CHILDREN IN CUBAN ARMY
BABY MARTYRS TO THE CAUSE
OF LIBERTY.
The Llttlo Onos Maroh Boslc'o
Tholr Fathers nnd Tholr Wan
Eyos Havo Looked Upon Torrlblo
Soonoa of Carnngo and Daath.
There Is no moro pathetic feature In
the war between Cuban and Spain than
the actual presence of children upon
the battle field. Tho awful massacre
of the Cubans by starvation as well as
by bullet and sword Iiuh numbered
..mong Its victims many child martyrs
.to the cause of liberty.
There are little ones In the Insurgent
camps today whose playthings are
cartridge shells; whose lullaby Is tho
trumpet call and the noise of battle.
This revolution must uhvnyH live In
history as one which numbers In Its
list of martyrs bnby palrlolH whose
blood has stained their country's soil
With that of their fathers and mothers.
These chlldron die, most of them,
trom fever and Insulllclent food. They
are gaunt little specters of childhood.
Their Wan eyes have looked upon ter
rible scenes of curungc and death. Somo
of them die on tho field, where they
march bosldo their fathers with tiny
bands clasping some Implement of war.
Others are stricken down with ma
chetcs or trampled upon by horses'
tioofs In the wild churgu of the Insur
gent army.
And these little martyr souls pass
away with a mother's prayer or a
mother's arms around them. Their re
quiem Is the cry of "Cuba Libre," echo
ing from dying lips. Their little bodies
lie unburlcd beneuth the southern sun,
until heaven In benediction marks their
resting places with Cuba's most fru
rrant bloom of lilies nnd roses, spring
ing from tho very life blood of theso
Infant warriors.
The presence of women and children
en the field of battle has been used as a
reproach by the enemies of Cuba. There
liavc been Btorles of armies of "Ama
zons" described as rough masculine
-creatures leading the men on with their
Xury.
To those who know the real nature of
the Cuban women these stories seem
like fairy talcs. The women of Cuba
arc Intensely feminine In their natures
domestic, womanly creatures, fond of
their children, to whom they devote
'themselves from babyhood.
Tho Cuban baby Is a veritable mon
mrch In the home of Its parents, and
In times of peace the education und the
euldnnce of the child almost constitute
Its mother's whole existence. Tho pres
ence of women nnd their children on
the field of battle Is only due to the fact
that every Cuban Insurgent knows tho
Spanish volunteer will wreak his ven
eeance on women and children left un
protected In the towns. It Is for this
reason that whole families have fought
together children side by side with
their parents baby hands sometimes
loading and reloading rifles for the men
and women.
A Cuban boy or a Cuban girl can often
Siandto a machete with as much skill as
m. man much more dcxtrously than the
Average American who takes up the
weapon considering Its weight and
.apparent clumsiness. But the machete
la really a household Implement In the
tiomcs of the Cubans. It Is used much
as a hatchet Is used In an American
household, but with a far greater di
versity of uses. The Cuban boy can peel
a cocoanut with a machete ns easily as
an American boy peels an apple with
a Jackknlfe. The machete Is used to
cut sugar cane, to trim vines and to
cut tho great cacti nnd palms that
abound upon the Island giants In their
growth.
There have been many child mnrtyrs
to the Cuban war for liberty. There
are only a few names written on the
death rolls, for tho children have not
been counted In with the soldiers. Some
where In heaven, maybe, tne names of
thopo little ones are written In gold.
One case comes to my nemory, that
of Jose Priest, a 15-year-old boy living
with his mother nnd two sisters In Ha
vana. Ills father was upon the field
and the boy helped to support his moth
er by selling fruit nnd (lowers along
the Prndo. I had bought ninny b jnches
of roses from him nnd had heard many
bits of news from the field which ho
would whisper to me ns he stopped
each evening at the vlndow of tho Ho
tel Ingleterrn with his wares. This
boy died like a hero during my stay In
Cuba.
It was at the time when the lack of
ammunition wns driving the Insurgents
to desperntlon. Severn! filibustering ex
peditions, carrying arms and ammuni
tion In plenty, had been prevented from
landing within the month, and the con
dition of nffalrs was desperate. And
It is this fact that makes the machete
charges of tho Insurgents tho wildest
and most terribly picturesque forms of
of battle.
The men sometimes faced their foes
with only one bullet apiece to fight
with. When this had been sent Into the
face of the Spanish volunteers untrnln
d and weakened from marching thro'
swamps-the Insurgents would raise
their machetes In the nlr, nnd with tho
cry of liberty on their lips, tears stream
ing from their eyes In the desperate
realization of their position they would
charge, a-horso and a-foot, upon the
very muzzles of the Spanish muskets,
carrying nil before them in the fury of
the charge, hewing down the volunteers
like sugar cane.
