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/ 'r .? *% f k ,' "> •: "• - ' * « y* ^ *> %• ;• r' >• ..•.* ^ f V"," ̂ .** 1 &'*K> ^ f A „ , -* \ , '* ' -: 'v;g HE war department Is trying; to find ways and means to Increase the number of ca­ dets at the United States Military acad­ emy Since the Spanish war, when the army was enlarged, there have not been anywhere near enough graduates to fil l the vacancies in the commissioned ranks of the army. The result has been that not only has it been necessary to promote to the rank of second lieutenant, enlisted "i men of the army who car. pass the re- i! \V quired examination, but to appoint each I \ \ v e a r t o ' service large numbers of Vile .I \ civilians Naturally enough the war .'epartment officials ieei that the ooninii- cers shculd be men eduea: ' l to the pro­ fession of a soldier. Then ^eems to be a prettv general feeling, ; n » ha rd for tho authorities to account for by the way, that evtry man is born a soldier and that the military profession is the only one for which no special ' .raining is required. Gen. Wlnfield Scott , at the close of the Mexican war, said that if It had not been for the officers of his army •who were graduates of the military academy the war would have been pro­ longed for years. This praise of the in­ stitution and the men whom It turns out was given by a man not graduate, and who, therefore, coul.i no? be sai l to be prejudiced in favor of the institution. The course at West Point is a par­ ticularly hard one ami a good many ca­ dets are found deficient ev. : y ye:.r , gen­ erally in only one s=:n -1y. w . s ' ro.in, however, differs from all "th t schools of the world. There th<\v .!•> not strike an average o? s?u.li- ,«. taHns all the lessens taught in a l imii Fir iti-t-m. >, i f a man s-tan<ls at t! .• b o n d "f hi-- e ' :ss in four studies, bur is a l itt le Vt bel'.w the proficient av< rage in one si ' i h t ne authorities throw him out. w h e r e a s I n o t h t r s c h o o l s t h e y w o u l d s t r i k e a n a v e r ­ a g e a n d g i v e s u c h a m a n a h i g h s t a n d ­ ing. The result of such a system as this Is that men who are qualified for the service in practically every way, but who may be a little lame in French or a trifle off in geology or chemistry, are separated from the army to which they might possibly be a credit if an average of excellence was struck by the authorities. It !s quite often the case that men who do not graduate but who hpve had several years' training at the academy succeed in getting commissions in the service. There are no records to show that any man who spent two years at West Point failed to pass his exami­ nation for a commission after he had been successful in getting an app6intment to the army from civil life. Some of the boys who have been at West Point, but have not graduated, enlisted in the United States army in order to get their com­ mission from the ranks. When a man does so enlist he may be sent as a private soldier to a company in which some classmate is a lieutenant. Now it must be remembered that there is a deep gulf between officers and en­ listed men in the regular army, a gulf which It is necessary to have remain fixed, because familiarity of intercourse between officers and enlisted men would lead to lax discipline. It Is not the case, as some people seem to think, of an officer being too proud to associate with enlisted men. The officers of the army hold the enlisted men in high esteem. They know that they are the backbone of the army and they know that on their loyalty, obedience and courage hangs success in war and the credit of the army in peace. Every army In the world has learned the lesson that there must be a lack of familiar intercourse in a social way between the commissioned officers and the enlisted men. When a young fellow who has been at "West Point enlists he Is likely, as has been said, to get into a command in which one of his classmates may be an officer. Then it is that a curious relation results. The enlisted man meets his former classmate, whom he once called Bill or Jim and with whom he possibly roomed as a cadet, and he must sim­ ply salute him as any other enlisted man would, and pass without a sign of "familiar recognition." Now this does not mean at all that Jim or Bill does not want to speak to his former classmate. It means simply that the enlisted man wants to preserve his own stand­ ing with his fellow soldiers and does not want to put his former classmate by and chance In an embarrassing position. If the enlisted men should learn that their newly enlisted fellow was a former classmate and a friend of one of the officers they might think that It was going to be a case of currying favor on the one side or of showing favor on the other. The man who Is once a cadet and who enJists Is more careful if he is built right, and