Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 162, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1913 — Government Wagon Master Drives Mules 51 Years [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Government Wagon Master Drives Mules 51 Years

Galveston, tex. with the Fifth Brigade, now encamped at Fort Crockett, Is an old man—a quaint German man —who is seventy years of age. Of this three score years and ten he has placed, fifty-one years in the service of the United States army, driving teams of mules. From 1862 to 1913 is no abort time for a man to be laboring at one thing, yet that is what August Blume, assistant wagon-master of the Seventh Infantry, has been doing practically all his life. He is one of the few men in the army today who served In some capacity in the service during the Civil war. Daring the fifty-one years in which he had been in the employ of Uncle Sam he has seen some bad times. Ous, tor that is what is known hr In the corral camp at Fort came to this country from Germany, where he was born In 18{S, a few years prior to the Civil wdr In 1861,

obeying the call from the government for men in all ranks of the line, he joined the army as a teamster. Since that day—June 16, 1862—he has been continuously in the service of the United States government. He haa been placed in dangerous positions In two wars not considering the numerous Indian skirmishes and battles in which he played an important part Mr. Blume intends to get leave from the camp at Fort Crockett and rest for a full day.