Newspapers / The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, … / Aug. 5, 1943, edition 1 / Page 7
Part of The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
See Here, Private Hargrove! t>y Morion Hargrove uTvi^i THE STOBY SO FABt Private Maxim . ?wirow, Iormtr feature editor mi a Nwtfc Carolina newspaper, kaa Seen la* <mM late the army and feu ipeat eome time In traiaiag at Fort Bragg, fee hie story he feu given prospective totfactcei considerable advice. Immedi ately before tadacttoo fee adrecates a period of "painting the town red." Once to, Che new soldier should "heap an open mind" about what he leans because "the' flrst three weeks are hardest." Private Hargrove feu been mlsslag the point of some of his essential training and u a result ho hsi had considerable BP duty, heme ol Ms friends have been advanced to Corporal and Ms Sergeant has asked why be was not promoted. CHAPTER V "Me?" The -idea had never oc curred to me. "I'm Just not the ex ecutive type, I suppose. Back at the News, the boss told me that if I stayed there sixty years, I'd never Set promoted. I'm just not the type that gets promoted." "Let's look at the record," said the sergeant. He pulled his little black notebook from his pocket. "On the drill Held Saturday morn Ins, you pulled forty-eisht boners out of fifty marching commands. Everything you did was backwards. "Friday morning you fell out for reveille without your leggins. Satur day you had your leggina but no field hat. Monday morning neither eg your shoes was tied and none of your shirt buttons were buttoned. Tuesday morning it was without leg gins again." Tm never really awake," I pro tested, "until ten o'clock." "You ain't awake then," he scoffed. "Every Monday morning without fail I have to wake you up at least a dozen times. I have to look behind all the posts around here to see which one you're sleeping against. You snore and disturb your classes, tool" He was exaggerating there, I told him, I don't snore. And I'm sleepy only on Monday morning. The rest of the time I'm alert and energetic. "You're too energetic some times!" he roared. "Just this morn ing, when the lieutenant was coach ing the platoon in ride sighting and you were on fatigue duty as usual! That was a pretty one! You ran up and down the battery street twenty two times in thirty minutes and you saluted the lieutenant every time you passed him! Do you think he ain't got a thing to do but return your salutes all morning?" This was evidently a rhetorical question, so I didn't answer it. "You don't salute an officer every time you see him when you're right there at his side practically all day. You salute him the first time you see him and the last time you're going to see him. "And then when the lieutenant explains that to you," he sighed, "then what do you do! The next time you see him, you salute him again and then ask him was you supposed, to salute him that time!" He put his head in his hands and drummed sadly on the toe of his foot locker. He raised his head aft er a time and looked into the note door again. I knew what was coming next and I edged toward the door. "And then you low-rated the mess sergeant's recipe for creamed beef on toast and told him his chow was the worst in the Army. And you said you was going to start eating in the next battery. That hurt his feelings so bad that he burned the potatoes for the next three meals 1" I promised to apologize to the mess sergeant. The sergeant read out of his notebook for five or six minutes more, enumerating the things I had consistently done wrong. "Now, do you know," he asked wearily, "why you don't get the red stripes when they givtf them out?" "I suppose I'm just not the execu tive type," I told him. A mess sergeant, according to mil itary legend, is a cook whose brains have been baked out. This does not apply to the mess sergeant in our battery, whose feelings are easily hurt by cruel remarks and who weeps tears into the mashed pota toes when he's picked on. This is simply the old Army definition of a mess sergeant AO of us rising student cooks are eligible to become mess sergeants, Staff Sergeant Adams told us in our first cooking class yesterday saorning. Then w* can sit out in the cool dining rooms and yell back orders for the cooks to yell at the student cooks to yell at the kay pees. This Is not the beautiful