Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / April 26, 1918, edition 1 / Page 2
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(f ff' A',' ' : wc - ft vS I gin i;-' MACHINE EMPEY TAKES-HIS FIRST TURN ON THE FIRING STEPOF; THE TRENCH WHILE BULLETS WHIZ OVERHEAD. -: l!-,-(f1-Synppsta.Firod by the sinking of the.Lusitania with the loss of , ! f American lives, Arthur Guy Empey, an American, living in1 Jersey; City) goes to England and enlists as a private In the British army. After a 6hort experience as a recruiting officer in London, he Is sent to train ing quarters in France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and makes the acquaintance ' of "cooties." ' After a brief period of training "Empey's' company is sent into the front-line trenches." Ms- chapter v. Mud, Rats and Shells. I must have slept for two or three hours, not the refreshing kind that re sults from, clean sheets and soft pil lows, but the sleep that comes from cold, wet and sheer exhaustion. Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake and a thunderclap burst In my ears. I opened my eyes I was splashed all over , with sticky mud, and men were picking themselves up from the bottom of the trench. The parapet on my left had toppled into the trench, completely blocking it with a wall of tossed-up earth. The man on my left lay still. I rubbed the mud from my face, and an awful, sight met . my gaze his head was smashed to a pulp, and his steel helmet was full of brains and blood. A German "Minnie"! (trench mortar) had exploded In the next traverse. Men were digging Into the soft mass of mud In a frenzy of haste." Stretcher-bearers' came up the trench on the double. After a few minutes of digging, three still, muddy forms on stretchers were carried down the communication trench to the rear. Soon they would be resting "somewhere in France," with a little wooden cross over their heads. They had done their bit for king and country, had died without firing a shot, but their services ' were appreciated, nevertheless. Later on, I found out their names. They belonged to our draft. I was dazed and motionless. Sud denly a shovel was pushed Into my hands; and -a rough but kindly voice said: - "Here, my lad, lend a hand clearing the trench, but keep your head down, and look out for snipers. One of the Fritz's is a daisy, and he'll get you If you're not careful." Lying on my. belly on the bottom of the trench, I filled sandbags with the sticky mud, they were dragged to my rear by the other men, and the work of rebuilding the parapet was on. The harder I worked, the better I felt. Al though the weather was cold, I was soaked with sweat. Occasionally a bullet would crack overhead, and a machine gun would kick up the mud on the bashed-In para pet. At each crack I would duck and 6hield my face with my arm. "One of the older men noticed this action of mine, and whispered : '"Don't duck at the crack of a bul let, Yank ; the danger has passed you never hear the one that wings you. Always remember that if you are going to get it, you'll get it, so never worry." This made a great Impression on me at the time, and from then on, I adopt ed his motto, "If you're going to get it, you'll get It." It helped me wonderfully. I used It so often afterwards that some of my mates dubbed me, "If you're going to get it, you'll get It." After an hour's hard work, all my nervousness left me, and I was laugh ing and joking with the rest. At one o'clock, dinner came up In the form of a dixie of hot stew. I' looked for my canteen. It had faflen off the fire 6tep, and was half- burled'In the mud. The man on my left noticel this, and told the corporal, dishing - out the rations, to put my share In hi mess tin. Then he whis pered to me, "Always take care of your mess tin, mute." I had learned another maxim of the trenches. . That stew tasted fine. I was as hungry as a bear. We had "seconds," or' another. helping, because three of themen had "gone West," killed by the explosion cf the German trench mortar, and we ate their share, but still I was hungry, so I filled in with bully beef and biscuits. Then I drained my water bottle. Later on I learned another maxim of the front line, "Go eparingly wjth your water." The bully beef made me thirsty, and by tea time I was dying for a drink, but my pride would not allow me to ask my rnaAes for water. ' I was fast learning the ethics of the trenches. That night I was put on guard with an older man. We stood on the fire etep with our hands over the top, peer Ine fwt iDto No Man's Land. It was 'nrlr fnr mp hnr the nthpr fpl. f - to take it as part of the -'cr shot past my face. beating, and I ducked s,f VPrnet. A soft uYft: Hull MAMOKMSOlWIlt WflOJIVDiT GUNfim,OTNGfIj fMm (S 1917 BY i ARTHUR inr EHPCY chuckle from my mate brought me to my senses, and I feebly asked, "For heaven's sake, what was that?" He answered. "Only a rat taking a promenade along the sandbags." I