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^ ISSTX3SP t..k orist's sobs, Pabii?her>. ( % Jlfirspaper: J:or the promotion of the political. Social. Agricultural ami tfommercial interests of the peoplg. iTERMsn!o^coin"?vK^**r?ANCE' ESTABLISHED 1855 YORK. S. C T V KS DAY. M A i *C ;I I r>. liVTs] " NO. 19 HE TOP" GUY EMPEY Got Into the War Two His Country. Kmpy. "OVER T | By ARTHUR An American Boy Who Years Before "<>|?\ i iiiht. 1917, I'V Arthur * J11 > l_ ' IIAITKIi VI "Back of the Line." ?ui lour hi tho front-line trench la-ted four <l:i\s. and then we were relieve'"! h> the brigade. (loint; down the eoininuiiiiution treyi h we were in a nierrv mood. although we were "-old ami wet. and every hone in our bodies aehed. It make* a lot of ditfeience whether you are "Koim: in" or "tfoim? out." At the eml of the "'oiiuiiunicatiori tii'iuh, Innhers were waiting on the loa<l foi Ue I thought We were KoiliX lo lid"- ha" k to rest billets, hut soon found out that tin- only tirue an inI .nit i v man ri?les is w hen lie is wounded ami is hound for the base or I'liithK. These Iiinh<-Is earned our serve iiniuiinition and rations, our ^ in.in li to last billets was thorouKli^ m enjoyed hy me. It sH'liiliI as if I ^ weie on furlout;h. ale! was leaviiiK hehind everything that was disagreeable ami Inn rihie Kverv reeruit feels this way after heiut? relieved from the trenches. We marched lulit kilos ami then halted in front a Kri-liih csta luilicl. Tin- captain Ka\c Ili?- order to turn out on l a- h soli' of tlii' road and wait his return. I'retty soon he rattle tiaek and told It company to occupy hillets 117. Its and 11 : I fillet 117 was an old staldo which had prc\ inusly heeii oceil|iled hy cows. Ahoilt four feet in front of tin- entrance was a huue manure pile, and tie- odor from it was anything hut |deasant. t'sinu my tlashlikht I stumhlcd through the loor. Just In-fore cnterihK I observed ^ a whitesiuu leading "Sitlitui ail. lyillk JII." I.lit. at the tlllle. Its siKllitiraliec lid not strike inc. Next morniliK I asked the seriteant major wliaT it meant. lie iiouehalaiitly answered "That's some of the work of the l?. .V M. c. (Key.11 Army Medical eoriisi. It siiu|dy means that in ease ol all attack, this hi I let will accommodate fifty wounded who are aide to sit u|> and take notice, or twenty stretcher eases." It was not Ioiik after this that I was one of the "Hit lyinjr." I soon hit the hay and was fast asleep, even my friends the "rooties" failed to disturb me. The next morniiiK at al.out six o'clock I was awakened hy the lance corporal of our section, infoimitig me that 1 hud been detailed as mess or""^TerT^unino report to the cook and Rive him a hand. I helped him make the lire, carry water from an old well, ami fry the bacon. Lids of dixies are used to cook the bacon in. After breakfast was cooked. I carried a dixie of hot lea and the lid full of bacon to our section, and told the corporal that i f V; - <a v v.."' Resting Back of the Lines. breakfast was ready. He looked at me in contempt, and then shouted. Itrcaktast up. come and net it!" I ilium-diatclv aot wise to the trench parlance and nt'\cr anain informed that "Kreakfast was wr*fit." It didn't take loan for the Tommies to aiisuir tlits oall. Half dressed, tlir.v lined ti|> witli their canteens and I dished out the tea. Kach Tommy earned in his hand a thick slice of bread which had been issued with the rations the mnlit before. Then I had the pleasure of seeihK them dig into the bacon with their dirty tinkers. The allowance was one slice per n an. The late ones received very small slices, ft As each Tommy not his share lie 1111W mediately disappeared into the billet. I'rettx soon unont fifteen of them made a rush to the cookhouse, carry inn a liune slice of bread. These slices they dipped into the bacon nreasc which was stewinn over the tire. The last man invariably lost out. I was the last man. After breakfast our section carried Conditions, CXCOpl wn?ll Ulivuiim;iuua or when he is rcconnoitering In ^fb Man's I?tnd at night. Then, for obvious reasons, he does not cure to have a lighted cigarette in his mouth. Stretcher l?ear? rs carry tags for wounded Tommies. When a stretcher bearer arrives alongside of a Tommy who lias been tiit the following conversation usually takes place: Stretcher hearer?"Want a fag? Where are you hit?" Tommy looks up and answers, "Yes. In the leg." Alter dismissal from parade, we returned to our billets and I had to get hiis.x immediately with the dinner is sue. Dinner consisted of stew made I from fresh beef, a couple of spuds, bully beef, Maconochie rations and water?plenty of water. There is great competition among the men to s|tear with their forks the two lonely potatoes. I After dinner I tried to wash out the dixie with cold water ami a rag. and learned another maxim ol the - lift florift " I slvlv watched oho of the older men from another section, and was horrified to see him throw into his dixie four or live double handfuls of mild. Then he poured ill some water, and with his hands scoured the dixie inside and out. I thought he was taking an awful risk. Siip|>osing the cook should have seen him! After half an hour of unsuccessful efforts I returned my dixie to the cook shack, being careful to put on the cover, and returned to the billet. Pretty soon the cook poked his head in the door and shouted: "Hey, Yank. J come out here and clean your dixie!" I protested that 1 had washed a halfhour on it already, and had used up my only remaining shirt in the utI tempt. With a look of disdain he exclaimed: 'Plow me, your slnrt! Why in didn't you use mud?" Without a word in reply I got busy with the mud. and soon my dixie was bright and shining. Most