Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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i, 11 **zsr i ' " ? n . J ARTHUR GUY ENPET I I I Machine Gunner Serving in France II l -I ^===^==n > (Oopyrlght, 1917, k; Arthur Guy Bmpey) 1 m - ? 1 Pi 8YNOP6IS. 1 CHAPTER I?Fired by tbe news of the < Inking of tbe Luuitanla by a German submarine, Arthur Ouy Empey, an American, leaves hie office In Jersey City and foes to England where be enfira In tbe , British army. ? i' CHAPTER II?After a period of train- ] inc. Empey volunteers for Immediate serv- i J / Ice and soon finds himself In rest Dlllets ; "semewhere In France," where he first makes tbe acquaintance of the ever-prespjftr ant "cootl**-" CHAPTER Iu?Empey attends his first nhuroh services at the front while a Qer- , man Fokker "circles over the congregation. CHAPTER IV?Empey's command roes ' Into the front-line trenches and Is under j flrs. for'the first time. , _ ] "T^E&IPTER "V^EfnJfcy learns to adopt '*p the motto of the Brtlsn Tommy, "If you are goln* to set it, you'll get it, so never it:.;' " vsnyS' * ] / CHAPTER VI-Bapk In rest billets, Empey rets his first experience as a mess < nrdprly. 1 CHAPTER VII. j Rations. Just doting off; Mr. Lance Corporal butted in. < In Tommy's eyes a lance corporal Is one degree below a private. In the j p'. 7 x corporal's eyes he is one degree above ? general. He ordered me to go with him and .help him draw the next day's rations, also told me to take my waterproof. Every evening, from each platoon or j machine-gun section, a lance corporal and private go to the quartermaster , sergeant at the company stores and , draw rations for the following day. j The "quarter," as the quartermaster cmo muuu5 \u utui rnicu wiui lucai, vegetables and greasy water), had been t . turned over to the company cook to make a stew for next day's dinner. He . also received the tea, sugar, salt, popper and flour. Scratching his head, the corporal u studied the slip Issued to him by the , Quarter. Then In a slow, mystified voice he read out, "No. 1 section, 19 men. Bread, loaves, six." He looked puzzled and soliloquized in a musing ? voice: "Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see, j that's three In a loaf for Mfteen men? ? well, to make It even, four of you'll i U>. have to mu<? In on ene loaf." i The four that got stuck made a howl, 1 but to no avail. The bread was dished < out. Pretty soon from a far comer of i the billet, three Indignant Tommies ao' - costed the corporal with: 'l uWhat do you call this, a loaf of i .bread? Looks more like a sniping j 'l plate." ? ? jp-" m ' V. , sergeant Is called, receives dally from | the orderly room (captain's office) a ? slip showing the number of men en* titled to rations, so there Is no chance of putting anything over on him. Many arguments take place between the "quarter" and the platoon noncom, but the former always wins oit Tommy says the "quarter" got his Job because lie was a burglar In civil life. Then I spread the waterproof sheet on the ground, while the quartermaster's batman dumped the rations on it. 1 The corporal was smoklag a fag. I v carried the rations back to the billet The corporal was still smoking a fag. How I envied him. But when the Issue commenced my envy died, and I realized that the first requisite of a nonh'\ - commissioned officer on active service is diplomacy. There were 19 men In our section, and they soon formed a t semicircle around us after the corporal had called out, "Rations up." i The quartermaster sergeant had given a slip to the corporal on which was wrltten^a list of the rations. Sitting on the floor, using a wooden box as a table, the issue commenced. On the left of the corporal the rations ' were piled. They consisted of the folfe I' .owing: Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf Sl' V a# o dl#Qfonf a(to ruifhana Ana nnf nf -rt ui U vuu^ivub vuv vuw w*. r~ ' the six being as flat as a pancake, the result of an army service corps man i* ~ placing a box of bully beef on It dorpi'''-1' lug transportation. Three tins of jam, one apple and the j other two plum. I Seventeen Bermuda onions, all different sizes. A piece of cheese In the shape of ft we^ge. ' Two one-pound tins of butter. k-~ A handful of raisins. A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls them "jaw breakers." A bottle of mustard pickles. The "bully beef," spuds, condensed milk, fresh meat, bacon and "Macono_*_* . AJ AllnJ m|^k " Ml' *s> \iUMOVN SOLDU'R 9 WENT ' MfflYMY! i ?1517 BY Arthur arrcnPEY "The corporal answered: "Well, don't blame me, I didn't bake It; somebody's got to get it, so shut up until I dish out these blinkln' rations." Then the corporal started on the Jam. 1 "Jam, three tins??pple one, plum i two. Nineteen men, three tins. Six In a tin makes twelve men for two tins, seven in the remaining tin." He passed around the Jam, and there was another riot. Some didn't like apple, while others who received plum were partial to apple. After a while differences were adjusted and r the Issue went on. * - , "Bermuda onions, seventeen." The corporal avoided a row by saying that he did not want an onion, and [ said they make your breath smell, so [ guessed I would do without one too. i rhe corporal looked his gratitude. t "Cheese, ^pounds, two." ? The corporal borrowed a Jackknlfe (corporals are always borrowing), and 3llced the cheese?each slicing bringing forth a pert remark from the on- j lookers as to the corporal's eyesfght "Raisins, ounces, eight." By this time the corporal's nerves ; a ad gone west, and In despair he said that the raisins were to be turned over ^ to the cook for "duff" (plum puddlug). rhls decision elicited a little "grous^ ' ng," but quiet was finally restored. s "Biscuits, tins, one." ? With, his borrowed Jackknlfe, the :orporal opened, the tin of biscuits, and told everyone to help themselves?no>ody responded to this invitation, rommy is "fed up" with biscuits. "Butter, tins, two." "Nine In one, ten In the other." Another rumpus. "Pickles, mustard, bottles, one." Nineteen names were put In a steel lelmet, the last one out winning the pickles. On the next Issue there were >nly 18 narftes, as the1 winner is eliminated until every man in the section las won a bottle. The raffle is closely watched, because rommy is suspicions when It comes to ramhllnr with his 'rations. When the Issue 1b finished the cop- |1 >oral sits down and writes a letter j s tome, asking them If they cannot get A some M. P. (member of parliament) to ! lave him transferred to the Royal Fly- j hg corps where he> won't have to Issue 11 rations. At the different French estamlnets t n the village and at the canteens Tom- , ny buys fresh eggs, milk, bread and )astry. Occasionally wh?n he is flush, le Invests In a tin of pears or aprl- { :ots. His pay Is only a shilling a day, 14 cents, cr a cent an hour. Just lmag- * ne, a cent an hour for being under Ire?not much chance-of getting rich x >ut there. When he t goes Into Tthe flre trench c [front line), Tommy's menu takes a z nimble. He carries In his haversack vhat the government calls emergency >r Iron rations. JfThey are not supposed o be opened until Tommy dies of star- J ration. They consist of One tin of j >ully beef, four biscuits, p. little tin vhlch contains tea, sugar and Oxo rubes (concentrated beef tablets). c rhese are only to be used when the ;nemy establishes a curtain of shell ( Ire on the communication trenches, lius preventing the "carrying in" of -atlons, or when in an attack a body 2 >f troops has been cut off from its base ? >f supplies. / \ The rations are brought up at night >y tho company; transport This is a ? section of the company In charge of lie quartermaster sergeant, composed \ )t men, mules and limbers (two- g vheeled wagons), which supplies Tomny's wants white In the front line. 1 rhay are constantly under shell fire. * rhe rations are unloaded at the en- \ ranee to the communication trenches tnd are "carried In" by men, detailed !or that purpose. The quartermaster 1 jergeant, never goes into the front-line * rench. He doesn't have to, and I have t lever heard of one volunteering to ? lo 60. The -company .sergeant major sorts j lie rations and 'sends them la i Tommy's trench rations consist of all ? he bully beef he can eat, biscuits, j iheese, tinned butter (sometimes 17! nen to a tin), jam or marmalade, and j >cca8lonally fresh bread (ten to a oaf). WhenUt Is possible,he gets tea j md stew. t When things are quiet, and Fritz is jehavlng. like a gentleman, which sellom happens, Tommy has the opportu- * , J alty of making dessert. This !s { ^ enich pudding." It is made from jroken MScults, condensed milk, jam? i little water added, slightly flavored Kith mud?put