goldbrick ing life that it seems, though. The mess sergeant has tq make requisi tions and keep records an all the rations, he has to make out the menus, see that the food is pre pared properly and supervise the work of the cooks, the student cooks, and the kaypees. Besides this, he must listen to all the gripes about his food and to the threadbare jokes about cooks who get drunk from lemon and vanilla extract. All this he must do, with his brains baked out. The cook, lucky little rascal that he is, also leads an ideal life.' He is allowed to believe that he knows more about cooking then the mess sergeant will ever know, although he is not supposed to tell the mess sergeant that he does. He works one day and sleeps the next two. If the cook is not feeling cheerful, he can pick on at least one student cook and at least five kaypees. On the battlefield, he is in the safest position behind the lines, since the food is endowed with more senti mental value than the top sergeant. The jokes about Army cooks being shot .at from both sides are not based upon fact. However, friend cook has to greet the morn before the morn gets there. On the days when he works, he has to get up between 3:00 and 9:30 o'clock in order to prepare a sub stantial breakfast for about two hun dred healthy, growing, boys whose appetites are exceeded only by the size of their mouths and the power of their, lungs. Vne^nivl nm nnSAaV,rtrtl a fcow-i uaj wc Dtaivcu w ouuwi, with cookbooks and manuals and Ipose-leaf notebooks for our home work. The only way in which it differed from public schools was that the naughty boys didn't have to go and sit with the girls. Also, the dunce seat, instead of being In the corner of the classroom, was said to be behind a large sack of potatoes in the battery kitchen. The only hope for an easy time in class was gone in this school. Hiere's no percentage in bringing a shiny red apple to a teacher who has the key to at least one well stocked pantry. -tw in the kitchen, they tell us, all the cleaning-up work is to be done by the kaypees, so that the cook may be doing more important things. This, unfortunately, doesn't apply to the daily task of cleaning the stoves thoroughly. The stoves, it says here in the books, are the cook's tools and he must do his own grinding. It isn't worth the time to wait for the stoves to get comfortably cool before you begin the twilight beauti fication of these overgrown infernos. In order to avoid the rush at the theater, and to let the kaypees off early, start work now. The stoves must be cleaned in side and out?thoroughly. First, shake down the fire. All the live coals must go into the ashpan un der the grate. That much is sim ple. Then remove the ashpan, red coals and all. It must be dumped into the ash can out on the garbage rack. This entire procedure should be simple, too, it says here. All you have to do is catch the front handle with a heavy glove and catch the little hook in the rear with the far end of your cap lifter. Here we ??i .. . . . carry me asnpan wen in ironi 01 you. Ain't it hot! When you get to the door, simply open it with the toe of your shoe. Like this. Like? Doesn't seem to work. Try again. Try pushing the right screen so that the left one will swing slightly to ward you. Ready 7 Slightly push the right screen. Something seems to be wrong here. During this time, you will become increasingly aware that the glove over the ashpan handle is becoming hotter and hotter. Just as you get your toe into the door, the heat penetrates the glove and you de cide?very suddenly?that perhaps it's best to drop the whole matter. Drop it slowly, carefully, tenderly? if you can. Do not drop it upon the wooden floor. Look around, if you think you have time, and locate an overturned boiler on which to set it Whew, that hand's hot! No boil er? Then drop it anyway! You will find that dropping the ashpan, even though you did it gen tly, has released a small amount of floating ash, all of which will be absorbed into your mouth and nose. Patience, brother. See that the ash pan isn't lying where it will burn anything, such as a perfectly good wooden floor. Pour cold water on the glove, wait for the resulting steam to blow away, prop open the door as you should have done in the first place, and try, try again. This time you will almost reach the garbage rack before the glove