One night Jose told me that his father
had sent a message that he had been
o near Havana the night before that
he had set his watch by the evening
bells. "And 1 am going to see him to
morrow," he said, and showed me the
letter, written In Spanish, that had
come from the field appealing for aid
from the city especially asking for
Ammunition.
The next day Jose took a load of fruit
ut toward Matanzas. The mule moved
lower than ever under his panniers,
for they were filled with cartridges. It
was long afterwards that I heard the
boy's story. Towards nightfall, when
he had nearly reached the Insurgents'
amp, the tired little beast refused to
croceed further under Its heavy pack,
in spite of persuasion and even blows.
Jose loosened the bags from the mule's
back and slung them over his own
shoulders. Where before he had been
only a peasant peddler, he was now a
ausplclousMooklng person, and was sure
t&o be detected If he was seen by any
one. He stumbled on In the darkness,
realizing his danger, but determined to
reach his father. He fell many times
In that Journey: his clothing was torn
trom his tired legs, but he plodded on
until a Bentry's challenge rang out
aomewhere In the night. Then he start
ed to run, still carrying that heavy
ftoad; but two shots whizzed after him,
one striking his shoulder. He hid be
hind rocks by the roadside until the
Uxy, half drunken Spanish sentries had
ridden away; then he started on again.
He rcuched the campflre of the insur
gent detachment, where his father was
waiting his coming, and fell forward
At the feet of the surprised men, whis
pering that ho had brought the bullets
nnd the loaves of white bread that
his mother had sent, nnd a (task of red
wine. The boy died two days later, his
wound Inflaming and lever setting In
as a result of that terrible journey thro'
the marshes.
Hucda Hernandez was one of tho girl
victims of tho wnr. She was only 11
years old, and lived at (Vrdenus. She
was playing one dny with some chil
dren, when a stranger nppronched and
aaked her to enrry a package to some
one in me town. The little one Inno
cently consented, nnd was on her way
to the house Indicated when she was
arrested and the pneknge seized. It
happened to contain letters from nn In
Burrcctlo to a woman relative, llueda
was charged with conspiracy ngalnst
the government, and was cast Into a
foul prison. I d? not know her ulti
mate fate.
The children of Cuba have suffered by
this awful war as never children havo
before. Wnr devastates homes and
leaves hearthstones desolate In all
cases, but this has been a war of ex
termination. In the children of Cuba
Spain sees another generation of Cu
bans, even stronger In their patriotism
than their fathers, who havo gladly
given their lives In the cause of liberty.
Every Cuban boy nnd girl every ba
by has been looked upon ns a menace
to the Spaniard. These children must
never be allowed to grow to manhood
nnd womanhood strong In their love
of country, with the memories of the
ten years' war and all the wrongs nnd
hnssocres that their parents have Buf
fered In this wur to avenge so reasons
the Spaniard.
And so It Is that the children of Cuba
have gone upon the battlefield to fight
with their fathers, in the wonderful
war that the Cubans have waged, hold
ing their Island In the face of an enemy
three times their size, the child wnr
rlors have played an Important part.
Their Innocent lives have been added
to that vast altar upon which so many
lives havo been offered as a sacrifice.
KATE MASTEKSON.
1 SmUKRllnRBy Mall.
The latest form of smuggling Involves
a knowledge of tariff laws thut smacks
of masculine Interference In what Is
recognized as u feminine accomplish
ment. At any rate, women have found
that samples are admitted free of duty,
becauso they are not supposed to be
bought or sold, and nre only sent as a
preliminary to n prospective purchase
In order that the purchaser may form
some Idea of what he Is buying. It has
hence become a ruling passion with
her to turn everything that she possibly
can Into a sample.
It would seem a little difficult to do
this In the case of a pair of French kid
gloves, but woman Is not to be daunted
when It comes to an exercise of wits,
and the result proved her cleverness,
for one woman In the vicinity of New
York Is certainly wearing a pair of
French kid shoes for which she paid
about 12 less than the legal price. She
did It by the nld of a friend In Paris,
who merely expressed or mailed one
shoe at a time, taking care to send one
a few dnys later than the other, so
that they would not come over on the
same steamer and fall under a customs
inspector's eye at the same time. In
each case, the single shoe was regarded
as a sample, and passed on without
comment.
This woman wns so successful In
evading the lnw In such an open and
above-board manner that she has at
tempted the same ruse to get n certnln
kind of French corset which costs some
thing like IS In this country, but can
be purchased In Paris for less than $5.
The same friend will send half of the
corset at first, and nftcr waiting a day
or two will send tho other half. Of
course, If the ofllclols do not choose to
regard these as samples, she will be out
of pocket, but If they do so regard
them, "that Is their own funeral," ac
cording to her way of expressing It.