he generally is, to maintain a proper attitude toward the men who rank him. They tell a story in Washington of a young fellow who came of rich parentage, but who never had been at West Point, by the way. who enlisted in the army to get his commis­ sion. He attempted to presume on the fact of his wealth and he not only got the officers down on him, but the men as well. His lot was not altogether a happy one. It can be said, however, that cases like that of this young man are few and far between. The man who is willing to enlist in order to get his commission, generally speaking, is of good stuff enough to make him willing to take things as they come and to take rather more than his share of the duties and the hardships of the enlisted men with whom he is thrown. There was once upon a time a cadet who, having spent time enough at the United States Military academy to cover a consider able part of the course, was compelled by the government to sever his connection with the school he had hoped would prove to him a fostering mother until the end. This cadet, who Bhall be nameless because of a modest desire to avoid the use of the pro­ noun In the first person, had a yearning for military life, and so a few years after leaving the academy he walked into a Boston recruit­ ing office and enlisted. Several classmates _ amno. (ftv: EDW4W) b, ci auk COPyplOMT ev W.A. RATTfcfK^iON and several other army friends knew of the enlistment and told the enlisted one prior to his application for admission to the service to strike out for a commission, and, above all things, not to let any of the enlisted men, or any of the offi­ cers who did not know him, have knowledge of the fact t l iut he had. been at the military academy, for otherwise they might think he expected favors. The advice was needless, for whatever else the recruit int .uded to do h<? desired that his service should be per­ formed on the same level with that of every other man In the United States army, but the truth is that this determi- 1 \ il U P - 5 T A I APPLY uV/C = £.<*• T, ii W. . . • -cir - ' ' - ^ *•> ^ J*® ^§5^ < e ^ % ^ ^ ± ^ % ^ v " "• -f * :" f urllT£D STATES ABMY M and Women nation and its carrying Out led to some complications that had humor enough at the time even though they lose the humor because of lack of power in the story­ teller. This cadet recruit was landed at David's island, New York harbor, where there were 700 other recruits un­ dergoing instruction, and a green lot they were. The cadet was turned out for squad drill with five other recruits, not one of whom knew enough about soldiering to keep his heels together A tall, raw-boned Irish sergeant with the euphonious name of O'Baldwin was in command of the squad. He began to explain the position of a soldier. He found that the recruit on the right of the line already was in the position of a soldier. The truth was he couldn't help himself. O'Baldwin eyed him critically. "Fall out!" he said. The one-time cadet fell out. "What regi­ ment did ye desart from?** Bald O'Baldwin. pleasantly. "This Is my first enlistment," answered the recruit, and in answering he told the truth, for a cadet Isn't enlisted. "What company are ye In?" asked O'Bald­ win, though he knew perfectly well, for his own bunk was not three bunks removed from that of the recruit. "D cc iiany," answered the queried one, and that's where he made the mistake of his life. That apparently simple answer proved con­ clusively to the sergeant's mind that he had an ex-regular before him, for all the national guardsmen would have answered "Company D" Instead of "D company." The regular who would speak of his command as "Company D" would be considered deserving of the guard­ house for a month, for to put the letter after the company save when it Is written is to the army man the height of things unmilltary. "You go to your quarters; we'll look into this," said the sergeant. The recruit went to his quarters and half an hour later the first sergeant of the outfit sent for him. The "Top" opened the conver­ sation cheerfully with a query as to what regi­ ment the recruit had left in the lurch. Find­ ing that he was bound to be considered a deserter, the unhappy one took the bull by the horns thus: "I am serving my first enlist­ ment in the army; I never was In the marine corps and I never saw the Inside of a na­ tional guard armory." "Ever been in one of them private military schools?" asked the "Top." "Never." "Go to your quarters." In another hour the recruit was given a rifle and cartridge box and belt and was or­ dered to turn out with the squad of recruits who had advanced far enough in the school of the soldier to receive lessons In the manual of arms. Now as a matter of fact the recruit knew the manual of arms so well he couldn't have hidden his knowledge if he had tried This time there was another sergeant In charge. His eye