again gets hot. Slide, Kelly, slide I You won't get there without drop ping the whole pan into the clean road, but at least you tried. Beat the pan against the ash can several times for sound effect. Re turn to the kitchen, where the mess sergeant, who was watching you through the window all the time, will direct you to return and clean By the time you have finished and look about you, the kaypees have finished their work and are sitting around gaping at you as it you were a steam shovel. A very, very black steam shovel. Isn't gas a wonderful fuelT Private Sher and I were sitting out an the back steps to dodge the cleaning work going on inside when we saw the sergeant bearing down on us from the other end of the bat tery street. "It's no use scooting inside, Har grove," said Sher. "He's already seen us. Look tired, as if you'd | already done your part of the work." Private Sher la the goldbricking champion of Battery A and always knows what to do in such an emer gency. We both draped expressions of fa tigue over our faces and the sergeant skidded to a halt before us. He reached into his hip pocket for the little black book and aimed a fin ger at both of us. "Bums!" he shouted. "Bumsl I worked my fingers to the bone yes terday morning getting this platoon to pretty up the barracks for inspec tion. Comes inspection and two pri vates have dirty shoes lying sprawled all over the floor under their bunks! Private Hargrove and MISTER Private Sher! Report to Corporal Farmer in fatigue clothes." We reported to Corporal Farmer, who looked at his list of jobs. "As much as you don't deserve it," he said, "you two goldbricks are in line for canteen police." Mr. Private Sher and I walked up the battery street toward the can teen. IS this canteen police business good or bad?" I asked. "Oh, so-so," he said. "You have to clean up the papers and cigarette butts around the post exchange first thing in the morning. Then you come around and check up three or four times during the day." I stopped, aghast. "What do you do between times?" "Just be inconspicious," said Sher. "That's all there is to it. Please pick up that candy wrapper over there. My back aches." . We cleaned up the grounds around the post exchange and sat for a while in the shade, watching a bat tery going through calisthenics. With beautiful precision, the sol diers swung their rifles up, down, to the right, to the left. TTiey went through the quarter, half, and full knee bends and the shoulder exer cises and the rest of the routine. "Those boys seem to be improv ing, Mr. Sher," I said. "Result of hard work," said Maury. "Personally, I get awfully tired watching this. We'll wear our selves out. Let's go over to my kitchen and handshake for a bottle of milk." "No," I protested. "We must go to my kitchen." "To avoid a tiring argument," sug gested Private Sher, "we will go to both our kitchens. We can't be thrown out of both of them." After successful forays on both kitchens, Private Sher began to yawn with boredom. "My dear Har grove," he said, "we must stimulate our minds. Let us adjourn to my place for a game of checkers." Private Sher't "place" was only one flight of stairs removed from my squadroom, so we adjourned. After two games of checkers, Pri vate Sher waved his arms. "This is folderol," he said. "You are no checker player, Hargrove. You have no idea of tactics. Let us sit by the window and watch our comrades drill. There is something stirring in the sight of fine young men per fectly executing a marching order." While we were sitting there being stirred, another corporal disturbed us. He wanted us to go with him to haul coal. "Much as we would like to help you haul coal, my good man," said Maury, "we are now actively en gaged in the work of policing up the post exchange. Feel free to call upon us at any other time." The corporal placed his hands on his hips and stared at us. "You're being punished," he asked, "with canteen duty?" "There's no need to be vulgar," said Sher. "If you win excuse us, it is time for us to go again to look for cigarette butts around the post exchange. Coming Mr. Hargrove?" "Coming, Mr. Sher. And a good day to you, corporal!" <*> ? mm* jaw "A mess sergeant, according to military legend, is a cook whose brains have been baked out." "He'i already seen as. Look tired as If you'd already done your part of the