The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-09-16
H55575'tE5syzz2z2zk

Troop 3 Takes Other
MiIiiis Units Home
Lieut.. Douesn Shows the
BOYS How 70 iisne beef
The Glove Grssped BY
Theodore Roosevelt.
ONE incident in the career OF
OTroop B which the official
record overlooked vas the as
Segment TO accompany Eastern
washington militia units back
home after the coal mine war.
There were other labor disturb
ances at that time. including
railroad strikes. For reasons
easily understood the labor
groups did not feel very kindly
toward the militia and there
had been rumors of what might
happen to the militia train on
the way across the state. Be
cause of the efficient work and
good sense manifested by the
officers and men in the three
weeks mine battle. a detach-
ment of Troop B was sent along
as escort. Lieut.. Jim Dougan
was in command. W P. Bonney
went along as medical officer
with the rank of sergeant.
The first trouble developed
when the train stopped at
EIlensburg for fuel and water.
Just As the engine was taking
water n group of strikers came
out of the brush, surrounded
tine engine and ordered the
engineer and fireman 10 come
down. Sergeant Ellis Lewis
Garretson in charge Of the
front end of the train reported
to Lieut.. Deugan.
take n equad and protect
the engine" Dougan ordered
Garretson called for volunteers
but they didn't have to do any
thing. At the sight of the troop
ers with loaded carbines the
strikers disappeared as fast as
they had come. Other threats
along the route to Spokane Falls
were as easily met.
On the way back provisions
ran short and at one of the sta
tions a quarter of beef was taken
on. The troopers were having
difficulty in getting it on hook
hung from the top of the bag
gage car. Just then Lieut..
Dougan, who had been celebrat-
ing the successful journey in the
good old Irish way with Scotch
whiskey, came along.
Here, femme have that" he
said shouldering the men out of
the way. "I'n show yu' how to
hang a quarter o. beef"
Lieut.. Jim easily lifted the
quarter of beef and swung II
toward the hook, but he was a
little unsteady on his legs and
instead of the beef 1t was his
hand that got the hook.
As Sergeant Bonney dressed
the wound, a cash from the base
of the thumb across the palm of
the hand, he said:
Now Jim, don't want you to
touch a drop of whiskey for three
days. That's a bad wound.
haven't got all that it takes but
I think it will be all right if you
leave the whiskey alone"
! Dougan was pretty badl,
scared and remained sober. Bon
ney's treatment was effective
and the wound healed.
| Ero, tha ,axt fau, ,,aorg yrrooy
3 followed a strenuous routine Of
drills and stole the show at tn,
annual encampments. Capt. Ash
ton, who became major anC
brigadier general, was succeede,
in command of the troop in 1891
by Everett Griggs, who from th'
first had shown an adaptabilit,
for military service.
One of the highlights in Trool
B history in the next decade wa
the assignment of a platoon 4
act as escort to President Theo
dore Roosevelt when he visitel
Olympia in May. 1908. The de
tachment left the srmory on
afternoon for the 35-mile marcl
to the state capital 1t include,
Capt. Griggs. I'd Lieut.. H. "
Palmer, LIST Sgt. B. II. Seabury
quartermaster; Sgt. Russell
Brown, musician. and u men.
Upon the arrival of Presiden
Roosevelt the troopers escorte
him to the capital building an
saw him back to his private Cal
AS he was returning to the trail
the president left his officil