Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-29
JOINS ARMY AT So,
BECOMES A MAJOR
"Foghorn" Mcdonald Is Best
Known Man in Canadian
Contingent.
CAREER REMARKABLE ONE
Was in United States Cavalry
Regiment During Spanish
American War.
CAREER REMARKABLE ON
rBy Associated Press.l


to admit Is that he is beyond doubt
the bcst-known man in the wonderful
big army Canada has sent over TO fight
for the Mother Country General Sir
sam Hughes Canadian Minister Of Mi
liiia and Defense, is not jealous of
"Foghorns" distinction The rawest
rookie In the rearmost ranks Of the
Dominion forces procIaims 1t on the
hghting line. and looks up to this
understanding scion of the clan Nc
Donald as shining example Of what
lowly buck" can do in trying times
like these
For "Foghorn" came over as a pri-
vate himself just two short years ago.
Some OF his home folks told him he
was a "darned old fool" to enlist at
| hfty-threc. But "Foghorn" had been
miner all his days. He had hit the
Western trail from sunbaked Batopilas,
in tho wilds OF Mexico. to the snow
shrouded valleys of the Yuk n, and he
knew what perseverance and pluck
and courage and sacrifice could do.
He knew he would make the grade"
and SO did great crowd of his friends
who gathered 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 re-
ceive this latest promotion. and he was
toasted major of His Majest. g forces.
'Foghorn" was born Neil Roderick
VI
~ few who know him by that dis
! tinguished name. It's Just plain Fog
horn" nowadays, from one end of tn,
trenches to the other, and one earful
of that low rumbling. window -shatter-
ing. rock -shivering voice explodcs all
possible doubt as to the derivation of
the nickname.
SET OFF MINES
UNDER THE ENEMY
| There are plenty Of Germans who
know FoEhorn," too. In the days OF
! the deathly deadlock, when trenches
crcpt closer together, he was one of
those who burrowed beneath the earth
ana set off great mines under the
enemy He had not been mining en-
gincer in vain. Often his voice would
go booming across NO Mans Land"
Germans.
Not to know "Foghorn" Mcdonald is
to miss one of the big human person.
alities of this war. II IS not difficult
10 realize what tower of encourage
ment and strength he is to the SOL
diers 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-ti
friend. and Nv. c." of the South AfrI-
can war.
And speaking of hell" ne added
there may or may not be something
In the fact that Foghorn belongs to
the Black Devils"
That is the name the Germans have
given the Eighth Battalion, Canadian
Infantry, and the battalion has adopt.
cd AS it's insignia n small black imp
dancing in glee. They were delighted
with the appellation. and are living up
to it, according to all reports from the
Somme.
HOME IN GREAT
AMERICAN WEST
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 in Canada can claim him AS
her own. His heart is as big as the
world in which he has lived: and he
has way of calling superior officer
BILL or Jim" or George" and re-
ferring TO corporal as q brother Of
ficer' that is quite battling TO the Eng.
l!shman's ideas of discipline. Someone
spoke TO Fog" about ii.
Well. sir" he explained, tits a mans
war. by God, sir. and ! respect every
mothers son who's out there doing his
bit. | was a full-nedged buck my
self once, and 1 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 describes him.
self as "a mighty fine boss" Where
he got the horse he will not tell you.
ut wouldn't be passed by the censor"
he says.
good transport officer tries to keep
his losses at n minimum and to make
the deficiencies good as quickly as he
can. "Foghorn" had his men in the
BLACK Devils" trained to the minute
in that respect.
"One night" he said, 1--WE were TAX
ing some loads of ammunition away
up in front. 1t was blacker than the
ACC of spades, and If you struck a
match you'd get your eye shot out.
But in the midst of. all this blackness
and the Smelling we were getting, 1
heard one of my men say to his port
ner: Keep your eye out for a good
boss. Bill. This ought to be a good
night to. get one"
"Foghorn" served for time as an
officer in the United States Army. the
Third Volunteer Cavalry OF the Span
ish War.
II think tho officer commanding our
regiment had fifteen or twenty million
dollars" said 'Foghorn." II had $3.50
myself"