Evening star., 1917-11-25

~ EFORE tell of my first real ad-
~ venture / will give a brief
D resume Of my life
- I was born in the sos. closer
10 the bottom than the top. When
first opened my eyes I breathed the air
Of the Rockies" To be exact, l was
born in Ogden, Utah, on the 11th OF
December, 1883. Ally rowing started at
rhe early age OF four. This was in
Cheyenne, Wyo. I used to play on the
front porch. My mother must have
suspected that I was of a rowing ma
ture, because she took the precaution
to put q gate across the steps of the
porch with some kind of new-fanSled
lock on II. which / was unable to ne
gotiate-
time trying to get the gate open, but
without success; in fact, this got TO be
a habit with me until my father applied
the slipper" several times This made
me more cautious and I worked i'll Sc
cret. Out in front of our house We're
the sand hills of Wyoming. These had
y fascina ton for me and it was my
greatest ambition to explore them.
One momentous morning the grocery
boy, who was n great friend OF mine.
showed me how to work the lock |
was full OF childish glee, when. after
= few attempts, ] found il easy to set
out into the world beyond
On the morning in question my moth
er left ME in charge of the hired girl
while she went shopping. 1t was wash
day. and my guardian did not have
much time to look after me. She, not
being in or the big secret, put nee on
the front porch. thinking that l would
hs safe. I waited my chance, and as
soon as heard the noise OF her scrub
oing on the washboard in the kitchen
I availed myself OF the opportunity of
getting out. When 1 got out into the
sand hills it was great fun, and kept
blowing forward. After a while I got
very tired ard tried to retrace my
steps. but without success. I knew
was lost. Then | did what all kids
would do under like circumstances. I
blubbered for my mother. Pretty soon
a cowboy came along, took compassion
on me. lifted me in front of him on his
saddle. and We rode into the town of
Cheyenne.
All the way he was trying TO find out
my name. but all could answer was
.'Deyempy." OF course, he could not
translate this into Guy Empey." He
carried me into a saloon, filed with
cowboys, and sat me on a barrel and
the cowboys crowded around and
seemed to be greatly amused. I thor
oughIy enjoyed myself for while, but
then began to howl for my mamma.
cause even the cowboys could not stand
it. They gave me everything in the
saloon to play with, but to no avail
My yelling continued
X:
Ny mother. upon returning home at
about 1 o'clock that afternoon, found
the girl frantic with fright. saying
that i had disappeared. My mother
turned in the alarm and a general
search took place.
with frightened face, rushed into the
saloon and, seeing me, grabbed me in
his arms and kissed me. He then in
triumph took me home. \ great re-
neiShbors patted me on the back.
was great hero. pro tenn. When the
neighbors left, out came that old
familiar slipper" When 1 saw the
slipper experienced the same feeling
that had later when on a trench raid
in France I was hung in he German
barbed wire. Ny father sure had the
art OF slipper application down to a
hne point. because lost all interest in
rowing for many moons.
From Cheyenne my family went to
Richmond. Va At this place I went to
school and was brought up on Nc
Guffys reader. This gave me a great
idea an Englishnan. All / could see
- q oi6 GICuadlcT III q TGQ coat ClOD-
ping Americans into mincemeat.
From Virginia we migrated to Cana
da- Two years later we left for New
York.
In New York / went through public
school. and twice just escaped being
expelled. I organized the boys of the
class into a gang, and we decided to
mutfny against our teacher. a Miss
Hall, but the principal Of the school,
Mr.. Lyons, soon wiped out tho mutiny
and gave me another chance to make
good. When I received my graduation
diploma / breathed a sigh of thanks
giving.
From public school 1 went to Manual
Training High School. The most nota
BILE thing I did there was to make left
halfback on the foot ball team. Ny
great hero was Richard Henry Dana,
who wrote Two Years Before the
Mast" / deyoured this book several
times and then decided to run away
and make the same trip. and did So
After a little less than a years alb
sence again returned to New York
Once again I was the hero. minus the
slipper. After being worshiped for
about two weeks. I Joined the 47th
Regiment of Brooklyn and soon became
sergeant The militia, In my eyes
seemed tame. SO I ran away ana en-
listed In the Navy. In two months be.
came q third-class yeoman. hayiue
passed the yeoman course in the Brook
1yn navy yard. Then I went to sea on
the rookie" battleship Missouri. We