The Nebraska advertiser. (Nemaha City, Neb.) 18??-1909, July 16, 1897, Image 3

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THE NEBRASKA ADVERTISES
9
W. W, 8ANDKHS, 1'ublUher.
NEMAHA, NEBRASKA.
THE COMING MAN.
A pair of very chubby lops,
Incased In scarlet hose;
A pair of little stubby boots,
With rather doubtful toes;
A little kilt, a littlo coat
Cut as a mother can
And lol beforo us stands In state
The future's "corning man."
Ills eyes, perchance, will read the stars,
And search their unknown ways;
Perchance the human heart and soul
Will open to their Raze;
Perchance their keen and Hashing Blanco
Will bo a nation's light
Those eyes that now are wistful bent
On some "big fellow's" kite.
Thoso hands those little, busy hands
So sticky, small and brown;
Those hands whose only mission eems
To pull all order down;
Who knows what hidden strength may bo
Hidden In their clasp,
Though now 'tis but a taffy stick
Jn sturdy hold they grasp?
Ah, blessings on thoso little hands,
Whoso work Is yet undone,
And blessings on thoso little feet,
Whose race Is yet unrunl
And blessings on the littlo brain
That has not learned to plan I
Whato'er the future holds In store,
God bless, the "coming man."
Somervlllo Journal.
CAPTAIN CLOSE
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES K1N.
Copy right, 1604, by J. D. Llpplncott Co.
II. Continued.
"This," said Lambert to himself, "is
possibly one of the scrub ouks. I as
sume he doesn't imagine me to be an
ofllcer, and, in any event, lie could say
so and I couldn't prove the contrary.
Ergo, I'll let him into the secret with
out letting him imagine I'm nettled."
"They were made by my tailor, cor
poral," said lie. "lie uLso made the uni
form which 1, perhaps, should have put
on before coming out to camp." ("That
ought to fetch him," thought he.)
"'Where will 1 find Capt. Close?"
"Tic's over there," said the corporal,
with a careless jerk of the head in the
direction of the opposite wall tent.
"'Then I s'pose you're the new lieuten
ant the fellers been talking about?"
"I am; and would you mind telling me
how long you've been in service?"
"Me? Oh, I reckon about two mouths
longer 'n you have, anyhow. You
ain't joined yet, have you?" And the
corporal was nibbling at a twig now
and looking up in good-humored inter
est. Then, as Lambert found no words
for immediate reply, he went on:
"'Cap's awake, if you want to see him."
And, amazed at this reception, yet not
knowing whether to be indignant or
amused, Lambert sprang down the
pathway, crossed the open space be
tween the tents., a dozen of the men
starting up to stare at but none to sa
lute him, and halted before the tent of
hin company commander.
Sitting just within the half-opened
"flap, a thick-set, burly man of middle
age was holding in his left hand a coarse
needle, while with his right he was
making unsuccessful jabs with some
Sflack thread at the eye theieof. So in
lent was he upon this task that he never
heard Lambert's footfall nor noted his
coming, and the lieutenant, while paus
ing a moment irresolute, took quick ob
servation of the stranger and his sur
roundings. IL' was clad in the gray
shirt and light-blue trousers such as
were worn by the rank and Hie. An or
dinary soldier's blouse Avas thrown over
the back of the camp-stool on which he
sat, and his feet were encased in the
coarse woolen socles and heavy brogans
and leathern thongs, just exactly such
as the soldier cook was wearing at the
hissing fire a few paces away. His sus
penders were hung about his waist, and
in his lap scat uppermost and showing
a rent three inches in length, were a
pair of uniform trousers, with a narrow
welt of dark blue along the outer seam.
They wore thin and shiny like bomb.i
v.ine, in places, and the patch which
seemed destined to cover the rent was
live shades too dark for the purpose.
