A FIGHTING I FAMILY By OSCAR COX * * Warringham was a wealthy young man with nothing to do to kill time There was nothing but war talk in the city, and it tired him. It was spring time and every one was going into gar dening. Though it did not make any difference to him whether he paid 5 -or 50 cents for u cabbage, he concluded to go in for gardening too. Looking over a catalogue of farms for sale and finding one that seemed about right, he took a train to go and inspect the premises. When he alighted at the station and went out on to the street he saw a girl sitting in an auto. She wore au alpine bat with a feather in it and a tiny American flag on her corsage. "Can you tell me," he said to her, handing her the ad., "where I can flml that?" She took the slip, glanced at it apd said: "That's the Erskine property. I'm going there in a few minutes and will take you with me in my machine If you like." Warringham accepted the offer, and after every one who had come in on the train had passed out the girl re marked that she reckoned "she hadn't come on that train" and turned her car away from the station. "Who did you say owned this prop erty?" asked Warringham. "It belongs to Major Erskine." "What's he major of?" "The Pittsford battalion." "Everybody here is preparing for war, then?" "Yes, everybody that has any spunk. There are a few slackers among the men." "When is a man to be considered a slacker?" "When he's young, ablebodied and don't go to the war." Warringham winced. The cap fitted him exactly. He noticed that the girl wore leggings, which were plainly vis ible beneath her short skirt. "It seems to me," he said, "that you are got up in a soldierly fashion. I reckon you're not a slacker." "You bet." "What are you going to do to help the cause—fight?" "I don't know. I'm going to do some thing. You see, I'm the granddaugh ter of a Union soldier in the big war fifty years ago and the granddaughter / of a Confederate soldier. So, you see, It won't do for me to shirk." "Did you have any more grandfa thers in the Cuban fracas?* "No. You don't suppose I could have more than two grandfathers, do you? But my father and four uncles were In that diminutive fight." "Women are not now what they were in your grandmothers' time. Then they were feminine." "My Confederate grandmother wasn't a coward. She drove some Federal soldiers out of her potato patch with a gun." "How about your Union grand mother?" "She stood off a mob in the draft riots." "You do come of a fighting family, don't you? Do you think you could stand up to be shot at without show ing the white feather?" "I don't know. I reckon it would depend on how mad I got. Both my grandfathers agreed that when they first went in to fight they 'heaved Jo nah,' but when they got mad they "weren't scared a bit." "On that ground they should make soldiers of women. My experience with your sex is that when a woman is mad she's mad from the crown of her head to the tip of her big toe." By this time the girl was turning In to grounds with a house and a big pole from which floated the Stars and Stripes. Women in feminine uniform were walking about, and before the house paced a sentinel. "What's tills?" asked Warringham. "'The barracks of the Pittsford bat talion." She drove up to the house ar.d alight ed, while the sentinel faced and brought his musket to a "present." A young woman came out of the house with a lieutenant's straps on her shoul ders and asked: "Where's the recruit you were to bring, major?" "She didn't come. I reckon she's going to turn out a slacker." "Are you Major Erskine?" asked Warringham. "Yes, at your service. Do you want to buy my little farm? I've no use for It this year. I'm preparing a battalion for active service." "No." replied Warringham, "I don't think I do. Your two grandfathers who fought in the war between the states, your two manly grandmothers, your father and four uncles who fought in Cuba, have produced that in you which merits emulation. I don't see why I, a man. should be raising cabbages while you. a woman, are pre paring for war. I'm going back home and pack my grip for Plattsburg or some other training camp and leave the cabbages to the superannuated men iind boys." "Now you talk like a Jim dandy." "But there's one thing I want you tc promise me." "What's that?" "Promise me. maj )r, that if I come back from war alive you'll marry me." "Well, seeing there's only one chance In three of your coming back alive, I'll «do It. Put it there!" She gave him her hand, he became -an officer in the army, and others rais ed the cabbages. i * A Dangerous Journey B y JAMES BRAINARD i m I was hi Egypt before the fanatical outbreak of 1882. When a trouble of that kind is coming those who are not In the secret either know nothing about jit or have only vague suspicions. 