The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-01-21
Two Americans
Abroad
By A. Mitchell

Wilkinson enlisted for the Spanish
American war when lie was seventeen
years old, went TO Cuba and fought the
dons aud returned with his command AZ
the end OF the fracas. When the great
European military conflagration broke
out, desirOus of seeing something more
Of fighting. he went to Canada. enlist
ed in the first expeditionary force that
went to England and thence to France.
Wilkinson was machinist and very
ingenious. When the British com
nanders learned Of this they wanted
him to go into the mechanical corps of
the army, but he said he had had enough
of that at home. lie preferred to re-
main in the ranks, where ne would get
something different SO he became
trench fighter like the rest of them.
But 1t Is not every man who can get
Just what he wants, no matter how he
arranges for it. Wilkinson had no soon
er got into fight than he was captur-
ed and taken to the rear. This was In
Flanders during the late autumn Of
1914.
One day an officer came into the pris-
on where Wilkinson was confined and
asked In English IL there were any me
chanics there who would volunteer to
work at bridge building. Wilkinson,
whose active nature rendered confine-
ment unbearable to him, called out that
he was an engineer by profession. The
officer accosted him. asking II he would
agree to give his services to the Ger
man government In good faith. 1t
turned out that the officer, Captain
Kaufman, was German-Americnn.
who had gone over to fight for the IA
therland.
Wilkinson and Captain Kaufman be
ing both Americans became quite
chummy. Wilkinson impressed the
captain so favorably with his knowl
edge of engineering that the latter pro
posed to take him to the chief engineer
with a view to his entering the en-
! gineer corps of the German army in {
prominent position. Wilkinson assent
/ ed, or, rather pretended to assent, fo
he was simply looking out for an op
portunity to get back to the army o
which he was legitimate part
Captain Kaufman took the prisone
! into an automobile for a ride to poin
where large railroad bridge was be
ing rebuilt. There he expected to flint
one of the chief engineer officers of tn
army to whom he expected TO turn owe
the American for service. During til
ride the two men chatted about Amer
lea and what they would do there o.
their return at the end of the war. Nat
urally Kaufman was warm in his at
vocacy of the German cause. Will
Wilkinsons sympathles were with til
allies. But they talked little on thi
subject for Wilkinson. who had IL pla
to get away from his captor, led til
conversation in a line that would facil
tate his doing so.
~ tell you what Wen do, Kaufman,
he said When this slaughter bus
ness is over and we both get back {
the land of the free I've got the bigges
scheme on hand for making money yo
ever saw. It's device that may L
| hppiiNh w oli puAhpAhS
Its use will be enormous. I'll tax
you in with me and Wen make OF
everlasting fortunes. You attend
the sales while | attend to the mani
facture-seeT
where will we get the capital,
asked the captain.
Capital Why, there's capit
anouOh i'm tha ITpitad Stafnc t0 nrOmO
any scheme if it can be proved a
right. can get millions for anythiI
propose. My device is so simple th;
child can understand it. Let me hay
l a pencil and piece of paper and I
A make you a drawing of it."
Kaufman had the wheel. so
couldn't get into his pocket withol
stopping, but they were approaching
village, and he said he would stop Fl
something to smoke. Pulling up at
small store, Wilkinson went In III
returned with some cigars, a penC
and a sheet of paper. He also Ii;
n something else that his companion d
e not see Lighting up. the two pr
e ceeded, Wilkinson making sketch
q MS device. ANuluuu, WuO uHu
knowledge of mechanics, did not Il
derstand it, so Wilkinson proceeded
make Il practical demonstration. Ro
ing the sheet of paper into tube
{ trifle smaller at one end than at &
other, he crumpled small portion in
a little ball, which he dropped into Z
tube; then. while the captains ga
was on the road ahead, he dropped in
n. it some red pepper
Al "You can't watch the road and L
demonstration Mt the same time. st
the machine for moment"
% Kaufman brought the auto TO st
Is and turned his face to his companiC
a. "This tube represents the pump, Il
the crumpled bit of paper inside is 7
4 patent bah valve, The greater I
.. pressure on the ball the tighter 1t is
the tube When I blow on 1t like Il
y -see?"
Kaufman did not see. because W
~ kinson had blown red pepper into
avac Wilkinson iumnpd from the al