Evening star., 1918-02-10
HEARD AND SEEN.

gentlemen who suggested that the boys.
ought to be put to work ahoveline
snow have forgotten how 1t was to be
boy.
or whether they understand II or not,
to the average small boy" twelve years
of age and under this big war is just
something else to read about vaguely.
talk about vaguely, and make games
about-vividly.
The most outsta anding thing about the
war with Spain to the small boy Of
1898 was the post card bearing q repre-.
sentation of the Maine, and adorned
with a fuse. You lit the fuse, and the
flame crept along the bottom of tho
ocean" until it came to the 'Maine.s
and then-bang, You could get them
for a few pennies at the store owned
and operated by Mr.. Knorr-''Old Man
Knorr," as he was affectionately known
those many years ago to children
within a wide radius Of his store on
14th street. The veteran toy dealer
lived to see the present great conflict.
Then there came the Boer war, which
the small boys of America read about
and then solemnly went out into the
backyard and "trekked" from the back
fence to the basement door.
The war between Russia and Japan
saw the small boys of America unani-
mously on the side of Japan. Probably
the most enthusiastic hackers of tho
Japs in the world were the typical
small boys" of the United States.
Now we have a world war. solemn.
terrible conflict, out of which President
Wilson and the other great minds OF
the nations hope will come a greater
world. .'
But if the small boys of your
acquaintance don't look at it from that
viewpoint, don't get angry.
Do you know what the world war
viii bring to the remembrance of small
boys when they are grown up, years
hence?
A vision of an empty coal bin. q
closed schoolkouse and those wonder
full words:
"No more school until next week."
y. /
Draft activities go along merrily.
They are always busy at the locaa
boards. No sooner were the question:
naires properly filled out than the clas-
sifcation work began. and no sooner
was that job about completed than
physical examinations for the second
draft commenced.
The local boards run into some curl.
Gus things. zee.
Here are two of the latest:
A poorly dressed colored man came
into the office of his local board one
day last week. He didn't look as II he !.
had a cent to his name. At least, that
was the way the chairman Of the local
board sized him up. He was one of the
late ones with his QUESTIONABLE, but
it was another case of better late than
never" because never" in military ,
paplance, means "guardhouse."
Let me see If your questions are
filed out all right. John" said the
chairman.
'Dey is all right boss" answered the
colored registrant. 80.
How do you know they are?"
"Dey must be. boss" was the reply.
The chairman opened the document,
looked over the pages. and at last came &
Look here." he fairly shouted at the
registrant "You say your earnings .
last year were s27. 900! Is that right?:
The man smiled foolishly. ss.k C
Dat must be right. boss" he said,
Come, now" said the chairman, you
can't tell me you make $4,000 a year.
How much do you maker" -A.
About s270 ebbery twelve months, :
boss" replied the colored man.
The same board has a registrant en-
its rolls forty-three years old. rs
He Is a colored man, too, and regis-sH
would take no chances. At that time
he was in doubt OF his age. and was ad-
vised that he had better register. 4
He registered. all right, although the :
a glance that he never will see forty
years again. - - Z s-S19s fsts
He flied out his questionnairs, toe.
What is more. his local board has PIT ,
hna IN AAxasscn = e|aes Z :. : .., J. ).
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