Meanwhile everything that comes In
pairs Is adaptable to the new method of
smuggling, nnd no doubt American wo
men will soon discover the possibility of
obtnlnlng Parisian gloves at ridiculous
ly reduced rates.
Silk stockings, which the duty com
pels to sell at $1 and $5 n pair, enn be
had for half the price If the purchaser
Is willing to take them one at a time.
Tho Bicycle Rat.
Here Is the champion bicycle rat.
Indeed It Is the only known bicycle rat.
It Is a rat with a fine Indifference to
models and gears. This rat has rid
den a wheel 2.000 miles during tho win
ter. This enn bo vouched for by Mr.
William Wheeler, a miller of Smith
town, L. 1., who owns the wheel
whereon the record wns made.
This particular rat Is not only a rec
ord breaker, but he Is a trick rider
as well. You have seen a squirrel spin
around on his cnge wheel, apparently
enjoying himself to the top of his bent.
The rnt which rode Mr. Wheeler's
wheel wns apparently of the same
stripe. Ills feat was accomplished on
the front wheel of the miller's bi
cycle. Some weeks ngo the miller hung his
wheel In the mill. One night recently
he went to the mill nnd h.ard the
clicking of the cyclometer on the Wheel
of his bicycle. He stepped over to see
the cnuse of It, when a big rat sprang
to the floor nnd disappeared. Mr.
Wheeler looked and found that the cy
clometer registered 220 miles, 110 of
which were to his credit. Could the
rnt be responsible for the rest? Mr.
Wheeler could not believe It.
A few days later he again went to
the mill nnd found that the cyclometer
marked 310 miles. When he made
these facts known about Smlthtown
he wns laughed at. He forgot about
It for awhile. Then he was called to
the mill one night for a late customer.
Again he heard the clicking of the
cyclometer. He flashed his lantern
suddenly on the wheel. He saw n big
rat up near the front forks, kicking
away for dear life, and the wheel was
going nt a good ten mile nn hour gait.
The rat, perceiving the miller, at
once sprang to the floor and mnde his
escape. The cyclometer marked a shade
over 2,110 miles. Deducting 110 miles
for the miller. It left for the rat a
clear margin of over 2,000 miles. Just
how the rodent became ensnared with
the fascination of the wheel Is not
known. Mr. Wheeler offers to back
the little animal against any rat In the
United States.
Willie, a 5-year-old youngster, was In
(he habit of complaining of his dinner
and one day his father said: "Willie
you should not find any fault with what
Is set before you. When I was your age
I was thankful to get dry brend to eat "
Willie finished his dinner In silence, but,
as he climbed down from his chair he
laid: "Pa. ain't you awful glad you
come to board with us?"
Eight of the most remarkable mar
riages on record took place within a
few weeks In the parish of St. Marie,
tjuebec. Two neighbors, named Morln
ind Hheaume, have each eight chll
Iren, four sons and four daughters
ftheaume'B four aons have married
llorln's four daughters and Morln's
four sons have have married the
laughters of Rheaume.
TORPEDOES AND THEIR POWER
Intoroatlnir Facts About Those Im
plements of Death.
Thero was a time, and It wns not so
long ago, when torpedoes aroused the
liveliest horror amid European nations.
They were called barbarous engines of
war, Infernal machines which the law
of nations should prohibit.
It may be that this was because tho
torpedo was nn American Invention. It
wns first UBed In wurfnre by the con
federates during the icbelllon, and It
was found to be of extraordinary value.
The confederates brought their tor
pedo service to a high state of per
fection, considering the circumstances.
Uut tholr engines wete crude cnouch
compnrcd with those of the present day,
which play an Important part In every
navy In the world.
Formerly a by torpedo was understood
a watertight cuse in which wns stored
some explosive, usually gunpowder,
which was exploded on contact with an
enemy'B vessel. Toduy there nte tor
pedoes for water, for land and for air.
The modern torpedo Is a case filled
with dynamite, gun cotton or other
high explosives that may be exploded
at the will of the controlling party, on
land, In the nlr or In tho wnter, or by
coninci wun tne enemy's vessel.
When torpedoeB nre of the movable
kind they are called automobile torpe
does, Those which are unchored or
are stationary nre called mines. If the
Mnlne was blown up It was by an an
chored torpedo. There are land mines
as well as marine mines.
When torpedoes nre thrown through
the nlr they are called uetlal torpedoes.
These are the surest and most dan
gerous In their action. They havo I6n
ger ranges, for one thing, but they
havo drawbacks. In tho first place
there is only one kind of machine that
will project aerial torpedoes, and it has
to be so placed that It Is exposed to
the fire of the enemy.
This machine is commonly called the
Znllnskl dynamite gun, although there
are mnny olllcers who declare that it
Is wholly tho Invention of Mr. Medford
of Ohio, who called In Lieutenant Za
llnskl to assist him In perfecting It.