His hands were brown and knotted and
hard. lie wore a silver ring on the
third linger of the left. His face was
brown as his hands, and clean shaved
(barring the stubble of two days'
growth) everywhere, except the heavy
"goatee," which, beginning at the cor
ners of his broad, firm mouth, covered
"thickly his throat and chin. His eyes
were large, clear, dark brown in hue,
nnd heavily shaded. His hair, close
cropped and sprinkled with gray, was
almost black.
The morning air was keen, yet no
fire blazed in the little camp stove be
hind him, and the fittings of the tent, so
far uk the visitor could see, were of the
plainest description. Not caring to
stand there longer. Lambert cleared his
throat and began:
"I am looking for Capt. Close."
Whereupon the man engaged !n
threading the i.eedle slowly opened the
left eye ho had screwed tight shut, and,
as slowly raised his head, calmly looked
his visitor over and at last slowly re
plied: "That's my name."
III.
Newton Lambert has more than once
in the course of his years of service been
heard to say thnt of all the odd sensa
tions he ever experienced that which
possessed him on the occasion of his re
porting for duty, with his first com
pany was the oddest. Accustomed
during his four years of cadet life to be
have with punctilious respect in the
presence of ofllcers, young or old, and ac
customed also through his two months'
detail at the academy that summer to
be treated with even the exaggerated
deference which the old non-commissioned
ofllcers seemed to delight in
showing to young graduates, Lambert
was unprepared for the hiiil-fcllow-well-met
nature of his reception by the en
listed men and the absolute imxissive
ness of his one brother ofllcer. That it
was utterly different from the customs
obtaining elsewhere in the regular serv
ice ho knew very well. In visiting class
mates already on duty with their bat
teries among the New York nnd New
England forts, as well as during his
brief stay at the barracks, lie had noted
the scrupulous deference of the veteran
icrgeants when addressing their ofll
cers. He could understand awkward
ness nnd clumsiness among the recruits,
but the idea of a corporal chuffing him
on the cut of his clothes nnd the iden
of a two months' recruit being a cor
poral, anyhow! Never in the tales told
of the Fire zouaves of '01 had he heard
of anything much more free-and-easy
than the manners of this camp of regu
lars. Never in his wildest dream had
he figured such a specimen of the com
missioned ofllcer as he found in Capt.
Close. In the contemplation of this
character the go-as-you-please style of
the enlisted men sank into insignifi
cance. Long years afterwards Lambert
used to go over this meeting in his mind,
nnd for two years, often importuned,
he would convulse his brother ofllcers
by vivid description of it. But there
came a time when they no longer
laughed and lie no longer told the story
.save to those lie loved and trusted ut
terly. Aroused by some unusual chatter
among the men, the first sergeant of
company G, smoking a pipe while work
ing over a ration-return, stuck his head
out of his tent and saw a young gen
tleman in n light-colored suit, courte
ously raising a drab derby in his kid
glove A hand, while he stood erect with
soldierly ease before the company com
mander. Sergt. Hums also noted that
some of the men were tittering and
ail of them looking on. One glance
was enough. The sergeant dropped pen
and pipe and came out of his den with
a single bound, buttoning his blouse
and glaring about him as he did so.
"Hush your d d gab, you!" he fierce
ly growled at the nearest group. "Get
into your coats, there!" he swore at
another, while with menacing hand he
motioned to others still, whose costume
was even more primitive, to scramble
back to their tents. In ten seconds si
lence reigned throughout the camp al
most as complete as thai which was
maintained, for that time, at the tent
of the commanding ofllcer. Lambert
actually did not know what to say in
iesponse to his superior's announce
ment. It was full Ten seconds, or more,
before he determined in what form to
couch his next remark. He had in
tended to say: "I have the honor to
report for duty, sir;" but a vague sus
picion possessed him that this might
be some game at his expense some
prank such as old cadets played upon
"plebes." He compromised, therefore,
between his preconception of a strict
ly soldierly report and his sense of
what might, be due his own dignit'.