1 heard some ugly rumors as to what was about to happen, but did not know how much dependence could be placed upon them. To all outward appear ances everything was moving on as usual. I was obliged to go to Ismailia on business. If I had known the condi tion of the people of the country I should not have trusted myself out of Port Said, where Europeans were com paratively safe. To make a Journey into the interior was madness, but I did not know it. Indeed, I only real ized that under the circumstances I would rather not go. A matter of or dinary gain and being murdered were the alternatives. I went on a night train. Being some what finical about my diet, I took with me a hamper filled with as succulent eatables as I could get together and on the top placed a box of cigars from wiiich only a few of the weeds had been taken. I got Into my compart ment, put my hand baggage on the rack and settled myself for a Journey. Being in a smoking compartment, I lit a cigar. The compartment was filled with na tives, I being the only European in it. This in itself was not encouraging. The train had hardly got under way when an old Arab sheik sitting oppo site me leaned forward and calmly took my cigar from between my lips and, placing it between his own, smoked It | himself. To have resented the insult would have been equivalent to inviting the man to stab me. 1 therefore paid no attention to him and, taking a news paper from my pocket, began to read that is, I pretended to read, but I had no Idea of what was on the sheet be fore me, my mind being taken up with the fact that I was in a compartment with seven Arabs and utterly at their mercy. My eyes appeared to be fixed upon the paper, but I was casting quick glances sidewise at the natives and knew by their chatter and occa sional looks at me that I was the sub ject of their conversation. Then a lucky thought occurred to me. I reached up to the rack, got my box of cigars from my hamper, took out one for myself and handed the box to the sheik who had robbed me of the one I had been smoking. He took It, appropriated a handful of the contents and passed it to the others, who did the same, and the box was returned to me empty. Notwithstanding my peace offering I expected every moment to feel cold steel entering my vitals. Most of the Arabs wore long knives where they could be seen, and I knew not what other weapons they had concealed. As for me, I was unarmed, and even if I had been armed my opponents were geven to one. I cannot describe the agony of that night, expecting, as I did, death at any ; moment. The Arabs in my compart ment paid no attention to anything that was going on in the rest of the train, but I had a vague feeling that something very important might be go ing on. I can't account for this feel ing, for I heard no sound to produce it. j I only knew that I felt that there was j murder in the air. Finally their looks and acts were so suspicious that I bethought myself of some other way similar to my offer of cigars to placate them. Then my luncheon occurred to me. Reaching up again to the rack, I brought down my hamper, opened it and displayed the eatables. Every man's eyes were ' on them, but not a man moved to touch any of them. I offered the ham per to the man who sat next me, but he declined. In turn I handed it to every man in the compartment; but, though they all looked with eager eyes upon the viands, not a man would ac- i cept a morsel. At first I was astonished at this. Then I remembered that no Arab will break bread with an enemy. The moment this occurred to me I knew I was doomed. I put my hamper back on the rack and, wrapping myself in my overcoat, lay back In my seat, with my eyes closed, to await what ever was In store for me. I heard a great deal of wrangling on the part of the Arabs, but I thought I would rather rely on my Weakness than on being prepared for resistance that would be useless. So I did not open my eyes. Presently I felt a hand on my arm. Thinking my time had come, I looked, and there was the pheik who had taken my cigar from my mouth holding out a piece of dry bread. I took it and, biting from it chewed vigorously. A flood of relief and Joy seemed to have been poured over me. I knew from that moment I was safe. Reach ing up for my hamper. I took it down and handed it to the sheik. He helped himself, then passed it around to the others, each man partaking plentifully of the contents. Now that they had broken bread with me and I having no more to fear . I again leaned back in my seat and this time slept. I knew that I was as safe from my Arab companions as If I 1 were In my own bed at home. r But I did not reach Ismailia that J night. In the morning I found that the ' natives bad murdered the engineer, I stoker an£ every European on the train ' except myself. How to Tell the Soldiers and ji Stripes on Sleeve? and Collars Denote What Branch of Serv ice and What Office the Wearer Holds. IN these martial days, when the eyes of the civilian nation are upon the army and navy, every one. from the . boy scout and campfire girl age to the graybeards and grandmothers, is, or should !