work." Cunningly Styled Cottons Tune to Many-Purpose Wear By CHERIE NICHOLAS CUCH a breathtaking rush as is ^ going on for smart, gay and ver satile cottons these days! Whether you work or whether you play, de signers have taken it upon them selves to turn you out in cunningly devised, intriguingly styled cottons that enter into the spirit of every environment and every occupation, no matter what, this summer. It's lots of fun these style creators of ours are having, making up cham brays and ginghams, seersuckers and sprigged dimities and glazed chintz and a host of other equally interesting cotton weaves that will tune picturesquely and faithfully to where you are and what you are doing. No matter whether you are work ing in a factory, manipulating a typewriter, driving a truck, enter taining in a USO center, watering and weeding a Victory garden, giv ing a barbecue party in your own backyard or moving with rhythmic grace up the church aisle to the strains of a wedding march, it's cot tons you'll be wearing if you are properly style-minded. Now that most of us are destined to be stay-at-homes during the days to come because of traveling diffi culties, it is with utmost enthusiasm that designers are letting imagina tion have full play in creating clothes that, while practical and functional, are of the "be pretty" type that make women look their most attractive selves. Which calls to mind the importance of that charming little newcomer in the field of at-home fashions ? the brunch coat. In the brunch coat, cottons bright with color, show off for all they are worth; the more color, the merrier. The girl cen tered in the picture is wearing a most attractive brunch coat, just such as should be included in every summertime wardrobe. It is of rose strewn cotton oxford cloth and Is vividly colorful. In the costume shown to the left the colorful chambray skirt regis ters a most exciting new idea in the use of quaint ribbon-run beading to edge the capacious pockets and the free-and-easy hemline. With its de mure and flattering white peasant blouse it is appropriate for a bar becue party, a walk or just summer ing on the home-front lawn. And she can sit on the grass if she wants to because bug and grass stains will "come out in the wash" of a cham bray skirt. After a decade, bareback dresses have again come into their own. The fashion is being greeted from coast to coast as very important because it is practical, being adaptable to so many occasions and places for the new-type bareback dresses all have matching jackets or boleros. There is just everything in the way of prac ticality to recommend the several piece costume shown in the fore ground of the illustration. Depend upon it, this skirt and halter with its matching gingham bolero will solve your dress problem for more occasions than one. From the front it looks like a suit, with three but tons making the halter look like a shirtwaist when the bolero is slipped on. There are side slits in the skirt which lead to roomy pockets. It has brief panties of jersey sewn right in the skirt and the ensemble might rightfully be called a one-minute wardrobe. Released by Western Newspaper Union. Modish Black Fashion decrees dark beauty for a sultry summer. You'll look cool and feel cooler in this linen-textured spun rayon garnished with crisp eye let of pique. It's a smart choice for your conservation - conscious wardrobe, because it is made of stabilized fabric. Among the per formance qualities for which this fabric has been approved are seam strength, non-shrinkage and stretch age and a high degree of color fast ness to hand-washing and perspira tion. The eyelet embroidery touch is a widely featured trend, and you'll love it on your black or navy spun rayon. A wide-brim bl^ck or match ing navy hat makfs tor ultra high Wartime Hats Have * Changeable Trims For hat-conscious girls and war brides who are making trips to camp, the big packing problem is hats. The story of crowded trains and lack of porters is well known this summer. Sally Victor, known in every style center the country over, has evolved the idea of one basic shape that becomes you most, supplemented with half-a-dozen or more trimming changes that require no special knack In adjusting. With this comes a double-ruffle brim of straw lace mesh which slips right over the crown of a straw or felt