"My name is Ixunbert, ' said he. "And
1 am here for duty as second lieuten
ant." Slowly the man in the camp-chair
laid down his work, sticking the needle
into the flap of the tent and hanging
the thread upon it. Then he heaved up
cut of the chair, hung the damaged
trousers over its back and came pon
derously forward. Not a vestige of a
smile lightened his face, lie looked the
toung gentleman earnestly in the eye
and slowly extended his big, brown,
hairy hand. Seeing that it was meant
for him, Lambert shifted his hat into
the left, leaning his sword against the
tent-pole, and his dainty kid a wild
extravagance so soon after th" war
was for an instant clasped, th'ii slow
ly released. Capt. Close unquestionably
had a powerful "grip."
"llow'd you come?" he asked. "Kind
of expected you Monday evenin' out
fioin Quitman."
"The general kept me over a day
or two to let me see New Orleans. He
fold me that you would be notified sir.
1 hope you got the letter ?"
"Oh, yes. That was all right. There
was no hurry. 1 didn't know as they
could get passes over the Northern. I
s'pose the chief quartermaster fixed it
for you, though?" And the brown eyes
searched questioningly the young
oflleer's face.
"Passes? No, sir; I bought my tick
et through"
"No! Why, you needn't have done
that. The Quitman road's biddin' for
all the government freight it can get
now. They'd have given you a pass in a
minute. I suppose you want to lie
quartermaster and commissary?" And
again the browe eyes looked almost
wistfully into the blue.
"1? No, indeed, sir. 1 don't know
anything but a little tactics. What I
most want" with a glance around
and an npologetlcal laugh "is a chance
to wash nil' the cinders and something
to eat. I'm hungry as a wolf."
The captain looked troubled. "I've
had my grub; so've the men, 'cept those
that come back late in the night been
up to Huekatubbee with the marshal.
Did you try over at Toog'loo?"
"Everybody was asleep over there. I
left my trunk at the railway station and
walked out."
"Why, 1 told the sergeant to send a
mule in last night on the chance of your
eotnin by the 'Owl.' Didn't anybody
meet you?"
"There wns a mule, but no body,"
laughed Lambeit, "exempt a darky
asleep in a, freight car. The mule was
lying in the dirt, nnd snapped his head
stall when I tried to raise him."
"What became of him? He didn't get
away, did he?" asked Close, in great
anxiety.
v "He didn't try to," answered Lam
bert, in some amusement. "Like the
eminent head of the late unpleasant
ness, all he asked was to be let alone. 1
left him browsing in the public square."
"And the bridle an' saddle, too? Great
Peter! That's bad. Some lousy nig
ger's got him by this time, or his trap
pin's at least, an' he'll swear the Frecd
man's Bureau gave him the hull outfit,
and it'll bo stopped against my pay.
Sergeant!" he called; "wish you'd go
right down town an' catch up thatinule
an'"
"I can't go, sir," promptly answered
Sergt. Burns, hir. hand going up in un
accustomed salute in deference to the
presence of the new ofllcer. "I'm busy
with them ration returns. Here, Fin
ney, you go."
"Go where?" said a young soldier
squatting at his tent door and greasing
a pair of shoes with a bit of bacon-rind.
He hardly deigned to look up.
"The captain wants you to go and gel
that saddle mule lie sent up last night.
Jake must have gone asleep and forgot
lum."
"Would it be possible to send a wagon
for my trunk?" interposed Lambert at
this juncture, appealing to his superior.
Close hesitated and made no immediate
reply. It was the sergeant who took
the responsibility:
"I'll 'tend to it, if you please, sir. The
wagon's going up in ten minutes to
haul some grain. Be lively now, Fin
ney. Drop them shoes and start." And
Finney, conscious, possibly, of some
change in the military atmosphere,
gathered himself together and van
ished. Meantime, in his nnxlety about the
government property thus placed in
Wore Bontod by n little flro.
jeopardy, the captain seemed lost to all
thought of them wcomer's comfort. It
was Sergt. Burns who came forward
with a camp stoo! and prc-lTerof further
hospitality.
