The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1918-03-28

Inc telepnOUe rang at ~ CIOCh. l
was called down to answer it, and a
voice very distinctly said: IL was talk
ing to a recruiting officer just a mo-
ment ago and he said you would Lave
to be in st. Louis by Saturday noon
II you wished to get into the Navy. He
did not know what to say about break.
ing quarantine"
1t was Thursday night then, and in
less than forty-eight hours it would
be impossible for me to get into the
Navy. Things seemed against me. The
very afternoon intended to enlist, the
sign of Smallpox, Keep Out" was
tackled on our house front Quaran-
tine would not be up for five days. and
in less than two days the Navy closed.
II was a case of either failing to get
into the Navy or breaking quaran-
tine, and / chose the latter.
| regretted to shave off a fuzzy
little growth on my chin that had been
tenderly watched for two weeks, but
off it came. Shoes that were coated
with dust, clothes full of lint, and
a hat on which one could draw pic
lures, were brushed up. and at mid
night | stole out of the house, looked
carefully around and hastily walked
away, the snow creaking under my
shoes. to catch the 1890 Katy.
A Night ut the Recruiting Station.
1t was long. hard trip. The wealth
er was bitterly cold, and trains were
ten and twelve hours late st. Louis
was reached eleven hours after | ex-
pected to get there. and then | got
out and walked up the trestle, along
First street (where the police halted
and questioned mel. and finally found
myself at $50 o'clock at night at re-
cruiting number 1853, waiting my turn
TO be examined.
A room full of smoke and fetid air,
boys dropping off to sleep as they
sat the night through ON the long
benches, few trying to sing, others
sad as they thought of home and
what war meant-such was the scene
at the recruiting station. 1t was 3.3O
a. m. when | finished the examination
and was sworn in.
An hour later found three of US
sleeping crOsswise in a bed at the
American Hotel. That was the night
every room in the hotel was taken. and
the room we got was the last one
Three hours sleep. and we were back
al .
1880 o'clock | was on the Wabash
returning home.
| had hoped for sleep on this train.
but it would not come. Instead. came
fancies of a policeman looking very
hard at me and saying: You are the
one we're looking for. Breaking
quarantine and travelling is a serious
offense. The Jail will care for you a
while"
Visions of Police Court.
These fancies increased. Two days
away from a place gave the doctor
plenty OF time to count heads and
find me gone. And then came the
thought OF what the University would
do. saw myself expelled, and again
saw myself arguing most elOquently
before President Hill that what | had
done was a military necessity | never
could imagine just what verdict the
president would give. but | knew the !
police would like to fine me hea lily, |
and l could see Judge Edwards look !
ing very straight at me and begin /
ming, Young Man -
The train puffed wearily in from
Centralia. There were only three pas
sengers. l was feeling little better, |
but my heart thumped like hammer |
against my side when the train stop
ped. There, on the platform of the |.
station, stood the chief of police and /
a patrolman. | thought of jumping |
out the window on the opposite |
side, but that was foolish. If they |
were looking for me. they knew my |
name, where | roomed, my home and |
what looked like; and to attempt |
escape would help matters none at all, |
for the University would expell me !