Into a canteen and looked over a little spirit stove known ig '^Tommy's cookec." (A firm in Blighty widely advertises i these cookers as a necessity for the } men In the trenches. Gullible people . t>uy them?ship them;'to the Tommies, jyho, lmmecfiateiy upon receipt of_8ame 1 throw them over tfie parapet. "Some- 1 times a Tommy falls for the ad. and uses the cooker In a dugou t to the disgust and discomfort of the other occupants.) This mess Is stirred up In a tin aud ' allowed to simmer over the flames ] From the cooker until Tommy decides j that It has reached sufficient (gluelike) , consistency. He takes his bayonet and by means of the handle earrles the 1 mess up In the front trench to cool. 1 After It has cooled off he tries to eat It Generally one or two Tommies in a ( section have cast-Iron stomachs aud the tin Is soon emptied. Once I tasted trench pudding, but only once. ' In addition to the regular ration Issue Tommy uses another channel to l enlarge his menu. In the English papers a "Lonely Soldier" column Is run. This Is for the soldiers at the front bho are supposed to be without friends or relatives. They write to the papers aud their names are published. Girls and women In England answer them, and send out parcels of foodstuffs, cigarettes, candy, etc. I have known a "lonely" soldier to receive as many as Ave parcels and eleven letters In one week. (TO BE CONTINUED.) J: FARM FIRE RULES. 1 (Firemen^ Herald.) ( T. Alfred Fleming, state fire ( narshal of Ohio has issued these < ire rules for farmers: 1 StoVe no grain in barns. See that barn and important ht.il d- ! ngs have standard lightning rod?; < ;hat the rods are properly grounded, ] md there is no escape of.' the elec- i ;ric fluid to wire fences. I It costs $3 a year to feed one rat. < Hats love the paraffined ends of 1 natches. One match will consume a i vhole season's crops. ] Clean and ventilate the barn. < Cleanliness is fire's most potent ioe. 1 3roper ventilation makes for healthy 1 itock and reduces the chances o:( ' ipontaneous combustion. < Build farm buildings so that one ire will not destroy all. Build with efe'rence to the direction of the jrevailing wind. The barn is not a catch-all for :arm junk. Rubbish is unsanitary, I ire breeder, and takes up room leeded for other things. Use electric lights or electric lanerns. The old-fashioned oil lanern is a costly contrivance in the >nd! , j Curled up shingles, badly hung ioors, gaping windows and warped liding simply invite entrance to the ragrant spark. The farm barn is a poor place to louse the farm hand and his PIPE! Matches in old clothes hung on he harness pegs are invitations to ire. An automobile or tractor has no' )lace in the farm barn. Build a parage! Concrete cisterns conserve the ainfall from barn roofs against a iry time and supply fire fighting igents. Own, too, ladders that will reach he roof of the highest building in rour vicinity. Common baking soda, 4 ounces ,o a gallon of water, makes a splenlid fire extinguisher. Four ounces of salt to a gallon >f water will prevent fire barrels :rom freezing in the temperate :one. If it gets colder, add more alt. The ax and the fire bucket should ilways be in their proper place. Keep the pump away from the >am. A fire will often put the water mpply out of commission. A frozen )ump means a total fire loss. r Be careful of grass, woods, rub?ish and bon fires. Do not allow children to play with natches or fire. Keep matches in i tin box in ONE place. Be sure he Ihatch is out before throwing it tway. Carrying matches, candle or lamps nto clothes closets make for a burn-l id house. Examine all flues, chimneys andj lue openings frequently. Do not stop up flue hole3 withi japer or rags. Allow no cobwebs or ;rash in the attic. 