took in the way the recruit on the right handled his piece and executed the manual. In less than a minute the sergeant ordered him who was showing such proficiency to step to the front, and ordered "place rest" for the remainder of the squad. Then turning his attention to his victim, he said: "We'll try the bayonet exercise a bit. Guard!" The recruit came down to "a guard" possi­ bly with as much precision and in probably as proper style as the veteran sergeant had ever seen It done. Passing yourself ofT for a recruit. It's a fraud you are. Get to your quarters." And the recruit went to his bunk again, knowing that he was In deep disgrace. About half an hour later he heard two old soldiers talking outside of the barracks win­ dow. One of them said to the other: "There's a cuss in there who ain't never been in the marine corps, nor in the milishy, nor in the reg'lars, nor to one of them military schools. The sergeant says he's either a blankety-blank liar or else he larnt his soldierin' from books, which ain't likely." That night just after "tattoo," the first ser­ geant appeared and tdW the recruit that the company commander wanted to see him at once in the orderly room. The recruit went to the presence of the commissioned officer and stood attention as he had stood attention as a cadet a thousand times before. The cap­ tain looked him up and down. "I understand," he said, "that this is your first enlistment; that you have never been a national guard; that you have never been a marine and that you never attended a private military school." The recruit acquiesced with a respectful "Yes, sir." "About face." The recruit made an about face, and then at a repetition of the command, again faced the captain, who was grinning. "Go to your quarters," said the command­ ing officer. The recruit went and !n ten minutes the top sergeant was there, saying: "You can't fool the old man. You've been made a lance corporal and you go on guard as corporal of the third relief tomorrow morning." There are a good many officers in the United States army today who served for a f- while at the military academy as cadets, but who were compelled to stay five years at the academy In order to get their commissions, hav­ ing been "turned back" Into the class hext below them either for deficiency In studies or for breaches of discipline. If General Sheridan had not been given another chance after he had engaged in a little affair which was considered a breach of discipline while he was a cadet the wonder Is who would have been the right-hand cavalry leader of Grant during the Civil war. A few months ago Gen. Hamilton S. Haw­ kins died. He entered the military academy some time prior to the opening of the Civil war, but the authorities did not allow him to graduate. Hawkins was not discouraged by the failure and a8 soon as the Civil war broke out he offered his services to his country and was given a commission. He staid .in the reg­ ular army until the time of his death and so strong was his love of the military academy that before his death he asked that he might be buried in the cadet cemetery. It was Haw kins' custom each year when he could get away from his command to visit the school where he had spent three years of his boy­ hood. He had just as strong a love for the institution as did any graduate in the army. Recently there has been a disposition on the part of the graduates of the military acad­ emy to give more consideration to the men who spent some time at the school, but who did not graduate. One class organization In­ cludes In Its membership all the cadets who at any time were members of the class, and no distinction is made between graduate and non- graduate. even the offices of the organization being open to men who did not complete the course. Other class organizations are said to be preparing to follow the example of that of the members of 1884 and If the custom of taking into full brotherhood the non-graduates be­ comes general the belief Is that good will come to the academy and the country. Statue of Liberty Grafters If the visitors who paid good money to a soldier for the privilege of climbing up the steps of the statue- of Liberty had only known about the sixty-second article of war they never would have graduated from the dead­ head class on a reservation belonging to Uncle Sam, the New York Herald says. As it Is, under the last general order from the war de^ partment two soldiers who levied tribute are doomed to penal servitude for their specula­ tive enterprise. According to the army orders. Axel T. Holm, a first-class private of G company, sig­ nal corps, and Edward A. Bagnall. of the same grade and command, organized a syndi­ cate for the exploitation of the French evi­ dence of friendship for America, which, fol­ lowing the actual language of the order, oper­ ated, as to Holm, after this fashion: "He, the