shape. Take it off in a jiffy, and in your ensemble you'll welcome a sequin beaded band that fits about the crown and so on. The group trims include a feather sweep that can be clipped on, and other items that tune to time and occasion. Fringe Trimming Shown In Advance Displays The newer incoming fashions bring the news of fringe trimming. Ad vance displays highlight afternoon and evening black crepes handsome ly trimmed In fringe of varied de scription. The most exciting news, however, is that fringe is turning up in the sportswear realm. Loop-yam fringe leads with fringe formed of self-fabric cord being a close second. Suede slashed into fringe trims the new leather jackets, hats and ac cessories. Upholstery fringe is used on smart cotton frocks. Also entire little hats are made of either straw or wool fringe sewed row on row. Motifs From Mexico Accessories reflect a decided Mex ican influence In color and motif. These Mexican inspired items in clude gay Mexican straw hats, Mex ican plaid Straw bags, and the Mex ican peasant blouse in whit* cotton, tv v ; wear ' ??: ?* IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL Sunday i chool Lesson . By HAROLD U LUNDQUIST, D. D. Of The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. (Roloaaod by Western Newspaper Union!) Lesson for August S , Leeaoo subjects and Scripture texts se lected and copyrighted by International Council of Religious Education; used bp permission. GOD 8BOW8 HIS PEOPLE THE WAT LESSON TEXT?Exodui 11:11-8: 15-11 22a. GOLDEN TEXT?Th? Lord la my itnoitli and ions, and ba la bccoma my Mlvatkm.? Exodui 15:2. The destinies of the nations are in the hands of God. Warriors are mighty in battle, counselors are quick to declare their wisdom, and diplomats are clever in the manipu lation of wealth and people. But when tbey have all exercised to the limit their ingenuity and power they have only succeeded in bringing us "blood, sweat and tears" as the por tion of all mankind. Israel was about to be delivered from the bondage of Egypt, and God through His leader Moses was ready to be their guide. Even so He guides every believer in Christ. We may learn three things from this lesson. I. God Has a Plan (Exod. 13: 17-19). There was a direct, easy road along the coast of the Mediterranean up to Canaan, but God with His pil lar of cloud and fire did not lead out in that way. How strange that He should take them by a longer, more difficult way! Not at all. He knew the dan ger of the easy way. It was there that the warlike Philistines would be lying in ambush. Such immediate conflict would discourage Israel and tempt them to return to the fleshpots of Egypt. So He took them the other way. note mat uoo s guidance lor mem I was one of intelligent planning, not i just impulse or chance. He knew what to do, and He did it, for their good. God has a plan, not only for the nations, but also for individuals, for your life and mine. Let us find His will for us, for it is good, acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:1. 2). Note the honoring of the faith of Joseph in God's promise (v. 19). The memory of his assurance was a blessing to his descendants, and they honored it and him. What will our descendants have to say about our faith in God? II. God Provides Guidance (Exod. 13:20-22). God's plan is made known to His people as they follow Him step by step. This means that there must be guidance, moment by moment, if His plan is to be worked out. He gives such guidance and it is only when His children fail to follow it that the pattern of life becomes con fused. The field of divine guidance is one in which Christians have widely di vergent experiences. Some know the sweet, unconfused daily experience of God's hand upon them, caring for even the minor details (or are they minor?) of life. Others have known the directive power erf God in some life crisis, but not in the ordinary affairs of life. Many, and perhaps most, think of divine guidance as a spiritual theory of which the preach er talks, but know nothing of it j in their own lives. What makes this great difference? Faith?or the lack of it Those who trust God accept and receive His blessed leadership moment by mo I ment. It is as Simple as that. Oth ers reach out and take it when the pressure of life makes them cast themselves on God. Others simply muddle along "doing