The Washington herald., 1917-05-23
EDDIE'S MIDGETS WIN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

fashion alongside Gen. Barnett and some
other military men.
Then came Adjt c. A. Burner to As
sistant Supt Kramer, who had been
checking up the scores of the companies
for two days, on a little adding machine
under the grandstand. Mr.. Kramer
whispered something in the adjutant's
ear and Immediately that be-sworded,
be-epauletted young man swung on his
heel-you know the trick-and marched
straight at a company in the center OF
the long line OF companies drawn up at
review.
Directly in front Of this company he
pivoted and swung of at right angles
down the line-down toward Eddie
Ellis company, standing rigidly at at
tention, but with despair and hopeless
longing written on their faces. There
was a big reason for this hopelessness.
Way back last fall, when they were
making up the companies at Central,
they found that Eddie Ellis had to have
a captains commission. He was so good
soldier, for all his five feet one and
his big staring eyes and his kiddish grin,
that they had to give him a company.
So they gave him all the "kids"-al the
little. short-statured boys whose en-
thusiasm didn't prevent them spelling
the skyline OF a regular company.
So Eddie started of under a handicap.
and every Tom Thumb cadet who en-
tered Tech was turned over to Eddie
Ellis company. So what chance did Ed
die have to win a drill, with regular six
footers drilling against him2
Nobody was close enough to the cap
tain-kid to see whether the tears had
started, but Eddie Ellis looked up and
down the field, looked at the big. tower
ing huslkies in other companies. and then
he looked at his own midgets and sighed
under his tight uniform. So after that,
he just looked across at the stands,
packed with Tech rooters, and breathed
little prayer that somebody would bring
home the flag to his school, even though
he couldn't.
Just about that time. this adtutant per
son. with his long flashing sword and his
deceptive manner OF progress, was right
angling in front of that rival company,
up the field. and was started down
| toward Eddie. There were several COM
panies further down the field past Eddie,
so he kept on looking at the grandstand
and waiting for the final agony.
Adtutants can do some weird walking
when they want to, but no adjutant ever
walking more welrdly or more marvellous
Iy than that AdJt. Burner did yesterday,
for all of a sudden he took a crazy, out
landish notion to stop right plumb in
front of Eddie's company. and, worse
than that, he actually walked up to Eddie
Ellis and said something that nobody but
he and Eddie heard
And then the adjutant walked back to
Maj. Barnett-at least a block away-but
Eddie Ellis sword had suddenly flashed
lup in a brilliant salute and far across
the field crashed a strain OF The Stars
and Stripes Forever"
Right shoulder!-Eddie almost scream
ed. HepI"
He swung those baby prvates across
the drill field like never a company
swung before. He whirled them UP in
front Of Gen. Barnett with a fire and
sweep that made the back hair tingle.
With a flash. they presented arms, and
then Eddie Ellis went to pieces. He
grinned all over himself, his knees shook
and he dog-gone near lost his sword, but
nobody cared.
Gen. Barnett, whose hair has grown
gray watching drills like yesterdays.
stepped up and called him:
Capt. Ellis" he said. formally, Il pre-
sent this drill trophy with the hope that
the success that has crowned your work
today will be borne out in your career
through life. Take this nag, present it to
your first sergeant with my compliments,
and accept, sir, my heartiest congratu-
lations."
Eddie couldn't think of anything to
say, so he grinned again. did you say
third sergeant sir?" he querted.
No" repeated the general, your first
| sergeant
Eddie got the drill flag, but the army
tactics went all to pieces. Maybe there is
a command like: First sergeant, step
forward" or something like that, but
what Eddie said was:
"Sergt. Happier, come 'ere"'
Sergt. Happier came there and he
rammed the flag into his gun barrel.
Then he saluted Eddie and Eddie saluted
Barnett, and the first lieutenant gave
Eddie's men "at ease" to keep 'em all
from fainting with tension.
Then they pinned the Allison Nailor
medal on him-Gen. Barnett did-and
then A. Leftwich Sinclair, who is presi-
dent of the Chamber OF Commerce, and
who used to be a kid once himself, gave
Eddie a replica of the medal to keep for
life. and that's about all of the story.
When the figures were passed around
Eddie's company had won the drill by
a pointage of 9033, with Company L, of
Western, second with $685. Company B.
OF Tech" was third. with Ss.6S. none of
which describes the way the thousands
Of Tech" rooters rocked the steel and
concrete grandstand when Eddie's first
sergeant took the drill nag.
There were some other names and sta
tistics that don't count, but here's Eddle's
company, who Won the drill for Tech:
Captain, Edmund X. Ellis; first lien
tenant. George F. A. Stutz; second lien
tenant, James E. Roeder; sergeants,
Ramond A. Happier, Mortimer B. More
house. Gustav Mattfeldt, Henry Clapatch
Barnett Chatlin; corporals, Percy L. Pat
rick, Lester NJ. Petrie, Attilio DiGuliana,
Kenneth Vieth. William H. Harris, Will
ri
N. Fillius, e. Hoffman, @. R. Lewis,
A. W. Lusby. H. MacF'ate,, c. Mckee,
W. W. Richardson, A F. Robertello,
NJ Riess, S. Rubinslxy, NJ Siedenberg.
G. Abrams, W. Anderson. E. Barber.
NJ. ]. Barry. H. E Bosworth, K. Donald
son. D. W. Hall. NJ. Harrison, c. H.
Kingsbury. v. H. Kunkle, y. I. Healy.
A Lanston, A. Liebe, w. W. Lissowiez,
E E. Lloyd, L. r. Nachman, J. H. Poetz-
man T Rnhh ] z Sullivan z II TaY-