said Holm, did designedly and fraudulently obtain money from certain vis­ itors to the statue d'f liberty, fees for the privi­ lege of going up into said statue, by know­ ingly making false pretenses that Buch fees were necessary." And as to the enterprising Bagnall: "That he did knowingly assist in fraudu­ lently obtaining money from visitors to the statue of Liberty by acting as a lookout' with the duty of actually giving warning to the man collecting the fees In case an officer were approaching." All of this, according to the charges and specifications upon which conviction was made, and approval then passed, violated th# Bixty- second article of war. In the case of Holm tho department orders his dishonorable discharge and his confinement for two years at Fort Leavenworth. Bagnall gets ofT with reduction to the grade of private, four months' confine­ ment and the forfeiture of $13 a month. He will work his sentence out around the base of the statue, cleaning up such litter as the trib- utoless visitors see fit to make. The evidence showed that the two men ar­ ranged a scheme to tax all visitors ten cents a head for the pleasure of climbing to the head of the goddess, with the ever-burning torch, and the story was printed exclusively in the Her­ ald at the time. While one of them took in the toll the other lingered about to give the collector a tip If an officer chanced to be bear­ ing down upon the post exchange. Capt. D. J. Carr, commanding the post, is very proud of th4s pretty show station, and he broke up the game Just as soon as he found what was in the air. 8TREET TRAFFIC OF PARIS. There are nearly half a million horses and motor vehicles of all kinds In Paris today, with 20,000 hand carts and 9,000 wheelbarrows. In 1909 65,870 accidents were caused In the Paris streets by 81,868 vehicles. These statistics are contained In a report drawn up by M. Emile Massard at the request of the Paris municipal council on the incumberment of the Paris streets. One of M. Massard's calculations shows that the street traffic of Paris, if sta­ tionary, would occupy 445 acres of the 2,079 acres of streets which Paris possesses. Last year 600,000,000 jjersons traveled by omnlbuBe and tramway, and there were 294,000,000 pas­ sengers on the underground railway.--Indian­ apolis News. Bonaparte98 American Wife. of Jeroms and Ellxabeth ; ..PtUfiOW Greatest Social Event in Baltimore's History. Just two and a half years after the ^ vi > <G®ath and burial of "Old Mortality" :.'i;^.*©n Christmas eve, 1803, all Baltimore ' :™vVang with the greatest social event that the city of beautiful women had . ftver witnessed--the marriage of Je- M . . • • rome Bonaparte and Elizabeth Pat­ terson. The groom was resplendent in a purple satin coat, heavy with costly embroideries and gold lace, whose skirt, lined with white satin, in the latest fashion of the directory beau monde, fell over his satin knee- breeches and silk hose, to the very tops of the diamond buckles, 'that clasped his low-cut shoes fine hair was powdered snowy white, contrasting well with his dark eyes and rich complexion. The bride wore a white, muslin dress, of diaphanous texture, such as the famous Indiana looms have made famous for centuries, whleh, despite rich embroidery and costly lace, re­ vealed the beauty of arms and neck, and fitted in the extreme of a fashion that emphasized the outlines of her faultless limbs and perfect form. "All the clothes worn by her might Boon Companions. Cruelty and fear shake hands His long, have been put In my pocket," wrote a getner.--Balzaa lively correspondent of that letter- writing era. "Her dress was of mus­ lin of an extremely fine texture. Be­ neath her dress, she wore but one garment." Congratulations and good wishes were showered upon her, and the weeks of the honeymoon were a dream of sweet madness and grati­ fied ambition--National Magasine. to- Beliefs About Lightning. There is a popular tradition that lightning will not kill any one who is asleep. According to one school, the splinters of a tree struck by light­ ning are an infallible specific for the toothache. An amusing superstition used to be cherished by the boys of a Yorkshire (Eng.) village, who be­ lieved that If they mentioned the light­ ning Immediately after a flash the seat of their trousers would be torn out. No boy could be Induced to make the experiment. A THANKLESS TASK. Little Blue Bonnet is feeding her chickens, All her dear chickens so greedy and rude; Little Blue / Bonnet is teaching them man norO Giving the best ones the best of the food. Little discouraged Blue Bonnet Is thinking, Mannerly chickens don't l ive any more. Now ehe has taught them for days, and concluded Chickens won't jnind her because s h e is f o u r . -- D o r i a W e b b , in the Philadelphip Record. TICK-TACK. There v a s once a li t t le boy named Carrol, and he went every day