There nre six of these guns in the
possession of the United States. Three
are mounted at Sandy Hook and three
at the Presidio, San Francisco.
Air Is compressed by means of a
steam engine Into metnlllc cylinders.
The projectile containing the gun cot
ton or dynnmlte In some form Is plnced
In the gun nnd the air under high pres
sure Is allowed to pass Into the gun
chamber by automatic cutoffs, that pre
vent waste as soon as the projectile has
moved a certain distance down the bore.
The compressed air thus forms a cush
ion that propels without dangerous
bIiock the projectile containing the ex
plosive. The guns are made of thin
metallic tubes, very long.
For distances of a mile or a little over
the gun Is marvelously accurate, but It
cannot be depended upon for longer
distances. This Is a much greater range
than that of any other torpedo, but the
guns are of such great size that they
cannot well be covered, and they are
therefore an excellent target for the
enemy.
An experiment shows the effect of 50
pounds of dynamite fired at a range of
over a mile from an eight-Inch gun. It
took three shots to strike the sunken
craft. The third destroyed her utterly.
It Is likely that the charge would have
sunk any modern battleship hud the
projectile landed on the vessel's deck.
The largest charge that is usually used
Is 2D0 pounds of dynamite or gun cot
ton. This will tear any ship It strikes
to pieces.
There Is nothing more uncanny or
more ominous than those torpedoes
which nre shot out of the sides of ships
The spectacle of one of these things
Bklmmlng through the water bent on
deadly destructlveness Is highly un
pleasant. For this kind of torpedo the means of
propulsion are first from the ship and
afterwards In the torpedo. Thus the
propelling force of the Whitehead and
Howell torpedoes Is either compressed
air or a small charge of gunpowder.
The Whitehead torpedo is a clgar
Bhaped affair with a little propellor at
one end. The shell or ense Is of metal,
from 15 to 25 feet long and from eight
to fifteen Inches In diameter.
It Is divided Into three comportments,
The first contains the high explosive.
The middle compartment is a strong ulr
chamber with air under a pressure of
1,000 to 1,500 pounds to the square Inch.
The third or nft compartment contains
the propelling apparatus, which la run
by the air from the second. These tor
pedoes are shot from tubes either for
ward, aft or midships of a war vessel by
means of compressed air. They travel
with a velocity of 20 to 30 knots an
hour for about 800 yards. The torpedo
Is exploded by Impact against the sides
of a ship.
The Howell automobile torpedo Is
launched fiom a pivot rear device. It
Is sent out by means of a small dis
charge of gunpowder In the side tubes,
which gains admission to the main tube
through ports In the rear of the torpedo,
and drives it forth without shock or
noise or fouling from powder residu
um. The driving force Is a heavy steel fly
wheel, which Is spun up preliminary to
discharge to about 9,000 revolutions per
minute. The wheel L gins to revolve at
this high momentum directly the tor
pedo Is discharged. Its range Is about
the same ns that of tho Whitehead tor
pedo. The disaster to the Maine has caused
much to be written about marine mines.
This Is a form of torpedo which has
become reasonably familiar. The mod
ern mines, operated with electricity, ar
ranged In groups upon a charted chan
nel, are an outgrowth of the old self
ictlng mechanical mine.
It was made of a barrel covered with
pitch and filled with high explosives.
On the top, in a hollow, was a solid shot,
rhls was connected with friction pri
mers by means of a chain. The ordi
nary swaying of the waves would not
Sislodge the shot, but If It was struck
by a vessel It was bound to be Jarred
from Its place and explode the mine.
The torpedoes which can be controlled
trom the shore are dangerous enough,
rhe Low torpedo has a range of nearly
balf a mile. The boat Is started, stop
ped and steered by memis of electric
ity, It Is cnrrled over wires that con
Itantly reel nnd unreel automatically,
according to the direction.
If It has a eleer field, this torpedo can
le sent to a vessel with accuracy and
ixploded at will. Uut It has many
nances of being destroyed before It
reaches a warship.
Of course, much attention has been
Jevoted to plans to protect ships from
torpedoes. Nets were found effective
luring the rebellion, and this method
aasn't been much Improved upon since,
rhe nets nre of heavy metal. They are
luspended on booms from the ship's
ildes when she Is at anchor. When she
a moving she throws out her own tor
edoes, which explode those In the chan.
lei ahead. Sometimes the torpedoes are
Ished up. Against approaching tor
pedoes or torpedo boats a ship must
ise her rapid fire guns.
The land mine is a kind of torpedo
lhat has not been extensively used, and
t is not likely to find great favor. A
and mine Is not very elaborate. It Is
:o be planted on a road or to protect
an approach to a fortification. It can
be arranged so that the people passing
over It will be blown up or so that those
who are behind shall suffer.