felt very sheepish. About every twenty minutes the sen try in the next traverse would fire a star shell from his flare pistol. The "plop" would give me a start of fright.' I never got used to this noise during my service in the trenches. I would watch the arc described by the star shell, and then stare into No Man's Land waiting for It to burst. In Its lurid light the barbed wire and stakes would be silhouetted against its light like a latticed window. , Then darkness. Once, out In front of our wire, I heard a noise and saw dark forms moving. My rifle was lying across the sandbagged parapet. I reached for it, and was taking aim to fire, when my mate grasped my arm, and whispered, "Don't fire.". He challenged in a low voice. The reply came back instantly from the dark forms: " "Shut your bllnkin' mouth, yon bloomln' idiot ; do you want us to click It from the Boches?" Later we learned that the word, "No challenging or firing, wiring party out in front," had been given to the sentry on our right, but he had failed to pass It down the trench. An officer had over heard our challenge and the reply, and immediately put the offending sentry under arrest. The sentry clicked twenty-one days on the wheel, that is, he received twenty-one days' field pun ishment No. 1, or "crucifixion,'' as Tommy terms it. " This consists of being spread-eagled on the wheel of a limber two hours a day for twenty-one days, regardless of the weather. During this period, your rations consist of bully beef, biscuits and water. A few months later I met this sentry and he confided to me that since being "crucified," he had never failed to pass the word down the trench when so or dered. In view of the offense, the above punishment was very light, In that failing to pass the word down a trench may mean the loss of many lives, and the spoiling of some impor tant enterprise in No Man's Land. CHAPTER VI. "Back of the Line." . . Our tour in the 'front-line trench lasted four days, and then we were relieved by the brigade. ,: Going down the communication treneh we were in a merry mood, al though we were cold and wet, and every bone in our bodies ached. It makes a lot of difference whether you are "going in" or "going out." At the end of the communication trench, limbers were waiting on the road for us. I thought we were going to ride back to rest billets, but soon found out that the only time an in fantryman rides Is when he is wounded and Is bound for the base or Blighty. These limbers carried our reserve ammunition and rations. Our march to rest billets was thoroughly enjoyed by me. It seemed as if I were on furlough, and was leaving be hind everything that was disagreer abl and horrible. Every recruit feels this way after being relieved from the trenches. We marched eight kilos and then halted in front of a French estaminet. The captain gave the order to turn out on each side of the road and'wait his return. Pretty soon he came back and told B company to occupy billets 117, 118 and 119. Billet 117 was an old stable which had previously been occupied by cows. About four feet in front of the entrance was a huge ma nure pile, and the odor from It was anything but pleasant. Using my flashlight I stumbled through the door. Just before entering I observed a white sign reading: "Sitting 50, lying 20," but, at the time, Its significance did not strike me. Next morning I asked the sergeant major what It meant. He nonchalantly answered: "That's some of the work of the R. A. M. C. (Royal Army Medical corps). It simply means that in case of an at tack, this billet will accommodate fifty wounded who are able to sit up and take notice, or twenty stretcher cases." Jtt was not long afti this thail-Vai -e of 01(5 "20 lyS'' N N M I soon hit the hay,and wa"3 ; f asv asleep, even my friends- the "toojies'Jj fafflidNto disturb me. v 1 ; I -:J The) next morning at about' six clock I was awakened by the lance corporal of our section, informing mo that I had been detailed as mess or derly, and to reitortiW;hejfcbQkr)and give him a hand. I helped him make the fire, carry water from an old well, and fry the bacon. iLids bfc 'dixies, Kvk( used to cook the bacon in. After breakfast was cbokeciri'carried aUfxle" of hot tea, an4, the lid full of.bac.qn to our section, and told "the corporal 'that reakfast was ready. He looked at me in contempt, jatid then shouted, "Break fast up, come and-get.Jtn I immedi ately got wise to the. trench parlance, and never again Informed that "Break fast was serv.ed." "':; '' It didn't talke long for-.the Tommies to answer this 'Call'V Half dressed; they lined up with their canteens and I dished out the t&a,. :VEuch Tommy carried in,, his hand a thick slice of; bread which had been Issued with" the rations the night before.