"Jf the lieutenant can put up with
such rations, I'll send something from
the cook-fire, sir," said he, doubtfully,
looking at his commander very much as
though he thought it high time for that
official to suggest something better.
Lambert said lie should be most grate
ful if that could be done and if there
were no objections; nnd lie, too, looked
expectantly at the senior ofllcer
"I guess that's about the best we can
do," said Close, slowly. ''Tain't what
you've been accustomed to, but it's what
I always eat. Send us up something,
sergeant enough for two; I'll take an
other snack with the lieutenant."
And in less than five minutes Lambert
and ids new comrade were seated by a
little fire on which a tin coffeepot was
hissing, and with a broad pine shelf
upon I heir knee1:, from big tin mugs and
broad tin plates, were discussing a
smoking repast of pork and beans, to
the accompaniment of hrr-nd and sirup
and urenmlcRS coffee. "It's the way I
always prefer to live when I'm in 1 lie
field," said Close, "and it only costs you
nine dollars a month."
Lambert was too hungry not to rel
ish even such a breakfast. He fancied
lie heard something tliatsounded great
ly like a suppressed chuckle on the
part of the soldier cook at his senior's
remark upon the cost of living in the
field, but sensations and experiences
were crowding thickly upon him and
there was little time for trifles.
Through the good offices of Sergt.
Burns, a wall tent wns pitched that
moining for "the new lieutenant" to
the left of the domicile of the company
commander; a wooden bunk was
knocked up in an "A" tent bi the back,
and Lambert began unpacking his
trunk and setting up housekeeping..
"I suppose I can get what furniture I
want in town," said he to Close.
"Depends on what you want," replied
the senior, warily, "and whether you
care to throw away your money.
What'd you want to get? They will
skin the last cent out of you there at
Cohen's."
"I merely wanted some cheap truck
for camp, and some washstand fixings,"
Lambert answered, falling into the ver
micular of his comrade with the ease of
one just out of the national school,
where every known American dialect
can be heard "things I can throw
away when we leave."
Close was silent a moment. "I can lt
you have everything you need, 'f you
ain't particular 'bout their beln' new.
They're just as good as anything you
can buy, and won't cost you near so
much." Then, after a little hesitation:
"They ain't mine to give, or I'd let you
have them for nothing."
Lambert had precious little money
left, even after drawing his November
pay in New Orleans; but he had a big
mileage account to collect, for In those
days nothing was paid to the young
graduate In advance, even though he
had to find his way by the Isthmus to
the mouth of the Columbia. He thanked
his comrade, and by evening was put in
possession of an odd lot of camp furni
ture, some items of which were in good
repair and others valuable only as relies
of the war. A camp mattress and
some chairs bore the name of Tlglie,
and the soldier who carried Uiein in re
marked to his chum: "They didn't burn
everything after the licut-nnnl died,
after all. did they?" From which Lam
bert drew inference that the property
in question had formerly belonged to
an officer of that name who succumbed
to the epidemic of the previous year.
But the principal question remaining
unsolved was that of subsistence. War
ing atid Fierce had told him that in all
probability he would find that Close
was living on soldier fare and had no
"mess arrangements" whatever. This,
as we have seen, proved to be the ease
and Lambert inquired if t litre were no
possibility of finding board. "Yes,"
said Close; "Mr. I'annelce, the deputy
marshal, lives up the road about half a
mile, and lie told me to say he'd be glad
to accommodate you." Lambert
lunched in camp at noon, and about
three o'clock came forth from his tent,
buttoned to the throat in his handsome
ly fitting uniform, his forage-cap
cocked jauntily over his right eye, and
a pair of white gloves in his hand. A
soldier slouching across the open spaco
in front shifted to the opposite hand
the bucket he v. as carrying and saluted.
Close surveyed his trim subaltern with
out changing a muscle of his face.
"What do they charge you extra for
them buttons?" he finally inquired.
