Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-03-25
ENSIGN DAVIS VISITS HIS
MOTHER IN CITY
Reurns from Trieste After Six Months
Ocean VOyage-In Navy Fifteen
Years

Ensign q. A. Davis, son of Mrs.
Daniel Manning, arrived in Wausau,
last Thursday to visit his mother. A
furlOugh was granted him at Philadel-
phia after his return to the u. S. A.
on the West Elcasce, a fabricated
ship, which sailed from Seattle on
October 23rd last, going through the
Panama Canal and up to New York,
where 5000 tons of wheat billited to
the American Quartermaster Corps,
Trieste, was loaded, thence to Trieste
and back to this country.
In Navy Mary Years
The ensign was born in Wausau. 1t
was some fifteen years ago that he
went into the United States navy. He
will leave Wausau shortly for Seattle,
to resume his duties in the army trans
port service of the navy on inactive
duty.
The Pilot recently clipped a most
interesting account of an experience
Ensign Davis had had on the "other
side," from the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, which follows in part:
Ensign Davis was a former opera
tive of the Department of Justice in
Seattle, while Gus. Rafalavich was a
resident of Butte, Mont, where he
became a citizen some fifteen years
ago. Ensign Davis was going from
the gangway one day, while the West
ElcaSco was at Trieste, when he saw
a chap, whose jaws were lean with
hunger and whose eyes seemed about
to drop through his skull.
Masonic Button Lucky Star
"But the ensign, a member of the
Masonic order, noticed particularly
that the cadaverous pilgrim wore
Shrine button right in his lapel. They
gave each other the grip and that
proved an open sesame for mutual
condolences. Gus confided in the en-
sign that if he could only get a peek
at the shores of America once more,
he would be the happiest man alive.
So the ensign interceded with the COM
mander of the vessel, and Gus was
billed for the homeward voyage. They
wanted man with his war record to
come home in state-but none of that
for Gus. He became a chef. No,
sir said Gus as he was importuned
to relate his experiences, not for any
paper but my own, the Butte Miner
However, little persuasion and Gus
told the tale"
Rafalavich left Butte, in 1912 to
fight with the Serbians, later staying
to help the United States. He was
taken prisoner near Cattaro and sent
to an Austrian prison two years ago.
Ensign Davis has many curios of
his trip overseas. The conditions at
Nf h. L,
unheard of, prices being beyond COM
prehension, he declares.
+ + + = 4 ga q 4
"REPUBLICA MEXICANA-f912
STAMPED ON AUSTRIAN RIFLE s.
"Republica Mexicana-1912," is y
distinctly cut in a steel rifle En- +
sign Davis has been fortunate
enough to bring back to the states 4
as a souvenir of the world war. +
"This rifle" declares the ensign, =
was made in Austria for Mexico, y
according to all information l y
could obtain, to be used in Mexico =
against the United States, but =
Austria was obliged to use the 4
weapon herself. 1 picked it up +
on the Piave battlefield" 81
Mr.. Davis brought several box +
es of trophies of war back to +
America from Trieste. An Italian X
Ardiette Zone whose sole weapon \
is knife and who is sent into the =
trenches and on raids to "clean y
up" the enemy presented the
ensign with rifle which he OBJ =
tanned from an Austrian sharp X
shooter. The Pilot acknowledges x
the gift of this rife, on which the =
following is based The Ardiette 81
wounded in the leg by a shot from =
this rifle, overlook his assailant 4
and knitted him before the Aus y
trian had an opportunity to re- +
load his gun. Austrian sharp =
shooters used this rifle, which +
resembles the Springfield used in +
the United States army some years +
ago, in preference to later models, VI
claiming that they could do bet =
ter shooting with the old fash =
ioned gun. 81
Austrian gas masks, which the =
ensign also picked up on the =
Piave battlefield, are among the =
collection and one of these was +
presented The Pilot. Ensign Davis +
expects another box in which he =
has several other types of guns, u
helmets and masks. Few men re- =
turning from abroad have been =
enabled to bring back the collec- =
tion of which Ensign Davis is the 8
possessor. q
y