The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-10-25

the bar mirror. Joe, on the opposit,
side Of the bar. struck him in the fac,
with his hat. and before the Greel
could recover from his establishment
Joe had jumped over the bar and mad,
strike for his temple. The Greel
ducked and took the blow on top Of hi,
head, and then he begged. The dool
was opened and he followed the frs,
tough.
| wondered what manner Of n towr
and hotel ! had gotten into, and
went out for walk to think things
over. | went up to the post where a
couple Of small government boats
were unloading at the wharf, and sat
| down to watch them and kill time I'M
til the breakfast hour. Soon a man
with boat cap on came up and began
an argument with the mate. Come
ashore you sneak" he said, "and I'll
make you look more like a baboon."
The mate ran up the gang plank and
the two brutes went at it, fighting like
dogs, while the soldiers gathered
around and enjoyed the sot-to. Down
in the mud they rolled, grasping at
each others throats like malumettes,
and striking each other in the face.
Finally the mate went under and he
said he had got enough, and the victor
let him up. And when he stopped over
to get his cap from the mud the cow
ardly boatman struck him in the tenn
pie. He fell like log, and then the
mate kicked him in the face with his
heavy shoes, until the deck hands
rushed in and stopped him. 1t was
horrible spectacle of brutality.
Then there was a scattering. ! got
the bunch and faded. Two days later
the post commander was searching the
town for witnesses, as the injured man
had demanded an investigation. 1t
was said that not single witness
could be found, except the deck hands.
The soldiers were too far away to see
the details, and | didn't see it at all.
1t developed that both men had
worked on the boat, and having had
trouble the mate had got the other
fellow fired. So he went up to get
square. Two days later he was on the
street with terrible blackened and
swollen face, and declaring he would
"get that Siwash."
And all these strenuous incidents
happened within five hours, and that
night l had nightmare.
The governments orders had just
came in to Tananna forbidding the
sale or giving Of liquor to any soldier
in uniform-and what roar went up. |
The soldiers were crazy mad-that is
many Of them were. A big fellow
came into the hotel, followed by a
dozen or more and started his howl.
"What do you know about it," he
yelled, 1--WE soldiers Of Uncle Sam are
'Siwashed'-we're in the same class
with the fish-eating Indians, posted at |
the bars, and forbidden a drink, just
because the W. C. T, U. in the States
is afraid some little Willie boy might
get hold of a blass of beer in some
or training camp, Don't
Wilson know that Alaska is a country
by ITSELF"
And then he declared that he would
count the day until his time expired
and he could be white man again.
And the other soldiers backed his play
the grandstand. And in the small
hours of the next night ! was told the
soldiers went on a mass drunk, as a
that they could get
plenty Of booze bottled and bootleg
ged.
Austrian Joe," whose sympathies
;urmised might be with Germany, told
me that for weeks the soldiers had
been "just-a-raring" to go to the
front; that they wanted active service
and declared that it was "more than
hell" to be shut in this winter, while
Pershing and his boys were smelling
powder in France.
Then he said an order came permit
ing all the soldiers who wished to
cave to go to the frant, and he said
,nly twelve in Fort Gibbon signed up.
Noise is one thing, fighting is an
,ther,' Joe observed. alaska in the
winter time looks bad to the soldiers,
,ut the trenches look worse"
Not having had much sleep the
light before | went TO bed early that
light, but sleep was impossible on ac-
cunt of the noise Of carousing in the
,arroom below. 1t was a din Of pool
,alls, songs and cursing. From long
cree of habit night is day in Alaska,
md even during the summer months
here is far more action at night than
n day. Very few, except the river
lands, arise before noon.
I