High explosives are planted In a
piace wncre it is thought they will do
the most damage. A bow with n spring
board cover Is placed Just under the
surface. The pressure connects nn elec
tric circuit, which explode the priming
and In turn the gun cotton or dyna
mite. There Is nothing upon which to base
the value of torpedoes since the civil
war. It Is a question which Is still to be
determined, like the value of the mod
ern Ironclad battleships. During the
rebellion the torpedoes were round
most effective In rivers, although they
did no end of damage In Charleston
harbor and In other places.
EQUIPMENTS FOR SERVICE.
In tho Event of War St. Louis Could
FurnlBh Over 5,000 Men.
(St. Louis Post Dispatch.)
In the cevnt of war St. Louis could
furnish between 5,000 and 6,000 drilled
men, who are or have been members of
the National Gunrd of Missouri.
The first regiment consists of nine
compnnles. Eighty men to a company Is
me iuii limit allowed uy law In time of
pence. In time of war this can be In
creased to 100 men to each company.
There have been a great many enlist
ments of late and the regiment has
now nearly 700 men almost Its full
strength on a peace footing.
There Is a band of 32 musicians, a
hospital corps of 18 men, a signal corps
of 14 men, a gntllng gun section com
posed of C men and nn officer and a
trumpet corps of 12 men.
The regiment has one 10-barrel gat
Ung gun, 45 caliber, which has been
tested to a cnpaclty of 1,200 shots a min
ute. Besides the 700 enlisted men there are
approximately '0,000 others who have
been members of the N. G. M. Most of
them served their full terms of enlist
ment, three yenrs. All of them have
been thoroughly drilled, nnd if a bit
rusty now from lack of practice, It
would take but a short time to catch
up. The majority of these men are
within the age limit for army service,
nnd It Is conservatively estimated that
3,000 could be counted on to respond to
a call to arms.
The equipment of an Infantry soldier
for field duty consists of a blanket bag
and blanket, haversack and strap, a
knife, fork and spoon, a tin cup, a meat
ration case, cartridge belt, canteen with
straps, shelter tent, rubber poncho, rlfie.
bayonet and scabbard, Intrenching
knife, rifle screwdriver and 40 rounds of
ammunition, the whole kit weighing
about GO pounds.
The layman does not know what somo
of these things are or their uses. A
shelter tent is a small canvas affair Just
big enough to afford shelter for one sol
dier. A rubber poncho Is a spread to
He on when the ground Is wet to avoid
sickness, a serious drawback to a
marching army. An Intrenching knife
Is a long-bladed affair, a cross between
a carving knife and a bayonet. It can
be fitted to a rifle the same us a bay
onet. It is used to dig a hole In the
ground deep enough and big enough to
afford shelter from the bullets of the
enemy. Soldiers have been known to do
some very rapid digging with this tool
when the bullets have been thick. Prob
ably some of them have felt like pulling
the hole In after them, but no tool has
been Invented yet by which this can
be accomplished. The meat ration can
Is a combination of frying pan, plate,
and dish, which closes up Into one arti
cle for economy of space.
The uniform of the First regiment
consists of a forage cap with a visor,
made of dark blue cloth, for parade
weur. Privates' caps are ornamented
with crossed rifles und the letters and
figures designating the regiment nnd
company. Officers' caps aie adorned
with eagles, crescents, wreaths, sabers,
etc., according to the rank. The bugler's
cap has a bugle.
For undress, wear a brownish white
felt hat. something on the Fedora style,
Is used. This Is worn on the march and
In camp.
The trousers are light blue, and two
pairs are taken nlong, one pair being
kept for dress parade and such occa
sions. A dark blue, tight-fitting blouse Is
worn, with five brass buttons down the
front. Two of these are carried also,
one being for dress parade. Collars and
cuffs are dispensed with when horrid
war is on hand.
A long overcoat of light blue reaches
below the knee nnd bus a cape fully
covering the shoulders.
Logglns of canvas, laced on the outer
edges, are worn above plain army
shoes.
Two suits of underclothing, wool or
otherwise, nccordlng to season and cli
mate, two blue shirts, und regulation
shoes, complete the uniform.
If the First regiment N. G. M. should
be ordered Into service every member
of it would at once become a United
States soldier, with pay according to his
rank, as follows: Privates, 113 a month;
corporals, $15 a month; sergeants, $17.50
a month; first sergeants, $20 a month;
second lieutenants ut the rate of $1,400
a year; first lieutenants, $1,500 a year;
captains (dismounted), $1,S00 a year;
captains (mounted), $2,000 a year; ma
jors, $2,500 a year; lieutenant colonels,
$3,000 a year; colonels, $3,500 a year;
brigadier generals, $4,500 a year; chief
musicians, $C5 a month.