to the big gray school around the corner. He was too small to learn real les­ sons and carry a school-bag, but he was larj^e enough to go to the sunny kindergarten, where Miss Norma taught all the li t t le girls and boys. Every morning mother gave Carrol his l i t t le lunch basket at a quarter of nine by the shiny kitchen clock, and said, "Cood-bve, dear; come right home when kindergarten is over." One morning Carrol had started for the big gray school around the cor­ ner, when he saw a hand-organ with such a funny monkey. Somehow he f o r g o t t h a t t h p l H t i o s a i d , ' "School-time, school-time," and he started after the organ. The organ- grinder did not go toward the school, but up another street, and Carrol fol­ lowed. After the monkey had danced and picked up pennies and put them in a tinv pocket of the coat he wore, and had tipped his red cap, the man pick ed him up and started farther away. Thpn all at once Carrol remembered kindergarten and Miss Norma. Whil^ he was thinking of school, the bip - school clock struck nine, and i# sounded as if i t said "Late, late, late!" nine times. Carrol ran all the way back to his own street and up the steps of the school; but, as he hurried through the hall , the piano was whispering the soft music, and he felt ashamed as he slipped into the kindergarten. There was no place in the ring for a li t t le boy who was late, so he sat down by the sand table alone, and the big kindergarten clock said sadly. "Carrol, Carrol!" Another boy sat in the leader 's chair. coaxing the bees with its pretty red flowers? Even little Mary, who liv­ ed in the house, helped It on its way by leading its tiny hands to grasp new places. What a pleasant thing it "was to see the world and how jolly to hear one's self admired. "Just see how beautiful this flower­ ing bean has made this ugly old porch," was heard every day. Never did the little vine dream of Such happiness, but one day it real­ ly did happen. Yes, Mary did not want to be selfish with the beautiful little visitor, so she led the vine to the big porch next door. O, the bean saw so many things in its travels that I couldn't begin to tell you about. If you have a vine per­ haps you can guess what wonderful sights it sees in the bright morn­ ings, long sunny days and starry nights.--Washington Star. THE ELEPHANTS AT HOME. When we see a company of great elephants moving along with a cir­ cus parade do we ever think how far from home these huge creatures are? Perhaps they have traveled all over the world several t imes, yet they would rather be back in Asia or Africa, where they were pvobably born. Best of all an elephant l ikes to live on broad plains, In forests or among gently rising hills. He does not l ike severe weather, either hot or cold, so usually lives in a tem­ perate climate, where he spends much time on the shady river banks. How he enjoys fil l ing his great trunk with water and then sending the cooling streams over his big brown body. The elephant is the largest crea­ ture known, yet he is alert , and. It is said, approaches the nearest of any animal to man in prudence and rea­ soning. He is said to possess a kind of affection for those who treat him kindly, and is docile enough to be trained for performing many tricks and working with great strength. In some countries elephants move great trees or carry heavy burdens. Some­ times when the large circus wagon sinks into a inuddy field i t can only be moved by an elephant, that l ifts It where (he circus man wants to have It . When with the circus the elephants eat a great deal of hay, but when roaming in the wild homes they eat much green food. The tree branches, tree roots, leaves of small plants, as well as bulbs, are consid­ ered very palatable by these hard j skinned animals. Sometimes a whole I acre of ground will be plowed up by *«i. . . j , „„ ! the great tusks of the elephant in his After kindergarden was over Miss , . „ . ^ X T . . . . . . . . . „ * w . ' search for food to which his Norman said, Wait, Carrol, I want i to see you," and he had to tell her | why he was late,--about following the monkey and going up the wrong street--and, when he finally said "Good-bye" and started home, he had been so long that his mother was waiting for hiio. "I'm sorry, little boy," said mother, "for Aunt Helen was here with Dex­ ter and the cart to take you to grandma's to lunch, but she couldn't wait." Then what a sorry little boy looked with tears,,in his eyes at the shiny kitchen clock that had told him ex­ actly when to go to school. Lunch was waiting; but the cocoa was near­ ly cold, and the toast had no lumps of yellow butter on It, for they had a+l melted. When lunch was over Carrol asked mother If he might go for a walk with his friend Edgar, but Edgar had finished his lunch and gone. All Carrol could do was to play alone while mother made a new dress for Baby Nan. At bedtime father came to see If Carrol was tucked in, and found him wide awake. "What is it, son?" he asked, and Carrol said: "I've had a sorry day. t lost ray leader's chair, I had a cold lunch, and Edgar didn't wait tor me. Do you hear my little clock? Tt says 'LiB-ten, Carrol; lis-ten, Car-rol.' and I'm going to listen and watch." Next day he said "Good morning, Miss Norma, "at ten minutes of nine. --J. Lillian Vandermere, in Kindergar­ ten Review. SEEING THE WORLD. fine sense of smell has guided him. Did you ever notice that the elephant can never get his mouth to the ground? For this reason Mother Nature has given this great animal a kind of hand, which we call his trunk. When you toss peanuts to the elephant see how quickly he uses his trunk to throw the nuts into his mouth.--Wash­ ington Star. MAKING A FLAG KITE. Kites are made in all shapes, sizes and styles, but have you ever seen a flag kite? It is something new and here is the simple way in which you can make one. It is made on a frame resembling that o? the square fighting kites of the Japanese children. To make the frame use reeds, thin stripes of wood or bam boo. For the covering colored tissue paper or any other thin tough paper is best. First make an oblong frame four­ teen inches by twenty inches, then connect the corners diagonally oppo­ site from each other with frame sticks. Next fasten a frame stick touching the middle of the short side of the oblong frame and another stick across the frame touching the middle points of the long side of the oblong. In making this frame use very small nails or brads. When the skeleton of the kite is finished stretch a piece of cord across the ends of the upper short side of the frame and one across the ends of tha lower short side. By drawing these strings shorter than the kit* ends the upper and •O mv! O my! I do wl,h 80 much ' ">we,r «!f' ,of * l le "IU ,bul8,f- t o s e e t h e w o r l d . " . a i d t h e | t h e n c e o f t h e k . u - t o h e bean as It lay in i ts soft earthy bed one mortilng. "I have had such a long sleep that I am strong enough to start on a real journev. When Mother Nature gave me these two large sacks of food she said that I would need them on my travels. I have kept them good and dry under my raincoat, but now the coat is getting so wrinkled I am afraid if I don't start the coat will be all worn out and the food spoiled. O dear! O dear! Here comes a bean boy. Perhaps he ll stop to talk. "Good morning. Beany. How you are wrapped up for such a beautiful spring day. ^rhy don't you lay aside that coat, which has certainly grown too small for you?" Before a week had passed the proud little bean had thrown aside her cloak. She lifted one little sack of food out to her light and one to he?- left. She was ready now to see the world. The bean had really ask­ ed to be her guide and the rain had promised her friendship In giving re­ freshment through the warm deys to come. No seed creature could be happier. Soon the tiny leaves appeared above the food sacks which were giv­ ing their food to a larger plant every day. How strong the young bean was! The growing leaves ate so much that soon the food bags were empty and fell to the ground. But what did the bean care? Now Mother Earth sent fresh food right up from the garden at the plant's feet. With such a market no won­ der there was doon a tall vine reach­ ing higher than any little boy or girl. Wasn't this a happy little bean vine climbing over the porch and rounded. Now cover the kite with white paper. Put on a blue field and white stars found in the corner of the American flag. Last of all paste on the red stripes. Give your kite two tails, fastening them to the two lower corners of the frame. Attach your kite string and you are ready for the sunshiny weather.--Washing­ ton Star. MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER I have often heard stories about my great-great-grandmother, and I am going to tell you about one of her experiences with an Indian. ' One day an Indian came to the door and asked for something to eat He was an Indian greatly feared by everybody, but my great-great-grand- mother was not at all afraid of him. So she gave him all he wanted to eat. Then he demanded cider, which she refused him. He drew his knife and again demanded it, but my grandmother seized a large shovel standing near and exclaimed: "You put that down!" The Indian began backing down the path, fearing to turn his back toward her. When he was outside the gate he turned and rarf. My great-great-grandmother had very piercing black eyes, which made all the Indians afraid of her.--Luen- na Von Eltz, in the New York Tri­ bune. SOME DON'T FOR YOU. Don't laugh over other people's mipfakes You soon may be caught tripping. Don't Imagine you know every­ thing. for you don't. Don't expect acorns to become oak trees In a day or a year.