1 Keep the gasoline can out of the i louse, and see - that it is painted J [USD. JPaint the coal oil can wnnn ind label it "COAL OIL." "OVER THE TOP." ] Are you reading* the serial story, ( 'Over the Top" which is being run } n The Press and Banner? If you \ laven't already started look up your ] jack issues and begin it. It is well i vorth reading. t iVRITE WITH INK TO SOLDIERS IN FRANC] Washington, March 12.?Amer :an relatives writing to soldiers i Prance are requested by the Unite States postal service in France to b more careful in directing mail. The are asked to write in ink and dire< the letters "private" or "captain" c whatever the man's rank is. Thirt days is about the average time itr< quires for a letter to reach the so dier from the date of mailing. DRIVE FOR LARGER r SUNDAY SCHOOL Spartnburg, S. C., March 12.A great dirve for larger and moi efficient Sunday Schools is beir promoted throughout the State du ing the month of March, and wi reach with* its helpful influent more than half of the Sunds Schools of South Carolina, accor< ing to a statement here today fro: R. D. Webb, General Secretary < the South Carolina Sunday Scho Association. The plan is to hold convention in every uisunut m cvci county .in tiae State in March. Th ivill mean that at least 200 conver tions will be held in one month. According to reports received i 3tate Headquarters, twenty-fov :ounties have definitely planned t mold more than 100 district cor mentions in March. It is believe that the plan Will be carried outi ;very county, and that this will b ;he greatest drive for efficiency eve jndertaken by the State Associatio [t is estimated that at least 1,00 different Sunday School workers wi ?e used on the programs and ths nore than half of the schools wi reached with helpful suggestion >n modern methods of Sunda School work. These conventions wi je attended by workers pf all d< lominations, and are being promol >d by the six or eight hundred oi icers of the State Interdenomini ;ional Sunday School Associatio ind its auxiliaries. At all of thes neetings plans will be inaugurate tar securing a large delegation t ittend the State Convention i jreenwood, May 1-2-3. PETIT JURORS MARCH TERM COURT COMMON PLEA Said Court Will Convene the Fourt Monday, 25th March, 1918. C. F. SeawTight, 5 F. W. Wilson, 11 G. E. Putnam, 11 G. T. Hodge, 13 F. E. Ellis, 6' W. R. Phillips, 4 J. R. Smith, 10 J. J. George, 14 James Williamson, j. M .Campbell, 12 J. G. E. Loftis, 13 W. V. I'ruitt, 5 J. M. Cox, 11 B. D. Ellis, 18 M. J. Hodges, 11 H. M. Mundy, Sr. 11 J. M. Seawright, 12 C. S. Black, 4 E. H. Longshore, 11 J. J. Clamp, 6 H. F. Sutherland, 18 E. H. Richie, 10 Alvin Ellis, 6 G. C. Reid, 11 R. T. Gordon, 12 S. S. Link, 16 M. A. Simpson, 13 G. W. Price, 14 W. R. Sprouse, 11 J. E. Rogers, 11 John W. Fisher, 5 W. L. Kennedy, 13 J. E. Hawthorne, 5 Edward Milford, 6 L. J. Davis, 4. T. F. Uldrick, 6 NOTICE. I will not be responsible for anji ;hing charged to me after this dat (March 5th) only in person myseli ?-5-3t. E. M. Bond. RED CROSS EXCHANGE. The Woman's Department of th [led Cross will conduct an exchang >n Saturday at the same place the; lad last Saturday in the Arcade be ;wi2en the City Hall and the Cour louse. Mm. Frank Nickles will ac 13 chairman. Monterey, Antrevill ind Bethlehem will aasist. 1 . *? Economy Youi I Purity Your St >r y a. ^ j Your Uncle Sam wants you to be of Food, but there is not a citizen oi he wanst to go hungry. In the matter of Conservation of f ,S the longest way. You cannot economi _ ducts obtainable. Highly nourishing t re the cheapest in the long run. >2 Feed your family from our store. r" out for the best from every viewpoi ^ and at the same time highly nourishi e way to economize. iy > 1. W. D. B< rSl I M Childi if ToSa ? I Start the kit right by making want to save their A personal savings a s high-class bankin tion like this, v h are given the pi and encourage die their ow is a good si right direct dollar opens R| Safety?Honesty?I The Natio A KKoirill I ? * V AAA' fpmmhmummm | | GOOD PF I . generally conve; success. We nev himself, but his 1< I head, catalogue affords us an of 1 size him up, hen< 1 Press and B ABE i ' e ' COLUMBIA GF FROM $18.00 NEW COLUMB1 * RECEIVED EV THE HALL INV t t e ??????? ...a ' .? I Watchword . andard as saving as possible in the matter ; ?-d| these good old United State* that ood, remember this: The Best goes ize by using the cheapest food profood comes higher in price and is We are constantly on the watch nt. If it is pure and wholesome nor wo Vinvo it ,rTia fhc vara ha<t arksdale |__ >?? WWU11V mmm IT ^ 5 institu- B rhere children oper Attention ment to han- jjkW n finances art in the ion. One an account. Courtesy?Service | nal Bank | Q p '% 6 j. L. * / ? MINTING I I ps an idea of er see the man P stterhead note- |j or pamphlet y tnnvtiinifir fa S 'jiwi iuuiijr. m :e the need. B I anner Co. m IEVILLE, S. C. H IAPHONOLAS . I TO $200.00. I r a n rr>An r\p L/-v mm ^CH WEEK. I ""I