The pay of privates and noncommis
sioned officers Includes rations, uniform
and equipment. Commissioned officers
must pay for their rations, clothing and
equipment, and, If mounted, for their
horses nlso. They can buy rations and
clothing, however, of the government
commissary ut government cost price,
with freight added.
The dally rations are as follows:
One and one-half pounds of fresh meat
or one pound of salt meat at option.
One and one-half pounds of soft
bread or flour or one pound of hard
bread, or one and one-quarter pounds
of cornmeal at option.
Fifteen one-hundredths of a pound of
beans or one-tenth of a pound of hom
iny. One-tenth of a pound of coffee.
One-seventh of a pound of sugar.
One-fifth of a pound of soap.
One-sixth of a pound of salt.
One-sixteenth of a pound of pepper.
One tallow candle.
But although there are 700 men In the
First regiment not many more than
ne-half could respond Immediately to
marching orders for want of equip
ments. Speaking of this, Colonel Bat
dorf said:
"For 700 men we have about 420 ser
viceable guns, nnd about the same
number of haversacks, blankets and
uniforms. We have only tentage for
the same number. If called out the
government would have to furnish the
equipment we are short of, as well as
army shoes and hose for the whole
regiment, because the store shoes the
men have would not do for marching.
The state has done nothing for us In
the matter of equipment, and the gov
ernment would have to do It. For that
matter the whole National Guard of
Missouri Is In as bad a fix. Not more
than half the guard have serviceable
rifles, and there are no shelter tents at
ill."
THE TWINS OF COMPANY B.
By Chas. B. Lewis.
It was accounted something1 more
than n curious coincidence that after
Thomas Barnes in Eaton county had
written his name on the enlistment pa
pers of Company B, Third regiment,
tiie very next name below should be
that of Thomns Bnrnes of Calhoun
county. Not only that, but the two
men were of the same age, height and
build; they looked ns much alike ns
two peas. Neither had known of the
other s existence until they met In the
recruiting office. Then they stnred nt
each other for a ling minute and Barnes
of Eaton county exclaimed:
"Wall, I'll be cussed 1"
"And so'll II" replied Barnes of Cal-
uuun county.
"You're no twin brother of mine!"
"And I'm glad on It!"
The two Barnes took a dislike to
each other on first sight, but when they
came to fall Into the ranks they were
placed side by side. It also happened
that they became tent mates. In mnklng
up his roll the orderly sergeant renamed
them. He put one down ns Eaton
Barnes and the other ns Calhoun
Barnes, nnd they hnd to accept the
nuines, aitnougn Eaton angrily ex
claimed: "I was named Thomas, and the Idea
of my having to drop It because a
pumpklnheud like that feller forces his
way Into the company 1"
"And I wns named Thomas Barnes,"
replied the other, "and here I've got to
sail under false colors because that nay
seed has taken a notion that he Is call
ed upon to wind up this war!"
The twins, ns they were nlwnvn in
ferred to, were always disputing and
wrangling and ready to come to blows.
That they never actually struck each
other was probably owing to the fact
that way down In the hearts they hud
a feeling of mutual, respect, for both
Were brave men. Their quarrels, how
ever, afforded the company much
amusement for the first three months,
nnd time and aguln we expected to see
bloodshed. The smallest trifle wns
enough to precipitate a row. All of a
budden Eaton Barnes would be heard
trying out In the tent:
"Now, then, who has been overhaul
ing my knnpsack?"
"Nobody has," Calhoun Barnes would
reply.
"But I say they have! I left It right
here only nn hour ago and somebody
has moved It!"
"I had to move It a sixteenth part of
an Inch to git my gun."
"You did It to Bpitc mel"
"No, I didn't!"
"I say you did!"
"And I say you are a liar!"
"I'm a liar, am I? Now you come
right out on the street and put up your
dukes and I'll knock the blamed head
off'n you! No mnn has ever called me a
liar and lived half an hour afterwards!"
Then the twins would nppear on the
company street, strip oft their Jackets
nnd blow and brag and call names, nnd
after collecting a crowd would end the
matter with threats of what would hap
pen at some future time. We soon came
o tlnrlomt n nrl (Vinm nnrl irnvo M,ftvi n..
further attention, but hardly a day
pnsseu that they did not go through the
same perfotmnnce. Our first battle was
at Williamsburg. The regiment was
sent Into the fallen timber to drive out
a lot of sharpshooters. They were out
numbered, but they gave way grudg
ingly, nnd for every foot they yielded
they killed a man. The twins were
among the first to push their wny In,
but even amidst the roar and crash of
battle they could not forget their dif
ferences. "Say. now!" growled Eaton Barnes,
as a bullet passed through his cap and
he killed the man who fired It, "you're
as white ns 'chalk and slinking like u
senred rabbit. Did you think u battle
wa3 like hoeing corn down back of tho
barn?"