>e, anxious to know all about these two arms of the country's de fense. With the streets of all cities and towns full of officers of both branches the most obvious bit of knowledge to be first gleaned is how to GENERAL- • MAJOR. GENERAL ♦ BR I LIEUTENANT CQLONEICSrVvw) *0 IwmmJ ♦ CHAPLAIN * ill lilt CA PTAIN - * FIRST LIEUTENANT , SECONP LIEUTENANT - distinguish not only the more highly placed ones, but those who belong to ! the various divisions of the military and naval personnel. With this end in view there is pre sented herewith a comprehensive se ries of insignia. As will be realized at a glance, it is no easy feat of memory to place all these accurately in one's i GEIAL • • ♦ GENERAL GENERAL BRIGADIER LIEUTENANT GENERAL COLONEL COLONEL (Silver) MAJOR (Qold) CHAR.AIN CAPTAIN FIRST LIEUTENANT SECOND LIEUTENANT mind ready to be called forth when occasion arises, as it does many times b a stroll down almost any street. I>ut this i 9 a small matter indeed com pared with what must be memorized by the men who wear these insignia. The ones sQown herewith are only j 5 Rank of Our Sailors In Uniform j; Streets of Cities and Towns ;■ Filled With Uniforms and Everybody Should Know ]| What the Insignia Denote. the more important in the way of em blems to mark rank, for in both army and navy there are minor sleeve and shoulder signs which denote particular callings in the services, such as gun i ■ !.c3Q v nri fejjl K"'^| ADMIRAL V-REAR ESZSSS ADMIRAL CAPTAIN Er—•^ LIEUTENANT C^'MAS?vg COMMANDER LIEUTENANT j / *UT- \JAT j E3 fefj LIEUTENANT I „ I ENSIGN JUNIOR It* / GRADE 1 LINE > I (WARRANT OFFICER- L ■ 'VfcfV f commanders, gun pointers, signal corps, hospital corps, professors of mathe matics, civil engineers, medical corps, paymasters, engineers of various sorts, musicians, subsistence department, saddlers, farmers and artificers. The meaning of most of these insignia, however, is so plain as to need no ex planation. One row of symbols is worn ex tending from the neck to the shouldei COLOR, BA^kL,OH SERGEANT SQUADRON AND JUNIOR ♦ s I!I t J ELECTRICIAN A SERGEANT, A CLASS c ACCOAST^^^v ART,LLERY) (gP'Sjjp} ' KByiWf ' : ,S " CORPORAL BATTALION a m OF /A W> ENGINEERS LANCE W with uniforms of khaki, while the more elaborate ones are worn across the shoulder with uniforms of blue cloth. Most of the other insignia are found either on the neckband or sleeve. Numbers on collar devices show to what regiment the wearer is attached. Militiamen are distinguished from those of the regular army in that the former wear bronze initials of their state in addition to the devices shown, which are indicative of the branch of the service they are in, while the regu lars wear the initials "U. S." Mem bers of volunteer regiments wear the . 3ERGEAMT FIRST A > SERGEANT^^^^ TROOR BATTERY OR COMPANY AN6 QUARTERMASTER REGIMENTAL AND SENIOR A EEaSEBBSa GRADE MASTER SERGEANT S3 tESsssssm 5r..'.,,r.7VM tzzx REGIMENTAL COMMISSARY SERGEANT -- initials "U. S. V." When wearing the khaki uniform a second lieutenant is distinguished by a bronze coat of arms of the United States on his serv ice cap and on his belt and a gold and black braided hat cord. The wearing of colored hat cords, bs the way, is a comparatively recent in novation in the army, and. since there are many more privates in any mili tary organization than there are offi cers, it is perhaps as well to memorize the significau;?e of these. Here it is in brief: Yellow for cavalry, light blue for infantry, red for artillery, maroon for medical corps, black for all staff departments, red piped with white for engineers' corps, black piped with red for ordnance department buff for quurterthaster corps, salmon with white edge for signal corps. All com missioned officers wear a gold and black braided hat cord when wearing service hats, and the coat of arms ol the United States is worn by all com missioned officers on hats, caps and belts. - Collar ornaments of commissioned officers in the navy are: Ensign, a silve; FOURTEENTH CAVALRY REGIMENT REGIMENTAL COMMISSARY. REGIMENTAL SQUADRON i AND BATTALION OF FOURTH CAVALRY * SQUADRON AND BATTALION, QUARTERMASTER nbfjffiV OF SIXTH K'wS CAVALRY» nfcUMf AIDE-DE-CAMP Willi'/ ON A NJllly .flfok ©ENERAL OFFICER'S ADJUTANT STAFF GENERAL'S JgL DEPARTMENT ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT <®' JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT anchor; junior lieutenant, silver bar and anchor; senior lieutenant, two bars and an anchor of silver; lieutenant commander, a gold leaf; commander, a silver leaf; captain, a spread eagle; rear admiral, two silver stars, one of them surcharged on a foul anchor; vice admiral, three stars, an end one sur charged on a foul anchor; admiral, four silver stars, the rear one surcharg ed on a foul anchor: admiral of the COAST ARTILLERY * FIRST FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT ' A REGIMENT . M. OFFICER of THE GENERAL STAFF QUARTER MASTER GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT, OFFICER M OFFICER OR THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT* CORPS ENGINEERS, SIGNAL CORPS, OFFICER RECRUITING SERVICE* navy, a rank held only by the lat€ George Dewey, four silver stars. Rank insignia for the marine corps for commissioned officers are the same as the army for shoulder ornaments. The corps device, a globe surmounted by the eagle and backed by the foul anchor, is worn on the collar. The sleeve insignia ior full and mess dress are the same as the British Royal Horse artillery. A TOURING EPISODE