- Thenilihud the pleasure of seeing them dig into the bacon with their dirty fingers, ;The allowance was one slice per man. The late ones received very small slices. As each Tommy got; his" share he im mediately disappeared into the billet. Pretty sdun about fifteen of oem made a rush" to the cookhouse, each carrying a huge slice of bread. , These slices they dipped into the bacon grease which was stewing over the fire. The last man invariably lost out I was the last man. ; After breakfast our section carried their equipment into a field adjoining the billet and got busy removing the trench mud therefrom, because at 8 :45 ft. m., they had to fall in for inspection , and parade, and woe betide the man who was unshaven, or had mud on his uniform. Cleanliness is next to- godli ness in the British army, and Old Pepi per must have been personally ac quainted with St. Peter. Our .drill .consisted: of .close-prder formation, which lasted until noon. During this time we'had two ten-minute breaks for rest, and. no sooner the word, "Fall out for ten minutes," was given than each Tommy got out a fag and lighted it Fags are Issued every Sunday morn ing, and you 1 generally get " between twenty and forty r The brand gen erally issued Is the "Woodbine." Some times we are lucky and get "Gold flakes," "Players" or "Red nussars." Occasionally an issue of "Life Rays" comes along. Then the older Tommies immediately get busy on the recruits and trade these for "Woodbines" '.of "Goldflakes." A recruit only has to be stuck once in this manner, and then he ceases to be a recruit. There is a Resting Back of the Lines.- reason. Tommy is a great cigarette smoker. He smokes under all condi tions, except when unconscious, or when he is reconnoitering In No Man's Land at night. Then, for obvious rea sons, he does not care to have'a light ed "cigarette in his mouth. ' Stretcher bearers carry fags for wounded Tommies. When a stretcher bearer arrives alongside of a Tommy who has been hit the following conver sation usually takes place: Stretcher bearer "Want a fag? Wheri; are yon hit?" Tommy looks up and answers, "Yes. In the leg." After dismissal from parade, we re turned to our billets and I had to get busy immediately -with the dinner is sue. Dinner consisted of stew made from fresh beef, a couple of spuds, bully beef, Maconochie rations and wa ter plenty of water. There is' great competition among -the; men to spear with their forks the two lonely pota toes. Back on the front line, after a stay in rest billets, Empey gets a shock when a German bullet cuts down his first friend of the trenches. He tells the story in the next installment. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Make Light of Heavy Loads. The streets of Jerusalem within the walls are as narrow and crowded that it is Impossible to drive a wagon through them, and many of them are built of a 6eries of steps upon the hill side, so that it is a task to lead camels or donkeys through them after sunrise Therefore most of the carrying and portering is done by men. They carry the most surprising loads. I am told that they will step along briskly with COO pouuds on their backs, with stout ropes holding the bundles to their for bends. Excharra Capital10 City ?,FuII of Uniforms Without Glitter l W''S?T'rtX319al!l!?' 5n a few contra' respects, must in these days IT renVin'f a' Civil "war "veteran of the time when the capital swarmed with thsolditH- o(? the " Union. -here -w'ere-errflinly'iTevermoregeTierBlS'-flnd admirals on the streets in 1SG1-C5 than 1a1 R R ICZ&L d f fm a i Jtfiore.ar Aorta,, writes: ENomail,'' In. -TO n ill Bton-' TmnscrVpf Uniforms 1 are ' Mi r si . , j'.i i vf 'i - -w. - j TllvxT f 1 1 1 f i : v ' . sort of custodianship at a club or a public institution.. Not(a sword at a man's sklo nota gun on a man's shoulder! Gold lace conspicuous by its absence--fron v soldiers, 'though to be sure, the admirals are still permitted jto wear if All the people bustling madly about like a lot of bank messenger or parcel jboys, intent unoa' noth ing' but business.1 Instead oj soldiers bivouacked on , vacant lots, as In the Civil' war,' Washington Is full of'1 great barracklike, '-tcmjorary building, mostly made of some kind of stucco, though some pre of wood," within which hundreds of women are writing in a whirling fashion on typewriters. Mixed up with these women are' men in these drab suits, either superintending or interfering .with their operations. This war,, so far , as the casual visitor at Washington can observe, is being fought by a woman with a ty.pewritei. All the space that was occupied during the Civil war by the war depart ment and all its officers, clerks and servants would scarcely suffice today for one of the numerous bureaus of the department which were entirely undis covered in 1SG5. - And consider that In 1SG1-05 the typewriter did not. exis, and that every letter, order, memorandum, record and reference . was written by hand! . ' ' ' " ' -; ; ' Patron of Sand Art Reminds of Other Pictures THERE is one woman in this town for whom. Michael Ang'elo lived, in