DECORATIONS PRESENTED TO A BESIEGED CITY IN RECOGNITION OF ITS HEROIC DEFENSE Verdun, which has successfully resisted its German besiegers for many months, has been presented by sident Poincaré, of France, with the above medals from the Allied Powers. At the top is the cross of orge, from Russia. Left to right, Military Cross, from England; Legion of Honor, from France; ross, from France; Military Bravery, from Italy; Military Bravery, from Servia; Leopold Cross, from Belgium; Gold Medal, from Montenegro A STATUE OF GENERAL PHILIP H. SHERIDAN, BY J. Q. A. WARD This statue of the famous Civil War soldier was unveiled in Albany, New York, October 7. The work is of bronze, and is of heroic size. It represents General Sheridan on a splendid charger, thus carrying out his injunction to his friend the sculptor, " Be sure and give me a horse." Mr. Ward, the creator of this statue, was one of the most eminent of American sculptors. His "Indian Hunter" was the first statue erected in Central Park, New York. Other statues by him are those of George Washington on the steps of the Treasury Building, New York, of General Thomas in Washington, of Israel Putnam in Hartford, Connecticut, and the Beecher Monument in Brooklyn. Mr. Ward died in 1910 A SOLDIER'S FREEHAND DRAWING ON A NOVEL SKETCHING-BOARD A NATIONAL GUARDSMAN'S SNAP-SHOTS OF ARMY LIFE ON THE MEXICAN BORDER TURNING A LANDSMAN INTO A SEA T FIGHTER BY HERBERT FRANCIS SHERWOOD WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR HE prospectus of the civilian volun teer cruise on the battle-ships of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet promised things that seemed to a landsman impossible of performance. It appealed to the imagination, however. There was to be a month at sea. The civilians were to assist in running the ships, share in the war maneuvers, and engage in target practice. It looked like a dream that was little likely to be anything else, but which, at the same time; promised to be a delightful dream. while it lasted. One hardly ventured to picture himself actually steering a battle-ship through the jumping seas in the wake of a similar piece of marine property costing several millions of dollars and only four hundred yards distant. As for becoming sufficiently added that there were no benches either. The muscles employed when standing received a great deal of exercise in the course of the cruise. The navy does not encourage the study of literature. Reading is not encouraged. The men who live on the ships of the navy are magnificent specimens of the genus homo, physically speaking, and the decks are white and polished. Part of the whitening and polishing is due to the shifting of recumbent forms seeking a more comfortable position, or a new shadow as a place of shelter. The value of a shadow was early appraised by the lawyers, stock brokers, musicians, teachers, journalists, physicians, students, mechanics, and others accustomed to indoor occupations who had taken advantage of the opportunity experienced in loading, A VOLUNTEER ON THE BRIDGE MEASURING for a taste of life upon aiming, and firing a THE DISTANCE OF THE PRECEDING BATTLE- the rolling deep. The modern breech-loading SHIP IN THE COLUMN rifle of large caliber in a month's time to hit a distant target, that was too improbable to be thought practicable. Yet many civilians did these things in the course of the cruise, which terminated on Saturday, September 9. A What one pictures and what one actually experiences usually are different. That was true of the cruise in many respects. great deal not included in the list of those things which one was expected to learn became parts of the fund of knowledge garnered in the course of the four weeks. At least that was the experience of the writer, who was one of the one hundred and eightyfour volunteers from New York and vicinity who were assigned to the U. S. S. Kentucky. For instance, we learned within a few hours after going aboard, August 15, that, as one of the volunteers put it, there were no shade trees in that park. He might have low-necked costume prescribed gave Old Sol every opportunity to demonstrate the effect of tropical light on the white man. Those who did not lose portions of their cuticle, and, for that matter, those who did, discovered what seemed to be the origin and reason for races with colored skins. It will be recalled easily by the members of the merry crew of the Kentucky that there was only one cloudy day in the course of the whole month. Those interested in social and political economy had an opportunity to observe how a superimposed Socialism works. A battleship comes as near to being a moneyless civilized community as any which could be found. It is a good argument for government ownership and operation. He was a careless person who carried any money in his pockets; each had an equipment like that of every other. It was ample. Three times a day meals were placed upon the tables with |