'I'm pale and scared, am. I?" de
manded Calhoun Barnes. "You'd bet
ter look to home! If you wnsn't
workln' your chin I'd say you was a
dead mnn. I'm expectln' to see you
run nwny every minute!"
"Don't you suss me!"
"And don't you give me any of your
lip!"
"You twins shut up!" commanded a
sergeant, nnd that ended the quarrel
for the next half hour. If one of the
twins had hoped tho other would sIioa'
the white feather he was disappointed.
Both were men of sand, nnd both
would have recklessly exposed them
selves but for the repented admoni
tions of the cnptaln. At Fnlr Oaks, on
the retreat up the penlnsuln, the Third
was detached to hold a highway bridge
over a small creek. It was not to
hold It ngalnst masses of the enemy,
but against cnvnlry seeking to fall
upon the flank. Company B wns do
tnched to cross the brlgde nnd picket
the road beyond, and ns the twins
stood together they enme very near
treating each other respectfully for the
first time. That Is, Eaton Barnes, In
an nbsent moment, observed:
"Wall, we'll give 'em hell If they
come this way!"
"You bet we willl" replied Calhoun
Barnes.
Then Eaton Bnrnes suddenly remem
bered that he was "down" on the
other Barnes, and he turned on him.
"Oh, you nre here, are you'" Didn't
know but you had got a furlough nnd
gone home to see about the squash
crop!"
"Yes, I'm here," replied Calhoun
Barnes, getting red hot In nn Instant,
"nnd If you feel like crawling into the
bushes I'll do the fighting for two
men!"
"And don't bristle up to me unless
you want an ear knocked off!"
The captain ordered them to shut up,
and at the same time company B was
advanced to a turn In the brush
fringed highway. Five minutes later
the enemy appeared and there was hot
skirmishing. The company held the
road for ten minutes and then fell
back on Its supports, and It was Just
ns the order was given to retreat that
Eaton Barnes received a bullet In the
right leg and went down. His chum
did not miss him for a moment, but
when he did he handed his musket to
a comrade and started up the road
at a run. It was now being swept by
the enemy's fire, and fifty men shouted
to him to come buck, but he covered
the twenty rods with hot lead sing
ing around his enrs and kicking up the
dust about his feet. Two dead and
three wounded men had been left be
hind. Eaton Barnes lay nn the broad
of his back, half stupefied by the
shock of the bullet, when some one
lifted him up. gave his body a half
twist, and before he could understand
matters he was back across the bridge
nnd Calhoun Barnes was saying:
"Drat his hide; I Jest saved him
cause he's the meanest man and the
biggest liar In the regiment!"
"Oh! It was you. eh?" muttered the
wounded man. "I'd like to know what
right a critter like you has to Jump
in and drag me around! I'll Just thnnl:
you to mind your own blzness after
this!"
From that time on we know that the
twins had the highest respect and es
teem for each other, and that quarrel
ing and wrangling was simply a cover
to hide their real feelings. Eaton
Barnes lay in the hospital for many
weeks, and hardly a day passed that
Calhoun didn't say to some member of
the company:
'Do you know, I jest believe that
miserable critter stood right there and
held his leg In hopes to git shot and
ave,n.n eaBy t,me ln 'he hospital? It
wculd have served him right If the bul.
let had shattered the bono and tho
leg hnd to come ofT. I've stood n heap
of sass from the feller, nnd If he ever
comes bnck to the company I shall
Ilckln' " tUrn t0 a"d B,ve ",m an awfl"
And In the hospltnl at Washington
Eaton Barnes never let sllv an opportu
nity of saying to the comrades around
him:
"If It hadn't been for the critter next
to me Id havo got oft all right. Ho
am t got no sand, you know, and I had
to keep bracln him up or he'd have
run away. I'll lick him outer his butes
when I git back to old company B."
The meeting between the twins when
Eaton Barnes finnllv retiirnnii nirnni.i
a good deal of amusement. Calhoun
I5-nr"es wnB cleaning his gun In front
or his tent when Eaton came along
and halted to sny:
"Why. you here yet! They told mo
your mother cried you out of the
army!"
"Oh! they did!" replied Calhoun as
he kept his eyes on his gun. "Well, I
heard that you did nothing but crv
for three weeks becnuse a bullet barked
your leg. Don't you want a rag to
wipe your eys?"
"I'll make you holler for mercy be
fore you are a day older!"
"You couldn't lick a fly!"
That was all. They were both glad
in their hearts to see each other, but
neither wanted to be the first to admit
It. They were tent mates and chums
ngaln, nnd though they hnd- their dally
quarrels as before we gave them no
further consideration. We hnd come
nt last to understand them.
