Baxter Springs news., 1918-11-15

uuty on the Mexican border during the
first trouble In 1911. ! was discharged
ut San Antonio. Tex, returned to New
York. and went into business for my
self. This was a distinct failure. !
could not settle down. 80 applied for
position with a well-known detective
agency. and after pounding my heels
In the anteroom for several weeks,
now and then being given shadow
case" finally had the luck to 60 before
the "chlef," and with four other men
was sent down south on a 'moon-
shine" case. I got in with family OF
''moOnshlners" and liked them very
well; in fact, I thought so much Of
them that when the time came to show
them up It sort Of went against the
grain. and I couldn't.do II. 1t seemed
like stealing candy from a baby. or
course this severed my connection with
the detective agency. and shed no
tears.
I then applied for n position with
the New York Telephone company.
While with them I Joined the mounted
scouts of the Fourth regiment Of New
Jersey, and went through three ma
Deuver camps.
Upon the expiration Of my term Of
service, which was three years, I
Joined the mounted scouts Of the Sew
enty-flrst regiment, New York.
Then the war broke out and was
all eagerness to get into the fight. I
had been playing at soldering, and
here I was In the United States while
a real war was going on across the
water. What was to do? / did not
like being neutral little bit, so just
by luck / happened to get In with an
agent of the French government. At
this time France was buying thou
sands Of horses in the United States
and shipping them to France for the
French army. Here was my chance
at last. My detective experience stood
me In good stead, and after a lot of
maneuverlng I finally landed a Job to
60 over on horse ship and try and
find out why so many horses were dy-
ing on the passage over.
Shortly after my return from this
trip the Lusltania was sunk, and, like
all Americans, / was pretty sore, and
waited for the United States to get
busy. AS we all know, nothing hap
pened.
knew 1t was up to me to get over
con my own" applied to the Brit
ish consul, "camoufiaglng" as a Cana
dian, but 1t did not work. They would
not send me to Canada. ! decided to
pay my own way.
One day I met an officer Of the Ca
madam army and he told me that If I
did reach Canada I would have to stay
in a training camp for at least six or
seven months before being sent over.
This did not suit me In the least. I
was no rookie; In my opinion was
q trained soldier. :.
/ then decided to take matters into
my own hands and go to England, and
shipped on the American line.
/ arrived in London about ten-forty
one night. The next morning before
eleven o'clock I was a private in his
majesty's imperial army, a soldier Of
the king. Then l realized that I was
at last up against the real thing and
all Of my pugnaclty Oozed out through
my pores. When you get out Of civil
ian clothes into uniform Ind close up
to the fight you do not want to fight
as much as you did before. and felt
very nervous. This nervousness never
left me during my stay on the west
ern front.
Over a year later was so badly
wounded that I was discharged as
physically unfit for further war ser
vice" and came back to the old U. s. A.