their best," which is not their best, for God is not in it. The pillar of cloud, which be came luminous at night, was ideal for the guidance of Israel. It pro vided shade by day from the hot sun, and a sure guide in the dark ness of the night. m. God Gives Joyous Victory <Exod. 13:17-22a). Israel soon came against the in surmountable barrier (humanly speaking) of the Red sea. Then Pharaoh, regretting that he had re leased them, came up after them? an Impossible situation, and the people began to berate Moses. This | time he stood fast tn his faith and said: "Stand still and see the salva tion of Jehovah"?and it came! Then followed the song of victori ous joy, which Moses wrote and the people sang. Deliverance brings joy, and forget it not, God is able I to deliver those who put their trust | in Him. The application to our spiritual lives Is a blessed one. Setting out on God's way does not mean that one will not have trials. They come, and quickly. We do not get farther than our Red sea when the world sees an opportunity to draw us back and comes charging at us from the rear, like Pharaoh. What to doT Trust God, and He will drown the Pharaoh who pursues you in the very Red sea which is now your difficulty. He will bring you through dryshod if you count on Him. Fearful, fretting, fussing Chris tian, why not "stand still" and let God work out your salvation. You cannot bear the burdens of all the world. He can, and will set you free go that you too may go forward for Him. ? i ' Likely Hercules Knew - Nothing About Cave Man ~The"~apronei figure at the sink gazed sadly at the accumulation of plates and dishea, pots and pans. .'Was this all that marriage meant? A hfavy sigh, a rolling up at sleews,'and tha.kitchen wis soon filled With the'clatter of Washing and scouring. The toiler paused from time to time to listen to the steady \hrash.i9f a typewriter in. the next room. Suddenly the noise ceased, and a large, spectacled woman, lofty of brow, appeared in the doorway. "Hercules, darling," she said, addressing the little man, "I never can remember?do you spell 'cave man' with or without a hyphen?" CLASSIFIED D E P A R T M E,M T RAZOR BLADES KENT BLADES ?*?=3^ i V i ; HEI<P WANTED WANTED Elderly white vtxoco to do meld week , in mountain resort hotel. Salary |MM : per month, plus room and board: also _ elderly white men to do house-work. * ss; si ? passenger r levator* Salary f10 to per -? month, plus room and board: also white waiters and waitresses Salary <30 00 per - month, plus room and board. ; wirt or vmte? LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN HOTS - Prolific Onion It is remarkable how far onion seeds will grow. With one poworf of seeds yoo may obtain four tons of onions. -. ? , Wfi ".?. ??: ..?:?- .. ? ? tvi: 7 *^?l restnol ?? * Few Chinese Piiwta - Divorce is almost unknowiv among the Qhine^e living in the United States. ? - * '.-a, consttpation SLOW YOU UP ? When honolo an mod ymm feci tmtabie. hOoilnhj, do a ?H ? do -daw FEBN-A-ICJiT, the note c he wine-f urn laxetirt. Simply chow FEEN-A-lCtNT Worn jm p ts M, Ukm| only in occor dance with packap toW^Not'thoran^ roticf. bolptsf yon fool awofl ipo. Try FEEN-A-MINT Tom pod. a hondy feen-a-slhfis Pigeon's Flying Mnscles The flying muscles of a pigeon represent half its weight. rshayewhh shelbyj j^sr as^s>^.x ^p^4^10c f.hidh?fcnUshT. Feinsle Wellness m makes m cun, khmbi L jtUa B. Plakfcurt T?c*tobto Cam *chm with wmt, oM-roo*. cranky. ranotMy dMortaaoa. Tkk It *? tO tt* tOOthlQC effKt OtOMtf Tfekn rocuUrty?Ptaktemt Com pound help* build up raMun Follow label dtaocttono. Wart* try**/ WNU?4 31^-43 For Yoo To Fool Wofl . * M tMH ?wy to. tjtap* ?ttor ?Nk, Mm Koppfer. tto kidocy* titer 3 matterfr5*tto Mood. II Mr* poopl* w*ro ?v*j* <rf tow tto kldom Mtt cn?t?*tlj iiooti mar fkm hM, us*** *cidi u4 other vast* ?H* that mil etay la tto Mood whtwrt hjvy to Mu, tkan vim to bettor **<*tt**di*c <* v** tto whole ayatom to ?PK wton ttdary* Ml to faactioa properly. Bmiat eoaaty or too tiiml arteo h IT*M. Too ?*y oifforaac^^to^ entry ot*. Pna'* stlMftate tto f*ai tioa ?f tto ktoo* m4 tolp ttom to tot nt p*i**a?M v**|* from tto MooC Ttoy **i taia *otMa? toraML Got Dn.'. today. P?oto *ll i itakutov 11 /?nfil" *1
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 5, 1943, edition 1
7
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75