Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1917 — THEY’RE IN INDIANAPOLIS, TOO [ARTICLE]

THEY’RE IN INDIANAPOLIS, TOO

It Would Mean the Collapse of the Empire If They Made a Change. The country yawp leaned against the walls of the Claypool lobby, Indianapolis, and watched the hurrying crowd of editors and war-work-ers as they surged back and forth. At his right and a little in front of him sat two gentlemen in earnest conversation, one of them emphasizing his remarks with loud voice and flourishing of fists; at his left, against one of the col-

umns, leaned a tall, gray-moustached man with twinkling eyes and high forehead. He was listening to the “loud’’ man's expression of patriotism, as that individual roared: "We've got to crush the Germans if we leave the bones otf a million men to bleach upon the fields of Europe; it must be done.” Then the tall old man leaned across the intervening space and tapping the noisy patriot upon the knee, said: "Good; I like that sentiment and your sort of patriotism. Of course you have given a son or two to the bleaching fields you refer to, and can therefore talk from the heart.” The other reddened, swallowed, and then hesitatingly said: "Well, no; you see I am too young for that, only about thirty years of age.” •

The old man looked at him keenly for a moment and said: “You are a fine, healthy young fellow; then why the hell don’t you go over there, taking a chance of bleaching yourself? 1 have two boys over there, and I want ’em to practice what they preach—fight.” By this time the wind was pretty well out of the loud talker. His blood pressure appeared to be pretty high, but where the brain force is low there is. little danger in that. “Indeed, sir, I would have been there long ago, but I am engaged in a very important industry and my place could not be filled.” The. old man gazed at him reflectively while he stroked his moustache. “I see,’’ he said, “and of

course owe you an apology; you are one oft hose menw hose retirement from the place off your immediate surroundings would endanger the workings of the machinery of this hemisphere; you must stay at home. The great circle you fill can never be supplied, and if you were forced into the ■ ranks America would collapse. I’ve seen ’em before, but your remarks, so laden with fiery patriotism and bleaching bone heroism, led me to belie*ve that you had either been shot through the diaphram over oh the western front or were carrying at least one cork leg, maybe two.” And he sauntered down the lobby while the country yawp followed to shake hands with him at the turn. —Fowler Tribune.