The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-23
An Army Officer S
Story
By r. A. Mitchell

The old United States army was
formerly not what II Is today. II was
largely made up OF men who had fail
ed to make a living and had enlisted
that they might be taken care OF. Aft
erward, when the army was made
larger. educated young men enlisted.
hoping by dillgent service to win a
commission. Since the breaking out
of the worlds war many men of re-
finement who feel 1t their duty to fight
for their country are to be found in the
ranks.
At time the army was full of low
grade men l was In what was then
the far west In command of two
company post. There was little to do,
and my men were much given to drink.
Where the liquor came from / did not
know. Liquor was prohibited. and i
kept a man | could trust at the only
entrance to the fort to inspect all sup
plies that were admitted. to make sure
that none was brought In.
Nevertheless the drunkenness con-
tinued. In those days when a man in
the army was found drunk be was
taken to the pump and water was
pumped over his head. remember
an amusing incident when one of my
men was being wetted down. He said
In his maudlin way, starting on his de.
tense:
IL tell you, major. there's a lot Of
rascality In this post"
$50 ! see by your condition" re-
piled, 'and we're trying to work 1t
out Of you"
had no detective to put on the
track to find out how the liquor was
smuggled in. So l must remain in the
dark. Undoubtedly some of the men
knew how the trick was done, but how
many / could not find out. Probably
the number was limited, for II there
had been many In the secret 1t would
have leaked out. 1t is the duty Of a
noncommissioned officer who knows Of |
any irregularity going on among the
men to report it. but / got no such re-
port. They were all good men, and
judged they were not In the secret
FarmersSiving about the fort brought |
in provisions, consisting of vegetables. |
fruit, butter, eggs and such like. 1t oc-
CURED to me that some one of the
farmers who were furnishing these
supplies must be bringing the liquor.
But my sentry at the gate declared
that they exposed all their wares
when they entered and there was moth
ing that could contain liquor. One
could not carry fluid of any kind In an
onion or crock of butter-that is, I'M
less the crock had a false bottom.
Every receptacle like crock, basket
Or a tin can had been repeatedly exam
med and no spirits found.
Chickens and ducks were plentiful
bout us, and it occurred to me that a
small glass or tin can might be hidden
n each fowl, the birds being always
brought In dressed ready for use. |
lad a number of them cut open, but
ound nothing.
My wife had a maid, who was re-
ewing attention from one of the men. /.
asked my wife IL she could not use
Ter maid to find out through her SOL
Iier lover where the men were getting
heir liquor. My wife had talk with |
he woman, who declared that her SOL
Ter never drank himself, consequently !
e was not trusted with the secret
ince he was never caught in any of .
he drunks that occurred | was forced .
D believe the story. Q
Through a mistake of the maid the Q
ecret was made plain to me one morn q
IS without the assistance of detec-
We or any one else.
/ always ate an egg for breakfast.
N the morning in question our cook d
'as on the sick list and the maid q
ooked and served the breakfast. She 81
rought me In my coffee, my toast
nd my egg, the latter in an egg cup
'r ! usually ate my eggs boiled-and
1t them all down before me. Then
lie retired, leaving me alone with my r
ife, who sat opposite me. / broke the
nall end of the egg, which was upper
ost, and removed the broken part I'll
it'll my knife. fe
Instead of the odor Of eggs | smelled =
e odor of whisky. Bending over 1t,
received a yellow fluid. Pouring a
tie of the fluid into a glass. slipped
whisky.
The secret was out The shell had
yer been laid by hen, but had been
anufactured Of plaster of paris.
Realizing that | must discover who
as bringing In these egg drinks
iptied the whisky into a bowl and
t the shell In my pocket Then my