vain. " You couldn't call It a personal grudge, seeing she' .had never heard tell of him until another woman happened to say things about his art and at that, all she did was to claim that no painter ever made better pictures than the ones she saw on the beach at At lantic City. There are times when argument Is so much language gone to waste, and this seemed to be one of the times, be sides The woman w ho had backed An gelo knew ;that the patron of sand art. was visioning with memory-eyes, some dabber under the board walk, who was doing fat angels and tilings to the fall of nickels, while she leaned over the . - ' - - ' -railing with a companion who had. kept loving step with her womanhood until they came, to a cemetery gate. ' .Then she began to recall past pictures. Here's one: A blue sea billowing. into a, beach, with two soldiers drawing straight lines, on the sapdjo let the waves know how , far they may roll in. Ilis hoyal Foolishness, inside the lines, sits in his throne, chair .to see that the sea obeys his orders, and while he does it the breakers crash in and. in and in; over the lines, up to the throne chair as if any Canute that ever lived can hope to own a world that belongs to the people thereof Here's a better one: A park in Syracuse, with Archimedes on a bench drawing mathematical circles in the sand. You can see that- the Roman invader rushing toward him is about to cut him down, and that Archimedes Vjiows it. But there are more important things to be considered. ; "Don't spoil the circle!" You can hear his warning cry as his blood soaks into the sand, but you . know'that Archimedes did hot die, because he is living now. 'And will keep on living so I6ng as there is an earth and men on it, with stars above and waters beneath, and . - This is the best one of all: Another place of sand with a white-robed Figure stooping to write a sentence s - Changes Wrought in Washington by the War PENNSYLVANIA avenue used to be a stately thoroughfare on which you could promenade nonchalantly from the capitol to the White House, view ing at leisure the massive government buildings, the souvenirs in the curio shops, the marble statuary and the dreamily along In your open barouche on a Sunday afternoon with in occa sional nod to a passing cabinet officer or congressman; now it Is. a N rth sea, where on a splendid spring Sabbath is mobilized a fleet of allied Joy wag ons" that strive constantly for the sane privilege of pursuing the even tenor of their way unmolested. ' " ' 1 If the city of Washington is ever threatened by an unexpected Invasion, as was Paris in the early days of the war, the secretary of war has only to commandeer the motorcars in the District of Columbia as Gallienl mobilized the taxicabs of Paris, and he can rush up troops enough from Camp Mead and Camp Meigs and marines from Quantico, Va., 'to save the day. ; What She Thought About the Early Spring Hat SHE looked as If she had stepped out of a fashion sheet into the car. Being a sunshiny day with chill streaks in if, she had combined a fur coat that rippled down to boot tops of gray kid with a hat of glazed gray straw guarded in front by a steel quill-cut-in the - , shape of a ?word. But you can't always tell what', sort of impression you are going to make on the everyday human mind. Two passengers good-hearted, double-chinned daughters of the people seated across, considering Madam Fasbiou.Sheet from the v'iewpointof wearers of tabby black velvet hats, bought last tall to. wear until warm springtiipe and maybe after. The one who was pony-skinned whispered ad miring astonishment, but the other, coated in a weave that began somewhere in New England as .Persian lamb, voiced criticism with a loudness that showed for excellent lungs. "Well, sir, before I'd wear a light straw hat on a cold day, like this, with a fur coat like that, I'd stay home. Don't look worried over it, neither." , , "Well, it's the fashion an'' you gotta follow fashion if you got the Spons everybody does. I think it's kinder stylish, myself. Must b cold fo the head, though." ' . ' ' "I should say1 so. You don't hafter wear straw hats; before, Easter just because the stores put 'em in the wind'rs. . A woman with tU theu cjothes oughta sure have some scraps home to make herself a warm ht foi weather like this. Before I'd come out in a summer hat like that on a day like this I'd cut off a piece of my coat and make me a turb'n you can get uny shape you want for ten Cents." "My gracious, woman, you wouldn't ruin a dandy coat like ttat, would you? That coat cost money and look at Daisy Blankers. She had on a white straw hat at the movies the other night." "She's nothin' to go by the poor coot only gottin' five a week and wearin' yell'r shoes almost up to "her knee J'ints! That woman ooks as If she made good money but all I gotta say is she don't show sense to math.' But she did have more to say, only enough is always enough. the as as