Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-28

TALKING Of the brave things our men
L have done and are doing to prepare for
war brings me to the sailing on Monday
Of Erwin Clarkson Garrett Of German
town, whose poetry is very well known
to many of us. Erwin is quite some poet,
let me tell you. Have you read his book
entitled "The Dyak CHIEF? WELL it's
some book, believe me; some one laps
up some one else's blood, and it certainly
gives you the woozies
Well, Erwin decided that he would not
stand out for a commission, as so many
have, and he would not wait for the
draft to call him to training, either
What need had he to train to fight?
Many with whom he has come in con.
tact in his days Of youthful exuberance
will bear me out in saying that he does
not indeed need to train. HE KNOWS
how. So he determined not to wait and
train here for the trenches, but to go to
them himself, and so today he sails for
France to offer himself to Pershing for
the regular army already in France. And
let us hope he is accepted, as otherwise
should Friend Pershing undertake to
disagree with Erwin he might smite him
on the beam which he can do with
great efficiency.
do not doubt that he will be ac.
cepted, for / should certainly think him
Z to be physically fit and certainly full of
courage.
He has always been strong for the
Allies, and the story goes that one time
,t,~xz. lo
an account of a German atrocity, which
30 enraged him he cut the article out
and proceeded to the consul's Office or
home, history does not designate which,
and facing the consul he held the ac'
count before his eyes with his left hand
and said: See that? Well, take this"
and with his "goodlie" right arm he
feled him to the ground.
Somehow Cape May and other places
where young Erwin spent his time in
the summer will seem lonely without
him.
Erwin certainly comes from a great
line of fighters, and something tells me
that though he may get his desire and
start as a private he will speedy be
promoted. His father was Captain George
L. Garrett Of the Union Army and was
promoted for bravery at the battle of
Stony Ridge by General Rosecrans.
He had three great-great grandfathers
in the Revolutionary War, including his
great-great grandfather. Captain John
Garrett Needless to say, Erwin belongs
to the Sons of the Revolution and the
Colonial Societies of this city with rec
ord like that back of him.
IT'S a funny thing about grandfathers.
When they told me Erwin had three
greatgreat ones 1 almost said Jaw, quit
your kiddin," as the small boy did
when I told him every seven years he
would turn into girl (and, incidentally
when he became so excited on the sub
ject that he took to throwing the furni.
ture, 1 subsided). But then you know l
stopped to think, and. of course, you can
have two grandfathers, and, of course,
they each had a father and mother
and they each had Two, and so that
gives you four great grandfathers and
10 and behold you! Here. thinks l, why,
II it comes to that, you could have eight
great-great grandfathers; and just don't
go on, for even IL you draw diagram
It's something awful, you get so mixed
and wouldn't 1t be awful If you did have
eight to give Christmas presents to each
year, let alone the uncles and aunts ana
cousins which would come along with
them?
Be all this as it~may, we wish Erwin
the best of luck and hope Pershing VIII
realize that he is getting one fine Ameri'
can citizen in this recruit TO the coiors'
HEAR the Reed Morgans have come
! back from trip through the Great
Lakes and are going TO spend the next
few weeks at their Chestnut Hill home.
They have lovely house out there ana
it's about as cool there as anywhere
when the heat comes as It has In the last
four-indeed, 1t Is six--days STEADY isn't
Il?
v Mrs. Morgan has been identihed with
y the Red Cross at the Emergency Ala
I ever since It started and has done
< y great work there. She started
claco for kiddies to do surgical Dress
~ Al epouese winter before iast 3