The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-02-20
STEARNS COUNTY IN THE
WORLD WAR

( as cook on this side until peace
came again!
Many interesting stories could
be told also, no doubt, in connec-
ton with the great task of get
! ting into the camps the army of
civilians who so shortly after dis
tinguished themselves on the bat
tlefield. An amazing one was re-
called recently by local railway
official.
Bound To Go
1t seems that a certain young
man of the county awoke one day
to the fact that number of his
friends were to leave with the next
draft contingent, and that his name
was not included. He decided that
he wanted to go with his friends
Probably he felt that if it was to
be his fate to Ego west" he pre-
ferred to be in familiar company!
At any rate, when the group of
draftees, an unusually large one,
gathered at the station for de-
parture, he was on hand ready to
go too. Surely Uncle Sam wouldn't
mind one extra.
But when it came to the matter
of tickets, the station agent pro-
tested. The draft board had speci-
fed and paid for a cerain number
and there was none for the sur
plus young man. When the mat
ter was explained to the agent, he
sympathetically got in touch with
the draft board and asked that an
extra ticket be provided.
However, "orde rs is orders" in
military circles. The board had
been directed to send so many, no
less and no more. If a man who
was called failed to appear, it was
a case for the sheriff. No provis-
ion had been made by the govern
ment for such contingency as
having men go who were not call
ed! The young man would better
wait for the next group. which
would probably go soon.
Which should have settled it,
but did not at all, as the superflu-
GUS draftee was found under one
of the car seats when the train
reached Sank Rapids. Distressed
officials stopped the long troop
train. reversed it, and backed-up
once more to the st. Cloud station.
to give the stubborn young man q
final opportunity to get ticket or
get off.
The station agent was obdurate.
Since the draft board wouldn't au-
thorize the sale of the ticket, the
company would probably make him
pay. for it, and as the men were
bound for the western coast, he
had no fancy for anything like.
that. The would-be soldier also re-
fused to bulge.
And, since the majority of the
future fighters sided with their
friend-the government needed
men, didn't it? And he wasn't try
ing to be a Stacker, he was trying
to get into the army wasn't he?-
and as nobody cared to start mild
riot, the train finally pulled out
with one ticket less but triumphant
rookie on board.
I believe that there was consid
cradle correspondence later be-
tween the railroad company and
the government about who was to
pay for the transportation of the
young man, which probably both
cred him not at all, as the camp
authorities seem to have received
him as gladly as the rest when he
arrived. What became of him,
whether he returned safe and
sound, or met another fate the
story doesn't relate. One thing is
certain. If some of the young
men of the nation turned with
rather reluctant feet from the
paths of peace to those of war, the
same cannot be said of one
Stearns county recruit.