Lambert said he didn't know. They
were on the coat when it came from the
tailor's. Would the captain kindly di
rect him to Mr. l'arinelee's and permit
him to go thither? The captain gravely
said lie need not ask permission just to
leave camp even the men didn't do
that and gave him the needed instruc
tions, winding up by saying; "Got your
pistol?" Lambert answered that lie
never carried one.
"You'll have to, here," said Close, "or
be out of fashion entirely. I ain't got
one to lend, but if you've a mind fo pay
less than cost I've got one that will just
suit you, strap and holster complete."
In five minutes the trade was made, and
Lambert had only eleven dollars left
when he started to hunt up Mr. 1'ar
nielce. Close watched the erect figure of
Hie young fellow as 'he stepped briskly
away. So did the first sergeant. Mid
way across the open space between the
tents half a dozen of (he men were
squatting, in the brightsunshine, pipes
in full blast, engaged in a game of cards
that looked suspiciously like draw
poker, a gray blanket being outspread
and little piles of while field beans
decorating its outer edge at different
points. Surrounding the players were
perhaps a dozen spectators, in various
costumes more or less sold icily. At
sight of Mr. Lambert in his trim frock
coat some of the number faced half
towards him; some, as though em
barrassed, began to edge away. The
gamblers calmly continued their game.
If the young officer had looked as
though he did not notice them, the
chances are that, though he passed
within ten feet of the group, no one
of the party would, in proper and sol
dierly style, have noticed him, but Lam
bert had seen enough "slouching" for
one day, and his youthful soul was up
in arms.
TO IIR CONTINUIU).
I'llt'H PllHHWOnl.
The Irish soldier seems to furnish the
story-teller with many an anecdote.
The following incident is said to have
occurred at the battle of Fontenoy,
when the great Saxe was the marshal
in command.
"The password Is 'Saxe,'" said the
officer of the guard, as he sent off an
Irish trooper with a message; "don't
forget the word."
"Sure I won't, sir," was the reply.
"Sacks my lather was a miller."
When he came to the sentinel and was
challenged, the Irishman looked wise,
and whispered:
"'Bags,' you spalpeen; let me
through!" Harper's Bound Table.
I.oolilng Ahead.
"Mamma," said little Ethel Ihootmn
day, "I ain't going to marry." "You
have time enough to think of thnt," said
her mother, indulgently. "No, I ain't
going to marry," persisted Ethel. "Are
you going to. be an old mr.:d?" her
mother asked. "No, I'm going to bo a
widow, like Aunt Mary, 'cause she al
ways dresses in black, and looks so
pretty and happy." Washington
Times.
THE HOT WAVE.
Kxct'iiftlvo Unit Ciuihlitg ti tlroiit Number of
Deutlir. unit Pro trillion.
St. Loi'lH, .July 8. St. Louis broke
the country's heat record yesterday
morning with a temperature of 8J5 at
seven o'clock. Four hours later it was
0(5 degrees. On the streets it averaged
103 degrees. At midnight it was t)0.
Tills is the tenth day of intense heat In
St. Louis and the effects are beginning
to show. Sleep indoors has been al
most impossible. Henry Hurling, a.
city employe, erased by tho heat and
lack of sleep, killed himself yesterday.
Albert Welser was prostrated in Forest
park, where ho went to escape tho
heat. His condition is serious. Flvo
prostrations occurred in Fast St. Louis
and ill here. An unknown man was
found dead in a stable. Fivu of tho
cases are expected to be fatal in St.
Louis. Reports from Missouri and
southern Illinois show this to be tho
hottest day of tho year. Work was
suspended in many places, as horses
and men were dropping in the fields.
TIIUKK .MOUi: 1IKATIIH AT CIIK'AOO.
Chicago, .Inly 8. The excessive heat
continued yesteTday and three more
deaths were caused by It. There woro
seven prostrations which are likely to
result fatally and 115 are not so serious.
There were 1155 deaths In Chicago on
July fi, tho largest number that ever
occurred In the city In one day.
