The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1917-19??, 1917-08-09
Ho, ha, hum-five weeks till pen
sion day.

The total number of non pensioners
in the ten Branches of the n. H. D.
V. s., June 80, 1916, was 2,4G6 and
the number of non-pensioners at the
Mountain Branch footed up 1873.
Austin Holmes, alias "Old Kentuck"
dropped into camp from furlough.
Austin rounded up his children and
grand children in Albany, N. Y,
Springfield Ohio, and Maysville, Ky.
No increases in pensions were re-
ceived the past week, but there were
two men put in the $3.50 class. When
soldiers kiss their marital mates au
revoir they Unexpectedly get this kind
of jar.
Word reached here that Frank
Joule, formerly of Co. A, has entered
wedlock for the second time, at NAM
moth Springs, Ark. He is well re-
membered here for furnishing many
hours of pleasing entertainment with
his graphophone.
E company, which in boastful
moments, claims to have the best look
ing bunch of men in the Home when
| the detailed members fall in," also
claims to have old-time sports who
are always ready to take gamblers
chance on any event.
Probably on account of the heat
from the boilerroom underneath, or
he flavor of home grown ice cream,
| of maybe a member mistaken for a
Billy Goat, caused the non-coms, to
loosen up and buy an electric fan for
the beanery this week.
In listing the clerical force of the
Treasurers office, in our last issue,
is boquet of efficient employees, we
inadvertently omitted the name of the
most popular and capable clerk in the
,luster-Eddie Park-and we have
! Jeen kowtowing to him ever since.
The old sprint of patriotism assert
ed itself Saturday by the veterans OF
c company. who chippcd i'll with
alacrity and purchased beautiful
regulation flag. In the evening the
members of Old c and other soldiers
witnessed the ceremony of unfurlirg
to the breeze the new colors.
Mr. Robert Meredith, superintend-
ent of the laundry, and Mrs. Alice
Shoecraft, for several years in charge
of the sewing department Of the tailor
shop, and very estimable and gra-
cious lady, were married last Sunday
in Jonesboro. We wish them con-
jugal happiness in their future state.
Home guards are being assembled
to protect the cities, etc., all over the
country. In the Dayton Branch In
spector Donovan has large detail to
drill three days a week We don't ,
need an augmented force here. for
Captain O'Neil's guards are all to the /
merry and add gaiety to the throng
at band concerts.
The nineteenth annual encampment
of the Spanish-American War Veter-
ans will be held in Cleveland Ohio,
September 24-25-26. An effort will be
made to change the constitution and
name the society "The U. S. War Vet
erans," making eligible any man who
served honorably in the military or
naval establishment.
Hereafter we shall never again fret
Turing those routine moments when ,
for the duties of the day. !
As we seize our toothbrush in Obedi- 1
nee to the stern dictates of hygiene, ,
We shall never again squirm over the {
dor of soldier socks and ancient pipes ,
n the barracks, but shall think OF The e
roma arising from the man with the /
elbow uniform at mess. @
One of the first admissions to this
lone, William Fl. Lester, died in the
ospital Wednesday. There are Only h
few of the "old timers" left James Il
lcNamee whose No. is 27O, is sun a
live and well. Testers number was T
%. That bunch came here in 1856 tt
of them came from Dayton and h
rev rations from there until the APP IL
ropriation was made for this Branch. "
Times. OF
Ezekial r. Stewart, Uncle Zeke' b,
las Dexter, a unique character OF a,
e Mountain Branch has gone to his nc
ward. Old and feeble Uncle Zeke 80
ansferred to Dayton in July ana ho
ed there few days after his arrival. w
Ike was well known in the Jonesboro
ighborhood as the little Yankee
ddler and at the Milwaukee Branch
,me as Dexter, having been de
rse jockey when horse racing was ia
flower. We
tn,