civilian suns.,. Jine fnapspnere oi me ... . . i. is AW rllaco is Military. -Bnt the Civil war Washington ndw, would not kpow the city for a! war city nevertheless. This drab dress, this intensely neutral cloth, would not represent -soldiering 'to him at an. n wouia seem to oetoicen some creeping trolleys. It still has the same old shooting galleries, and the "rooms for 50 cents," and the hand-painted Martha .Washington china plates, and the miniature Washington , monu ments, with thermometers attached, In the shop windows, but Pennsylvania, today, is an Applan way along which surges .constantly a continual stream of elbowing, energetic, endless human ity and vehicles. Potomac park used to be a place where you cold ride touve com FASHfOfIS YOU m P SICK CHILD CONSTIPATED! LOOK AT TONGUE HURRY, MOTHER! REMOVen PPI SONS FRblvfTOtrSTOltlXbVf, LIVER, BOWELS. - tff V" TOV GIVE "CALIFORNIA SYRUP OF "f-'FIG S1 Ff C ROSS, B1 LiOUS"";! h,P,R.- No . matter what . ails your child, a gentle, thorough laxative should al ways be the first treatment given. If your little one is out of sorts, half-sick, Isn't resting, eating and act ing naturally look, Mother ! see if tongue Is coated. This is a sure sign that the little stomach, liver and bow els are clogged with waste. When cross, irritable, feverish, stomach sour, ' breath bad or has stomach-ache, diar rhea, sore throat, full of cold, give a teaspoonful of "California Syrup of Figs," and In a few hours all the con stipated poison, undigested food and sour bile gently moves out 'of the lit- ' tie bowels without griping,1 and you have a well, playful child again. Mothers can rest easy after giving this harmless "fruit laxative," because ' It never fails to cleanse the little One's 1 liver and bowels and sweeten the stom ach and they dearly love Its pleasant taste. Full directions for babies, chil dren of all ages and for grown-ups printed on each bottle.1 ' " Beware of counterfeit fig " syrups. Ask yotir druggist for a bottle of "Cal-: lfornia Syrup of Figs ;" then see that It is made by the "California Fig Syrup Companj"-i-Adv. '" The Last to Use Them. - - ( "Started your garden yet?" f 1 "No. You see I have to1 wait un til the neighbors get ' through using my garden tools." - , - ; " '" FOODS TASTE BETTER COOKED TOBACCO TASTES BETTER TOASTED ; .": Since the day of the caveman,' who liked his meat raw, civilization has learned a lot about th,e scientific treat ment of the things we eat. Naturally none ,of us would now prefer to have our meat raw, our po tatoes as they come from the ground, our coffee unroasted. , And naturally follows the great dis covery recently made by The Ameri can Tobacco Co. that tobacco tastes better TOASTEDI This wonderful new idea simple like - all great : inventions was first ' used in producing the famous LUCKY STRIKE Cigarette made of toasted Burley tobacco. ;- Burleyhas a mellow flavor, entirely different from the tobacco usually used for cigarettes. It is a pipe to- ' bacco and LUCKY STRIKE Cigarettes, taste like a pipe. Adv. u ; .. - Naturally. ' : "Do - you remember the time when here was such a rage for red hair?" "Oh, red hair is dyed out." SEND FOR FREE BOOKLET , , ON THE CURE OF PILES Offered to be sent to any address, this little booklet, easily understands able by anyone, will be beneficial In ex- . plaining the cause and. cure of. piles. . without the use of the doctor's knife. ' or the need of a physician while being treated, " . . Send a postal today to the Reed Dis tributing Co., 146 Godwin St., Paterson, N. J.i makers of the 20-year famous Eagle Pile Remedy. A copy should , be In the hands of every sufferer. . Eagle Pile Remedy Is the only, treat ment of Its kind, which is an internal treatment that reaches the cause and permanently effects the cure. Harmless - to take, and pure in ingredients. Your druggist wili supply you a box, guffi- cient for a week's treatment for one dollar, the standard .price brings you , a supply direct from the makers. Send today to the above address.-7-Adv, Many a man looks upon marriage as sort of a blotter witli which he ex pects to blot out all his past. - To Be Strong and Healthy Ton most have Pure Blood. GHOVK S TASTELESS chill TON1U Purities and Burichcs the Blood and Builds up the Whole System. It contains the weli known tonic properties of Iron and Quinine. Ton can feel its good effect oa the Bkiod utter the flrst few doses. Price 60c. Many a man's dyspepsia is due to. the mistaken belief on the part Of his wife that she can cook. Acid Stomach, Heartburn and Nausea Qulckiy disappear with the ue of Wright'i Indian Veeetab,e Pills. Send for trial box to 372 Pearl Si.., New York., Adv. It is often but a single step front, he divorce court to the stage. FEVPR SM. (
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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April 26, 1918, edition 1
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