Health Commissioner Reynolds attril
utcs the large nunibcx- to the great
heat and the noise made by youthful
patriots.
Tintiuni.i: iihat at kvansvim.k.
Hvansvii.i.i;, ind., .Inly 8. Tho
weather yesterday was something
awful, and tho mercury went to 101.
A number of prostrations and three
fatalities were reported. Michael
Schaeffer, cashier of thod'coploV) sav
ings bank Is just alive and ban been
lying on lee for the past at hours in an
attempt to save him.
TWO llllATIIS AT I.OIMHVII.I.IC.
Louisvu.i.k, Ivy., .Inly 8. Although
there has been a drop in the tempera
ture, the heat is still oppressive, and
is made doubly so on account of tho
long hot spell. Adam Grau, 40 years
of age, and Hit Bnrtt, 80 years of ago,
died yesterday of the heat.
I'lVli WOMION 1NHANI1 AT AMIANV.
Ai.iiany, N. Y., .Inly 8. Charles
Searlcs, of Albany, was sunstruek on
Mroadway yesterday and now lies in n
hospital. There were several other
prostrations. Five women have gono
insane since the hot weather set in
from its effects.
I'lVli KATAI.ITIKH IN NKW VOItlC.
Nkw Yoiik, .Inly 8. Following is a
list of persons killed in New York by
the heat yesterday: Mrs. Rose Cohen,
aged 57, Williamsburg; Adam Ileilmnn;
Victor Lambert, a baby; Joseph Veith,
a grain dealer; Fred Kinkoski, aged 47.
CINCINNATI DKATII LIST.
Cincinnati, .Inly 8. Fight deaths
yesterday from sunstroke swells tho
number of fatalities in tliu last flvo
days to 44. There was a correspond
ing number of serious prostrations.
l'lTTsnnmii patamtiks.
I'lTTHiiuimii, l'a., July 8. Thrco
deaths and five prostrations are re
ported as the result of yesterday's
heat, although the mercury did not go
above 80.
IOWA GOLD DEMOCRATS.
JililK" CIIkkoII, r niiiHon Oily, Nominated
for liiivcriiiir.
Dks Moinks, la., July 8. The gold
standard democrats yesterday brought
!M1 delegates to the city for their state
convention. The meeting was one of
harmony along the lines of the gold
standard for finances and tariff for
revenue, together with denunciation
of state liquor laws enacted by the rei
publlcan party, an issue which Hie sil
ver democrats at their recent conven
tion omitted. A full state ticket was
nominated as follows:
For governor, .John Cliggott, Mason
City; for lieutenant-governor, S. II.
Military, Charlton; for judge supreme
court. V. I. Habb, Mount I'leasant; for
railroad commissioner, I'eter A. Hoy,
Iowa City; for superintendent public
instruction, J. IS. Ivuocilcr, Lansing.
The nomination of candidates was
made by acclamation, there being no
contests for tho ollices. The platform
adopted heartily Indorses the one
adopted by the national democrats at
Indianapolis last year, which states at
length the fundamental principles of
government and says:
The doctrines of paternalism, clast
legislation and debased coinage, of
which eacli of tho three contracting
parties, making up the free silver
populist triple alliance in this state,
have recently pledged themselves in
their several platforms, are as abhor
rent to every true democrat, when ad
vocated by populists under the name
of democracy, as when taught by re
publicans. Democracy is a necessary
foe of each, and we repudiate them as
unworthy of the support of every true
democrat.
Now Political Party.
St. Louis, .Julys. A convention will
bo held here August 155 for the organi
zation of a new political party. A call
has been issued bj' Col. F. II.
Sellers, a prominent official of
the American Protective associa
tion, Tho call is authorized by
a committeo consisting of one or
more members from every state and
territory in tho union. It suts forth
that the old parties are dominated by
corporations and trusts, and urges the
immediate formation of an American
party divested from all primitive and
barbarous conditions that havu con
spired in tho past to enslave the cou
science of mankind.