF ST..
vcyor.
The sun., 1916-10-22
THE FAMILY FORTUNES WITH DRAW POKER

done tolahle well, winnin' c'nsid'able
mo- n he done lose. an stickin' to the
game faithful Till he come 10 be- ono
q the lead!n' citizens a. G~reenville.
an dyiu' rich an respectable even IL
twas some suddint. happ"nin' like Il
did into a poker game long Of a argi-
ment over the deal, him takin' mo- Of
a chanst n he'd ought. an Deacon
Pettigrew catch!n' him at II. Least
ways. that was the way the Deacon
Explained II. an the jury blieved him.
so they want nothin' never did about
II. mo- n TO have n trial an acquit the
Deacon TO- self-defence.
Jest %nachully they was c'nsid'ahle
gossip alter Billy Withers WAS daid,
like they al'ays will be when a man
amt round to speak up TO hisself. an
they was some what was c'ntempt!ble
enough 10 raise n question o. how
come he done got that mysterious wad
what was the means, under Providence.
o. givin' him n start In life. together
with tn advice what ! done give him
II mint n sayin' what I think, my
W self. but the Circumstances sho' was
some Suspicious. They didn't nobody
never hear o. no kin o his dyin' an
leaNin' him no money, but the
couldn't be no question bu. what he
done had IL, an Ahncr Skaggs done
told a curious tale.
"'Pears he was n big winner into
the game one night, an done C'nsid'ablc
celehratin' when the settin' broke up.
Consequent 10 van 'ntircly certain
o. what was did later on, but he
knowed he had his wnd in his jeans
when him an Billy Withers done !ef'
the place together.
"Then he didn't know nothin' mo-
till next mawnin'. hut when he wokcn
up he didn't had no wad. 4 must "A
left II some'rcs,' he says, AN I reckon
that was what somebody done left to
Billy Withcrs.' An they was some
what reckoned he MAS nigh bout
right,
Hui what I nl'ays says is what they
amt no good rakin' up scandal bout
n gemman when he's daid. an Billy
| Withers lived an died n gemman, long
o. him follerin' tn advice what / done
J give him."
The sun., 1916-10-22
MIsNAMED.

T Up at Van Cortlandt Para a.
other evening a Bronx youi
was telling a Harlem SRI tsa'
he intended to do big things IN C..
world before he got through with M.
sojourn on this planet. THE gisl L.,.
tened politely. but didn't seem e. warm
to tho topic. Suddenly she said:
Where IL that place tie man W.,
held up while automobiling a shor,
time ago? I'd Ike to SEQ it."
SO the Bronx youth pi'o.ed he.
through the dark paths until they AZ.
rived at u lonely spot TO tho nortr of
TIE golf house.
is this the most lonesome Spc,
around here?' asked the =,rl.
ut sure L." answered tic g ~
and as ] was saying. there, 40 ri. /.
OF money i'll
Lets leave ,Nis place .te inter
rupted. ut gives IN" tie sa!,ers."
But | thought you wanted - COM
50 you could see where III" a4tpm,.
bile was held up?'
50 | did answered the SRI. r
papers said the man was hold ~
Lovers Lane and I was anxious t. 60,
II tho place was named right To,
certainly made u mistake IN clili.s :
ti,at."
The sun., 1916-10-22
BY DAVID A. CURTIS.

"The Good Book says what they is II
place To- everything" said old man
Greenlaw. but I'm he dawggoned--'
And here he paused, indicating by his
manner that he had for oncc come
across a problem too intricate for him
to understand clearly. 1t seemed to
trouble him.
"They's been n heap said" he con-
tinued finally. 'c'ncernin' Job havin'
been a alfred patient man. long o.
tho Lawd havin' done smlt him with
TO- biles, but I done had six on EN-
now inside o. three months. an I amt
discovered what they's anythin' bout
a bile what makes a man patient. nor
I hain't found what they Is any good
place 70 10 have EN-. Pears like they
must be sumpin' wrong
"Oh. I don't know" said Mr., Owen
Pepper in an airy. tr!iing manner II
slays found what they was one place
what "A man en- have n bile into what
don't cause him no Inconvenience to
speak Of"
where's that?' demanded the old
man sharply. He was not always toll
Grant ~ Mr., Peppers remarks,
onto n other mans neck said Mr..
Pepper, Then lac went away from
there.
Some stpn. "a al thn .1l aa..,
The sun., 1916-10-22

self let into the United States army
barracks out at Columbus. Ohio, as n
and treated to all the preliminaries
considered necessary to find out the
fitness Of men. tells Of his first meeting
with stern old Sergeant Watt-as
fierce n mustachc as ever drew breath.
Now then. men," began the re-
doubtable sergeant. get a move on
lay your things on those hunks and
come to my desk; I want to talk to
you"
There was n prompt drift in his di-
rection.
The sun., 1916-10-22

mutilating 1t. He was wounded in half
n dozen places. but ne succeeded In
doing what he had volunteered to do.
Then there was that sergeant Of
the Sixth Cavalry who in Guadalupe
Canyon with a handful Of men at his
back held hundreds of hostile copper
faces at bay for hours. This Is a Their
mopyl@ Of the West which. is Often
talked Of about the campfres Of the
regulars.
Those who read novels OF Western
life such as Cyrus Townsend Brady
and Ham,in Garland write will remem-
Der how often the sergeant salutes In
The sun., 1916-10-22

world. His time will soon be ~ and
then for him a pension. He has
earned II.
One OF the bravcst men that the
American army ever had, by the way.
was a non-com. n sergeant. who. out in
Arizona at C!biou Creek, went into the
Jaws Of hell and brought out the body
Of his captain to keep the Indians from
The sun., 1916-10-22

faithful service in China, in the Philip
pines, in Cuba and on the frontiers
when the Sioux were on the warpath.
Both during his life and in his
DEATH" To quote the comment of Brig
Gen. Bell. this splendid soldier eXem-
plified the best traditions Of the army.
1t was not for him to question why
nor to reason why. lie simply obeyed
The sun., 1916-10-22

BROOkI.NN ADVERTIsEME>Ts,
The sun., 1916-10-22

BRUOkLY> ADNERTI>rMt>t,.
The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-24

One can't always measure q good
time by the cost.