By PAULINE D. EDWARDS »- I My dear Belle, I have had ail adven ture, and I must tell you all about it. As soon as the spring opened 1 became wild to go on an auto tour with our uew machine, that is admirably fitted for long trips, having a rack in the rear large enough to carry a Saratoga trunk. Of course I couldn't tour alone or with a girl friend. Mamma would uot hear of that, and there was noth ing for it but she must go with me her self. We started when the leaves on the trees were well grown, with excellent road maps, and by supplementing the information they gave us at every fork La the road we got on very well. One evening we were nearlng a place called Huntingdale, which seemed to be rath er a collbctiou of summer cottages than anything else, and we did not have the name of any hotel at which to stop. Passing an autolst who had alighted to examine his engine, I asked him if he could direct us to a public house where we could spend the night. He looked up at me, and our eyes met Did you ever look into the eyes of a man for the first time and recognize through them a sool that was In har mony with yours? This I did when I met the gaze of this man. Not only that; I knew he saw in me what I had found in him. "I am sorry to say," he replied to my question, "that there is no hotel In Huntingdale. You'll not find one that you would care to stop at till you reach Arborville, twelve miles beyond." I looked disappointed. Mamma was getting tired, and before we could make the twelve miles it would be dark, and we made it a rule to travel only by daylight M I can direct you," continued the young man, "to a private family hotel, but they are not taking boarders there this year except myself. However, if you care to try I think you can get in for one night." We said we would certainly care to try, and the young man, pulling down the hood of his auto and cranking it got into his machine and led the way to an attractive looking house on an eminence. When we reached it he asked us to remain in our car till he stated our case for us. We thanked him, and he went inside. In a few minutes he returned and said that he had fixed the matter for us satisfac torily. The landlady was confined to her room, but he was very much at home there himself and would see thai we were made comfortable. He hand ed ug out of our car, and after our trunk had been removed and our ma chine started for the garage we went up into the house. I wondered that so luxurious an abode should be used for boarders. Ho tels and boarding houses be they ever so well furnished are bound to show some wear. Mamma thought she was too tired to dress for dinner, but I told her in such a place it would not be safe to dine in traveling costume, so we both put on evening dress. On entering the dining room we saw that places had been set for three, and the only person in the room besides ourselves was the young man who had been our con ductor. Seeing that he was in evening dress I was very thankful that mam ma and I had decided to change our costumes. "Our landlady," he said, "has com missioned me to take her place at ta ble and do the honors In her stead. I presume I shall have to introduce my self, having no one to Introduce me. I am Edgar Sterling, at your service." Mamma introduced herself and then introduced me, after which a waiter who seemed rather a butler than a waiter served us, and we had a deli cious dinner. Wine was opened with out our having ordered it Both mam ma and I declined it when the waiter was about to pour it into our glasses whereupon Mr. Sterling said: "The terms in this house include wine, so you are not under any obliga> tion to me." We permitted the waiter to fill our glasses, but since the wine served was champagne we concluded that the bill for our one night's stay would be some thing frightful. But I had fallen un der a spell induced by the devotion of Mr. Sterling, expressed in his eyes, a pleasing smile he had and his constant attention to my every wish. After dinner mamma remained be low but half an hour, when she went upstairs to bed. I passed the most delightful evening of my life, and mamma was obliged to call me several times before I could tear myself away from my entertainer. The next morning we breakfasted alone, the waiter having informed us that Mr. Sterling had gone out early in his car. We asked for our bill, but were told that the landlady was not In a condition to make It up and if we would leave our address a statement would be sent us when she recovered. Upon our return home we expected to find our hotel bill. We were still expecting to find it when one evening Mr. Sterling called and put a new face on the matter. He confessed that he had taken us to his own resi dence, that the landlady was a myth and that the waiter was his butler. He apologized for his deception by saying that it had occurred to him to take this couree rather than attempt to force before us the hospitality of a stranger. Xow, wasn't that Just too delightful an episode f> keep? From Mr. Sterling's attention to me I expect soon to tell you of another episode.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers