Evening capital news., September 26, 1912, Image 8

About Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927

Image provided by: Idaho State Historical Society

                
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They needed a scapegoat and they pitched
on us.
I N the camp of the Molliecoddles,
at the rear with the baggage
wagons, men sat silent about the
fires and avoided one another's eyes.
Now and then one cursed bitterly
and the others would turn' his way for
an instant and. then come back to
their vacant staring. Bewilderment
seemed to be their attitude, utter
blind bewilderment.
"We never had a chance," mut
tered one. "We never had a chance."
Another suddenly flung down a
paper he had been reading in the red
light, cursed like a drover for a mo
ment, and fell silent again.
In his tent the colonel spoke bit
terly to his adjutant.
"They needed a scapegoat, and
they've pitched on us," he said.
A common sentiment ran from the
head of the regiment, to the meanest
private in the ranks. It was, more
over, a perfectly legitimate, well
fcunced sentiment, and the facts
upon which it was based were these:
The Molliecoddles were a brand
■ew regiment. Most of them had been
BIRTHDAY OF COL.
ROOSEVELT WILL
BE CELEBRATED
New York. Sept. 26......The birthday
of Theodore Roosevelt \\ ii 1 be cele
brated as "Founders Day'* in honor of
the founding of the Progressive party
by women in a!! parts of the country
who aie working in behalf of the new
party, according to an announcement
today at Progressive national head
quarters. Senator Dixon, of Montana,
authorized Mrs. Medill McCormick of
Chicago to begin a country-wide
movement for the formal observance
on Oct. 28. The colonel's birthday is
Oct. 27, but this year it falls on Sun
day.
Charleston, W. Va., Sept. 26. Sur
rounded in the mountains l»y soldiers,
the persons who fired last night on
the outpost at Keeferun, \V. Va., suc
ceeded hi breaking through the lines.
Bloodhounds reached the scene early
today and followed the train farther
into the mountains, hut reports offer
no encouragement of capture.
GIVEN TO CONGRESS
Washington. Kept. 26.—American
statistics of niarrluge and divorce was
the subjee'. of chief attraei.on at to
day's program of the Congress of Hy
giene and Demography. Child con
servation, public and private, and need
of community planning In child wel
fare work, were other subjects dis
cussed.
There will be a meeting of the
dramatic section of the t'olumblan
club tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock at
tile residence of the chairman, Mrs. _.
Q. Davis, Third and Jefferson streets.
Samuel B. Taylor cf Glenns Kerry
and Miss Martha C. Biehl of Boise
wer« quietly married late yesterday af
ternoon at the Baptist church by Rev.
C. L. Trawln. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor
have gone to Glenns Kerry where they
will make their home.
Governor Hawley today declined an
Invitation to attend the National irri
gation congress, due to the fact he Is
conducting his campaign. He was also
feavlted to visit Drjggs on Oct. 1.
clerks and small business men in a
certain well-known city. Their hands
were white and soft and their chests
not astonishing either for length or
breadth.
Therefore, because the spirit'is less
easily discerned than the flesh, their
comrades-in-arms, veterans of two
campaigns, dubbed them the Mollie
coddles on their first appearance.
The regiment suffered the label
with only a mild resentment. Indi
vidually, they knew they were not
cowards, and they trusted confidently
in the future to justify their presence
in arms.
As a regiment they had not yet
found themselves. They had no esprit
de corps. They were a collection of
units instead of the single and par
ticular entity a regiment should be.
Then came the catastrophe.
The army was facing the enemy
with a river in the rear, and it so
happened that the Molliecoddles held
the extreme right wing. Here the
general commanding made his initial
mistake.
YEAR'S RECORD OF
THE LAND OFFICE
Washington, D. C\, Sept. 26.—The
general land office rolled up a net sur
plus of $5,538,55.7 during the fiscal year
just closed. Hom< sfeade s secured
patent to 5.011,948 acres. Commis
sioner Dennett in his annual report will
announce that the office received in
cash from the sale of public lands and
from all other sources $9,973,048 or $1,
116,880 less than the previous year.
The aggregate expenditures and liabil
ities w«re $3,573,693, During the year
14,574,689 acres of public and Indian
land were entered and 10,135,475 acre*
patented, a decrease of 3, <»64, 411 and
2,137,020 respectively.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM
DEATH OR INJURY
II. F. Dicke*, gelier« I manager of the
Idaho Traction company, M. I. Cline,
bookkeeper for the compté. y, and a
lineman in the employ of the Moun
tain States Telephone & Telegraph
company, had a narrow escape from
Injury yesterday afternoon, when a
telephone pole on which the lineman
was at work toppled over and struck
the rear seat of the Ford car in which
Mr. Dicke and Mr. ('line were driving.
The rear seat of the car was torn com
pletely off by the pole and the line
man was rendered insensible by the
fall, but was not otherwise injured.
The accident happened on the bench
near Morris Hill and a passer-by who
witnessed it states that all three of the
men had a very close call, the pole not
missing the men in the machine more
than a foot, while one of the cross
arms struck the seat In which they
were riding. He is of the opinion that
bad the machine not. broken the fall of
the pole the man on top would have
been killed.
Argument was heard In the supreme
court today In the cases of the Mer
chants' Protective association versus
J. Jacobson and Charles F. Dee, et al,
versus the Sixth Judicial district.
The supreme court today handed
down an opinion in the case of Clara
Powell, et al, versus Ethel Powell, ap
pealed from the Seventh judicial dis
trict for Canyon county. In which. it
reverses Judge Ed. I* Bryan of that
court. The case represents an action
upon an agreed case for the purpose
of determining the title to certain real
estate, a desert entry. It was held by
the lower court the land was subject
to the administration of the probate
court. The supreme court reverses and
remands the cash with orders to modi
fy the judgment. Justice Ailshie w rote
the opinion.
THE MOLLIECODDLES
By' FREDERICK WALWORTH BROWN
There being no natural defenses to
protect this wing, it should in com
mon proudence have been flung oaek
to rest upon the river and thus pre
sent a line of Are in the event of a
flanking movement by the enemy.
This was not done, and the Mollie
coddles were left strung out In air.
Not even the colonel, who had been a
successful merchant, understood the
perilous insecurity of their position,
and the regiment calmly laid itself
down to sleep that night, expecting
battle on the morrow and confident
of acquitting Itself well, but feeling
Itself secure for the immediate future.
Anon came a heavy column of the
enemy, driving in the pickets, and
Itself arriving on their heels. The
line of battle faced south. The attack
fell from the west.
Two companies succeeded in form
ing, facing about on the new line, and
firing a round or two before they were
overwhelmed. Then the regiment,
and after it the brigade, was rolled
up, telescoped, crushed, with hardly
a chance to fire a shot.
It was not their fault. The best
and most seasoned regiment in the
army could have done no better un
der the circumstances.
But when the major-general had
collected the shattered remnant of bis
forces on the safe side of the river,
he felt the need of a scapegoat, as
the colonel had divined, and recog
nized the Molliecoddles as the logical
and helpless candidates for the posi
tion.
He nominated them accordingly in
his report, and the army, bitter over
defeat and not at all understanding,
instantly elected them unanimously.
In two days the whole country knew,
beyond hope of refutation, that the
Molliecoddles had brought disaster on
the division by conspicuous cowardice
In the face of the enemy.
The Molliecoddles. battered and
still dazed, reviewed the situation
with a sort of savage bewilderment.
Individually, they knew they were not
cowards. Collectively they were in
articulate, uncertain, perplexed.
Consequently they suffered many
things, though by no means with
meekness. There were black eyes
and broken heads in neighboring regi
ments, and a lively lust for blood and
slaughter in the minds of the Mollie
coddles.
In the meantime they were detailed
to the rear to guard the baggage
train, and the cup of their humiliation
overflowed in bitter murmurings
against their lot. But Fate had her
eye upon them, and .while they were
yet In the mood to kick out viciously
at the touch of a feather, she sent
them a golden opportunity.
Having hurled his opponent back
BOND ISSUE FOR
PAVING OF STREETS
I The city administration has agreed
• to submit an improvement bond is
I sue of $105.000 to the citizens of Boise
; for the purpose of paving certain
j streets, building a storm sewer to
! care for the water in the business dis
; trlet and also the waters of Sand
1 creek and Hull's gulch.
I The paving district as planned takes
in several
étions
if the
i*it\
necling up a number of paved streets
and extending others. State street is
to he paved from Eighth street to the
city'limits, connecting with the county
paving and from State street out Six
teenth to Hays street ami thence to
Harrison boulevard, which will be
paved to Heron street. The Eighth
street paving is to be extended to Un
ion street, a block will be paved on
Drove street between Fifth and Sixth
streets and also a block on Fifth from
.Main to Grove streets.
The city engineer has not yet the
place completed for the storm sewer
nor all tin* details worked out for car
ing for tlie water from Hull's gulch
and Sand creek, but has gone over the
work and made estimates on the cost.
The resolution creating the districts
to be improved and calling for the bond
issue will be Introduced soon and if
carried, the work will be started early
in the spring.
UNVEIL A TABLET
TO NAD NUTS
Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 26.—A bronze
tablet to commemorate the noble life
and heroic death of Major Archibald
Willingham Butt, U. S. A., was un
veiled in All Saints chapel, University
of the South at Sewanee today. Ma
jor Butt was ft Sewanee altnnus and
the unveiling ceremonies were under
the auspices of his fraternity, the Del
Tau Delta. Had Major Butt lived he
would have been 46 years old today.
WAITED 19 YEARS
FOR BRIDE TOGROW UP
I.«* Angeles, Sept. 26.—After waiting
1» y^urs for the girl he said ho handled
on hla Uine, to grow up, John C.
Driver, 7» years old. eame here to wed
.Miss Naomi Tarwater and taking her
bark today as his bride to Eiden. Mo.
Driver is reputed as a millionaire and
his bride, whom he lias known since
babyhood, said he promised to build
her the finest house in tov.n.
acroea the river, the enemy proceeded
to take the offensive. By a rapid
march In the night a long column
crossed the river seme miles above,
aiming by a wide detour to fall sud
denly and unexpectedly upon the rear
of the demoralised force.
So silently and swiftly was this
maneuver accomplished that no word
of it reached the rival general till his
communications had been cut and a
frightened crowd of teamsters and
camp-followers came streaming up
the road.
Close on their heels appeared the
van of the eager enemy. In their
way steod only the despised and re
jected Molliecoddles.
At the first sign of trouble the
colonel of the regiment deployed his
men across the road and prepared to
hold that line "till the oows came
home."
A stone fence afforded excellent
protection and the Molliecoddles
spread themselves along this breast
work with the hot blood humming in
their veins. Cowards, eh?
They would show what sort of cow
ards they were. They ceased that
moment to be a collection of units,
and were in a way to become a regi
ment.
They were madmen, most of them,
ready to go red-eyed and homicidal
at a pin-prick. They had been goaded
and buffeted with no chance to reply.
They had read Ironical newspaper
comments by men who had never
smelled powder till their nerves
were strung like hair-triggers.
Almost to a man. they yearned for
slaughter with the primitive thirst of
savagery. They wanted to get square.
They wanted to clear themselves.
They wanted to show up their critics
for the blatant liars they were.
Across a field in front of them came
a line of hurrying men, followed by
another and another. They were
overlapped on either flank. What
matter? An aide galloped up to the
colonel.
"Hold them for twenty minutes!"
was his cry, almost despairing. "Hold
them if you lose every man."
'Til hold 'em," said the colonel
grimly.
He knew the temper of his men. It
was identical with his own.
Directly a battery whirled up and
unllmbered In the road. That would
help. The staff officer had gone to
hurry up the support. The colonel
stalked along his line.
Across the open ground In front
the enemy neared rapidly. They came
almost recklessly, expecting little op
position. The only task they taw be
fore them was to drive their foe into
the river.
They made for the stone wall with
a yell. At sight cf the guns in the road
The Woman's Alliance of the Uni
tarian church will meet tomorrow af
ternoon at 2:3(1 o'clock at the home of
Mrs. C. O. Ballou, 1011 Washington
street. The meeting Is the first since
the church closed and all members are
urged to be present.
j At the Presbyterian manse yestcr
i day afternoon at 3:30 Rev. Charles L.
jchalfant united in marriage Frank C.
Lynch of Parma and Miss Pearl F.
j Mussoll of Caldwell. Mr. and Mrs.
j I.ynch will make their home at Parma.
Lawrence Earle, aged nine years, son
1 of Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Shepherd, whose
I home is near Eagle, di> d Iasi evening
j of tnflamatory rheumatism . The
j body was brought to Boise and was
I forwarded this afternoon to Carlock,
111., for burial.
O. W. Allen, the contractor and
builder, today sold his handsome 7
room bungalow located on Harrison
boulevard near Irene street, to Mrs. L.
E. MacArlhur, a recent arrival from
Mexico, for $6.750 cash. The residence
was one of the fine ones located on
the boulevard and Is modern in every
respect. Mrs. McArthur purchased the
place for a home.
Tlie home of Mr. and Mrs. M. P. Me
holln on Franklin street was the scene
of a pretty wedding last night at 8:30
o'clock when their daughter, Miss
Mabelle Maurine became the bride of
Chester Francis Scott, the ceremony
being performed by Rev. A. J. Stillens,
pastor of tlie Congregational church.
A large number of relatives and friends
were in attendance and following the
ceremony a sumptuous wedding supper
was served. Mr. and Mrs. Scott left
last night for southern California on
their wedding trip.
Rally day exercises will be held at
the First Baptist church next Sunday
and a special committee Is working
hard to make the event a memorial
one A Joint meeting of the churelt
and Sunday school will be held at
10:36. Special music, addresses on
Bible study and the organization of n
home department, an Illustrated lecture
on Important events in the life of
Christ, hymns on the screen and Illus
trated songs, comprise the program.
After the smaller children are dis
missed a consecration address by Dr.
C. A. Woody of Portland will lose the
meeting.
Andy Laber, the taller, arrested upon
the charge of petit larceny upon com
plaint of Angelos Callis, ( wa> dismissed
by Judge Bower this morning, there
being no evidence upon which a con
viction could bo secured. Tho caao waa
the outgrowth of a disagreement of the
men after they became partner* In
business which resulted In a division
of the property, the junior member of
the firm declaring that Laber took*
property which he had purchased and
therefore had him arrested. After an
Investigation Judge Bower derided that
the ease was one which should be set
tled by a board of arbitration, but
' 'allls would not consent to such a set
tlement and walked out ot court.
a
It
a shout of triumph broke out. Thosa
should bo the first fruits of their vic
tory. The colonel, crouching new be
hind the wall, surveyed them coming,
only his head projecting above the
coping.
The impatient privates lingered
their weapons and cursed beneath
their breath. Would they never get
the word to fire? Were they to be
run over again and trampled on with
out a chance?
A hundred yards away a compact
lins of men was tolling up the slope.
In the road a column swung forward
full in the face of the silent guns.
Then when men's nerves were fairly
snapping with the tension, the colonel
gave the word.
The front of the stone wall burst
into flame, and above the rattle of
musketry came the bursting roar of
the guns In ths road, as the gunners
leaped from concealment. Out on the
grassy slope the first line of hurrying,
eager men melted Into shapeless
masses on the ground.
In the road the grape and canister
tore great holes in the compact col
umn. The surprisers were surprised.
The front ranks retailed, shattered
out of all semblance to formation.
But the attack was delayed for only
a moment. Behind that foremost
rank was another which came stead
ily on, leaving a man now and then
sprawling out or writhing in the
grass, but driving straight forward
notwithstanding. Down the line be
hind the stone wall went the com
mand. "Cease firing."
It almost caused a mutiny, but the
officers persuaded the madmen to
obey. The enemy came on with a
yell then. Evidently it was but an in
significant force in their front. They
were minded to run over them.
Yelling like fiends, they rushed
across the open. It wac Bunker Hill
repeated. Again the colonel let them
come within a hundred yards before
he gave the command to fire, and
again when the order came and the
sheet, of flame burst forth the advanc
ing line withered as before the breath
from a blazing blast-furnace.
Flesh and blood could not face it.
They were men who would go un
flinchingly where there was ono
chance of coming through.
Here there was none. It was death,
bald and certain. Those who could
recoiled down the slope. Many
stayed silent in the grass.
Meanwhile the carnage in the road
was fearful. The steady plying of the
guns leaded w|th grape and canister
had piled the advancing column in a
mass cf dead and dying till the order
came to halt and deploy across the
adjoining field.
This added to the labors of the de
voted Molliecoddles. The next nd
tj You would gladly mort
gage your business to pay
for a policy of " In
surance" — wouldn't you ?
-
If you could take out a policy of insurance which
guaranteed you certain dividends from your store,
or business enterprise, securing against losses, you
would be glad to lose a little sleep in securing such a
form of insurance—wouldn't you 1 ?
And yet, in any business under the sun, what
amounts to such a policy of insurance is embraced in
an intelligent advertising campaign.
No advertising campaign
that was well devised and carried
out with unflinching persistence
ever failed to furnish* actual "Pro
fit Insurance" for a business.
The cost of this sort of insurance for a store or
other enterprise is not "beyond your means,"—un
less you are one of the folks who ought not to be in
business at all, WHICH YOU ARE NOT! This cost
is partially payable in cash, of course, hut only par
tially. A large part of it is payable in INTELLI
GENCE, in the capacity of profit by experience, in
what is generally known as "grey matter." This
does not mean that you must "worry." It means
that you must THINK—that you must plan and
execute.
You can make your advertising cam
paign your "Policy of Profit Insurance
vance was in skirmish formation and
far more difficult to stop.
Men began to fall behind the
breast-work. Bullets sang over their
beads and spat viciously into the wall
in front of them.
But fifteen' of the needed twenty
minutes had elapsed. If they could
hang on for five more!
They were firing at will now. The
volleys had ceased, but there was a
steady, continuous rattle of musketry.
The colonel walked back and forth
behind his line, fiercely chewing bis
mustache, pausing to glance at the
cloud of skirmishers coming steadily
on, or noting with a groan that his
left was overlapped for a quarter of
a mile and must speedily be turned.
It could not be helped. He was
holding what he could, but his line
was woefully thin and every moment
becoming thinner. The singing bul
lets took a steady toll.
Down the slope before the stone
wall a mass if men pressed forward
yelling. The thin line behind the wall,
concentrated all Its fire upon them,;
but it no longer availed. On they
came, dogged, determined.
Men dropped steadily, but still they
came on. The twenty minutes were
up. Where were the reinforcements?
! The ooionel glanced about. Woods
'behind him shut out all view of the
regiments and brigades hurrying
! breakneck to the rear that had be
; come the front.
All he knew was that he was alone,
I protecting the army from overwhelm
I ing defeat. Cowards, were they?
! Fven in that red. fiery moment he
had time for an instant of bitter pride
and exultation as he viewed hie dead
'behind the stone wall.
I The rushing mass In front was
close up nc<*. H» knew he could not
j stop them. Hi lacked the men. He
had held them îu>cÀ for more than the
time demanded of him.
Should he order biB men to fall
back? The regiment had dene Its
work. More coui» not reasonably be
asked of them.
They were outflanked on either
hand, and about to be overwhelmed.
Should he order them back?
There came to hlm .".notber thought.
"They called us cowards." and with
that ho hurried along the line with
the command. "Fix bayonets."
He would stay there and meet
them, if It cent him every man. "They
tailed us coward3. boj'B," he shouted.
"This is our chan-e."
On enme that yelling wave In front.
Loading and firing a a fast as they
could, the remnant of the regiment
could not stop it. But net a man be
hind the stene vail flinched before It.
The inevitable weaklings that are
in every regiment had long since
sought the rear. Those who staved
v. oi.ld stay to the end.
They were lamentably few, but
those few were bad men to face. At
their colonel's call they rose, gripping
their weapons, whole men, men with
bleeding heads, men with limp arms,
men who rose only to fall again anil
again struggle to rise.
With a yell tha wave broke over
the stone wall, and in an instant the
Molliecoddles were overwhelmed.
Fighting like demons, madmen, or
heroes, they went down before su
perior numbers, but not before they
had taken full toll for their defeat
Through his glasses the general In
command saw their heroic stand. The
regiments breaking from the woods
behind saw It and burst Into eheers.
A sudden wave of firing broke out on
either flank, and then the oonquerlng
enemy reeled before the change of
the advancing regiments.
A moment of lighting hand to band,
bayonet to bayonet and then the
fresh troops dropped behind tbs stone
wall and >o\lred a foiling lira Ifito
the retrdStlag foe. The day was m
the army vwas saved, and lit #as the
Mollleooddles' who: had dene H.
In the camp of the MollleooMtes
that evening men pat - weary and in
jected about tpe Area. » Tbelr aramae
seemed much the same as on tfot
other evening. There wePe glpaJn
every group, and jpen'a voices .VWe
low and, awestricken; A
They discussed their casualties wtth
an appearance of wondermept "Tusk
er's fone, eh?" "BlUy ! iken*gbt lt In
the »head." "They've ttak*eff Mor
ton'eî.lçg," and so forth. •* -*v
"How's the Old Man to-ntffht?"
asked one. "Heal-d anything?''
"They say he's doin' well. If ha
pulls through,' 1 L reckon they'll make
him a brigadier." -
"Too bad they got him. Ho hadn't
ought to have stood up."
"Well, anyway, we held 'em."
That was the finale always. No
matter what had come to pass, no
matter who had died, or who wau
wounded, or who wes missing: "Well,
we held 'em." ■ <
A battery came past, the trace
chains* milling, the wheels clanking
in the ruts.
"What regiment Is that?" called an
officer.
"Tho Molliecoddles,'' came the de
fiant answer.
"Oh!" seid the officer, and the bat
tery moved on,
But every gunner's eyes turned su!
denly toward the camp-fires, and the
McUkcodtües rctu.net! the gaze with
erect heads. It v/e.s cs though they
asked: "If it wasn't ter us, where
would you be?"
And from the faces cf the gunners
one undafîteed that they had no ade
quate answer.
ifnpyrtrlt "'.V r........ '•....... /•