Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-14
THE DOMINIE'S STORY
Thought Much OF His Boys and
Little Of Himself
NOT VELY MUCH OF A TALKER


| "Dominies" are not much heard Of
these days Of fancy titles, but when
the time comes to describe some he
roic deed done by man uniformed in
nothing but rugged, indomitable cour-
age, why then Dominic" is a mighty
useful and completely satisfactory
word. When the Hun was at the gates
Of Paris and the battle Of Chateau-
Thierry poured out it's wealth Of hero
stories about the Americans and their
immortal stand, even in those days one
story could make itself heard. It was
about Dominic" Clifford, the man who
dragged his wounded colonel four hun
dred yards through a stubble-feld. in
a gas-mask, amid bursting shell and
rifle bullets ripping up his clothes
a little grey-haired Shotchman about
fifty-five years old, with a decided OBJ
lection to talk about himself. When
cornered he talked about the marines
in this way: One night about ten
years ago in little town in the West
|
bumped into three drunken marines
just as an IN. p" hove in sight; so he
promptly took them into his care.
One of them he specially cared for and
the boy braced up. then he lost sight
of him. After ten years came Verdun,
where he bumped into a staggering
marine. Staring at the Dominic" be-
tween hiccups he said; Hello, ole
fren. You don't know me, do your
The Dominic" didn't. $50 thash the
wa yu' ferget yer ole frens, ish it?"
Continuing, SHAY, don't you remem-l
Der that guy you got to shign the
pledge back in the ole West Indies ten
years ago?" The Dominic" did; that
marine has now earned two stripes
and Is still going strong. He couldn't
forget the Dominic" The way such
men adapt themselves to circum-
stances is told in The Independent,
which we continue to quote.
Then there was Van," the doctor said
DAY before yesterday at Lucy Imet
Van. have been trying to help him quit
| just couldn't do it / came on him
laying in the corner of a fence wound
ed seriously. He wanted cigarette.
I knew it wouldn't hurt him, so I lit
the first cigarette that I've lit in forty
years and put in his mouth. I don't
know as ought to have done 1t, but !
inst naturally couldn't go by and leave
that kid O. mine hungry for cigarette
while he was awaiting for the ambu-
lance. Do you think I did right?"
''It would have been a crime IL you
, hadn't done it," said to him.
Van looked up" said the doctor
slowly and with tears in his eyes
ivan looked up at me and said, Doc.
| know you hate 'em, and yet you are
big enough to light cigarette for me.
God bless you. Doc and II I ever get
we'll and get my strength I'll quit 'em,
so help me God!' "
do you think he will?" I asked.
NO" said the doctor, II buried
him the next day."
Then we tried tactfully to lead him
back to his heroism, but he cvadcd
that part and said, II must tell you
about the trick the boys played on me.
"One afternoon when I Yves out
they stole my coat and my cap and
took off all my Y. M. e. A. buttons
and put marine buttons in their place.
knew it was against the rules to
wear them, but when I came in I
didn't notice it and went to the officers
mess with them on. The colonel calls
me Padre the major calls me Chap
lain, and the boys call me Doc you
know" he said smiling.
"Well, the colonel loked at me funny
like and he said, We'll, Padre, I see
you've Joined the marines for sure
now, and have the buttons and ALL
right with you,'.
'T was embarrassed and said, I'll
go home, sir and take them off. I
didn't know they were on
Who put them on, Padre|
The boys. SIR
"'Well if the boys put them on they
want them on, so on they stay the
colonel said to me-
| The marvellous effect and influence
such men have upon other men are
told in a touching incident, which
ought to shame some of us at home
who can see no good thing save in our
little "ism." 1t was the last COM
munion before a great and fierce
fight:
1.-The boys themselves asked for It,
They knew the big fight was on the
next day and they asked if we might
not have a communion service. I went
and got some of that van rubbish as
I call It: the French call it win rouge
and it being the best we could get, we
had our communion with 1t. I told the
boys what we were going to do and
that any who did not want to partake
of the Lords Supper could leave. Not
a single soldier left.
I took note Of them and nine Catho-
lies partook, thirteen Methodists, three
Christian Scientists, nine Baptists,
three Lutherans. three Congregation
alists. two Episcopalians. one Hebrew
and twenty three who did not profess
any religion. Five of these took a de-
finite stand for the Christ in that
meeting. The next day most of them
were dead"
He was subdued for a few minutes
and we couldn't get him to talk. He
was thinking of those dead boys Of his.
Then he reached into his pocket and
pulled out an envelope. Reaching into
that envelope he pulled out five dollar
gold piece.
took it in my hands and waited for
a story, for the moment forgetting
even myself that the old fellow was
still cvadihg his heroic deed.
"The boy that gave me that saw
Just before the big fight. I passed
him as he went down under the cam
ouf1ooe into communication trench