Three months Liter, nn r.mnt unmnf
down on the wilderness to hunt for his
old ndversary, the old Third regiment
was on the left center and one of those
on the advance line. Shoulder to shoul
der the twins forced their way through
the thickets nnd over the bogs, and
as they advanced Eaton Barnes took
occasion to say:
"Mebbe you don't know where we are
headed for? From the way your tongue
Is hnngln' out seems you think you're
going a coon huntln'."
"Don't give me none of your chin!"
replied Calhoun. "If you run away I'll
shoot you ln the back!"
"If I run It will be to catch you!"
"Don't you dare call me a liar!"
"If I don't lick you tomorrer then I
hope to die!"
Five minutes later all the men ln tho
line were down on their faces and blaz
ing away at the enemy so hidden by the
foliage that they seemed like specters
In gray flitting about. Presently there
was a rush and the blue lines were
pushed back There was another ruBh
and the gray lines gave way. The
dead rested In the rank growth the
wounded clung to plant nnd bush and
cried out ln terror at the loneliness of
such a battlefield.
"Good God! What a place to die
In!" exclaimed Eaton Barnes during a
lull In the firing.
"Oh! you're gettln' creepy, eh?"
sneered Cnlhoun ns he turned.
"No more than you nre! Lord, but I
never saw a soldier with such a white
face as you are carryln,' and you can't
keep your chin still!"
"Just mind your own chin: tt la
wobblln like a loose wheel. I'll make
you eat dirt after this fight Is over!"
"You'll never see the day you can
do It!"
"Attention, company B! Left oblique
mnrch!"
It wns a move to reinforce a part of
the hard pressed line, nnd after advanc
ing ten rods company B found Itself
ln a slaughter trap. The fire of the
confederates on the short front was
simply terrimc. Their bullets flew like
the snowflakes of winter and bush and .
plnnt nnd young trees were cut nnd
riven and splintered ns If lightning had
played among them. The federals were
outnumbered, but they would not fall
back. For n quarter of nn hour the
fire was returned, even by men who
were wounded twice nnd thlce, and
more than one veteran weM to earth
cheering his comrades on. Of a sudden
Eaton Barnes dropped his musket,
threw up his hands and pitched head
long. "Got it, eh?" exclaimed Calhoun
Barnes ns he whirled about. "I've
alius said vou could stop a bullet as
well as a haystack, and here's proof
of It. Say, old man ?"
But he did not finish. A bullet plowed
into his breast, and he reeled stag
gered dropped his musket and sank
down beside his chum
"W-whnt Is It?" nsked the latter.
"I'm hit, too! Where's your hand,
old man?"
"Here here! So we nre to die here?
Say, Barnes, I ain't mad at you, and
never wns."
"And I ain't mad at you. I always
liked you. It was Just my way, you
know."
"And Just my way, too. I wouldn't
have traded you off for General Grant
himself. And now now "
"Good-bye, Eaton. Is that the boya
cheering?"
"Aye! they are holding the line!
Your hand where is it good-bye-good
"
"And the twins died together, and in
dying they made it all right between
them," said the sergeant of the burial
party as he looked down upon them
next morning.
Facts Aboutthe Navy.
General Facts Enlistment for three
years. Must speak English and be cit
izens or have declared for citizenship.
All applicants for enlistment In the na
val service must be of robust frame. In
telligent, of perfectly sound and healthy
constitution and free from any defects.
Landsmen Men who are native born,
with no knowledge of sea life, over 18
and under 25 years of age; pay $16 per
month. Landsmen whose appearance
may cause doubt of their being of age
must bring proof of the date of their
birth.
Ordinary Seamen Age 18 to 30 years.
Applicants must have been at sea at
least two years and will be examined ln
reefing, steering, knotting, splicing, eta
The pay Is 19 per month.
Seamen Age 21 to 35 years; applicants
must have been at sea at leust four
years and pass rigorous examination in
seamanship; the pay Is $24 per month.
Boys between the ages of 14 and 17
years may, with the consent or their
parents or guardians, be enlisted in the
navy until they shall arrive at the age
of 21 years; physlclal requirements for
boys are the same as for men, with
these additional:
Fourteen years Height not less than
4 feet 9 inches, weight not less than 70
pounds and chest measurement, breath
ing naturally, not less than 26 Inches.
Fifteen years Height not less than 4
feet 11 inches, weight not less than 80
pounds and chest measurement, breath
ing normally, not less than 27 Inches.
Sixteen years Height not less than 5
feet 1 inch, weight not less than 90
pounds and chest measurement, breath
ing naturally, not less than 23 Inches.
Long life among clergymen Is rather
the rule than the exception. Cardinal
Mertel (he is a Bohemian and occupies
at P.ome the office of vice chancellor
of the sacred college), Is 92; the pope is
87. Rev. Henry Llddell of Oxford, who
died on January 15, was 87. Bishop WIN
. mer Is 81, and Bishop Williams of Con
necticut is 80.
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