of the afternoon was spent by the men writing letters home. 1 used my span* time to chop wood for the cook and go with the i|iiartermuster to draw coal. 1 got back just in time to issue our third meal, which consisted ot hot tea. I rinsed out my dixie and returned it to the cookhouse, and went back to the billet with an exhilarated feeling that my day's labor wua done. 1 had fallen asleep on the straw when once again the cook appeared"fn* tlie" I door of the billet with "Mime me. you Yanks are lazy. Who is a-goin' to draw the water for the tnornin' tea? Do you think I'm a-goin' to? Well, I'm not," and he left. I tilled the dixie with water from an old squeaking well and once again lay down in the straw. i'UlliTl'll VII their equipment into a Held adjoining the lullet and got butty removing the trench mud therefrom, because at S:45 a. tn . they had to fall in for inspection and parade, and woe betide the man who was unshaven, or had mud on his uniform, t'leanliness is next to godliness in the British army, and Old Pepper must have been personally acquainted with St. Peter. Our drill consisted ot close-order formation, which lasted until noon. l>uring this time we had two tenminute breaks for rest, and no soon or tho won!. "^*11 out for ton minutes." was given each Tommy got out a fag anil lighted it. Fags aro issued every Sunday morning. and you generally got between twenty and forty. The brand generally issued is tho "Woodbine." Sometime* we are lucky and get "tioldtlakes." "Pluyers" or "Red Hussars." Occasionally an issue of "Life t Rays" comes along. Then the older Tommies immediately get busy on the recruits and trade these for "Woodbines" or "(Joldflakes." A recruit only has to be stuck once in this manner, and then he ceases to be a recruit. There is a reason. Tommy is a great cigarette smoker. He smokes under all Rations. Just dozing off: Mr. l-atice Corporal butted in. In Tommy's eyes a lunee corporal is on** degnf below a private. In the corporal's eyes he is one degree uhovc a general. He ordered me to ro with him and help him draw the next day's rations, also told me to take mv waterproof. Kvery evening, from each platoon or machine-gun section, a lance corporal and private go to the quartermaster sergeant at the company stores and draw rations for the following day. The "quarter." as the quartermaster sergeant is called, receives daily from the orderly room (captain's oftlee) a slip showing the number of men entitled 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 out. Tommy says the "quarter" got his job because he was a burglar In civil life. Then I spread the waterproof sheet |on the ground, while the quatermaster's batman dumped the rations on it. The coriKiral was smoking a fag. 1 carried the rations back to the billet. The corporal was still smoking a fag. How I envied hiin. Hut when the issue commenced my envy died, and I realized that the first requisite of a non commissioned officer on active service is diplomacy. There were 19 men in our section, and they soon formed a semicircle around us after the corporal had called out, "Rations up." The quartermaster sergeant had given a slip to the corporal on which was written 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 following: I Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf of a different size, perhaps one out of the six being as flat as a pancake, the result of an army service corps man placing a Ik?x of bully beef on it during transportation. Three tins of Jam, one apple and the other two plum. Seventeen Bermuda onions, all different sizes. * ?' ?* in Dip shat>e of a ?\ |?U*VV Ul V IIVVB* ... .... r wedge. Two one-pound tins of butter. N 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 "Maconochle rations" (a can filled with meat, vegetables and greasy water), had been turned over to the company cook to make a stew for next day's dinner. He also received the tea. sugar, salt, pepper and flour. Scratching his head, the corporal 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 that's three in a loaf for fifteen men? well, to make it even, four of you'll have to muck In on one loaf." The four that got stuck made a howl I>iit to no mail. The bread was dished >i out. I'rettv soon from a tar corner of 11 the billet, three indignant Tommies ^ accosted tl? corporal with: a "What do >ou call this, a loaf of r> bread? Looks more liki a sniping plate." f, The corporal answered: "Well, don't blame me. I didn't bake ' \v it: someboi|\'s got to ret it, so shut up until I t ish out these blinkin' ra- iti tions." tl Then the corisiral started on the ' jam. "Jam, thiee tins?apple one. plum 1' two. Nineteen men. three tinr. 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 tl like apple, while others who rt reived J J plum were partial to apple. After a while differences were adjusted and w the- issue went on. ?'< "Bermuda onions. seventeen." The coriioral avoided a row by saying that he did not want an onion, and hi I said they make your breath smell, so *' I guessed I would do without one too. , The corporal looked his gratitude. si "Cheese, pounds, two." '> The corporal borrowed a jaekknife JJ' (corporals are always borrowing), and m sliced the cheese?each slicing bring- Ik ing forth a pert remark from the on- " lookers as to the corporal's eyesight. j(l "ltaisins. ounces, eight." tl liy tiiis time the corporal's nerves had gone west, and in despair he said ^ that the raisins were to be turned over tll to the cook for "duff" (plum pudding). .11 Tiiis decision elicited a little groitsMl ing." but <iuiet was linally restored. "Itlseaits, tins, one." st With his Isirrowed jaekknife, the '1 eorporal opened the tin ot biseuits.ami ? told everyone to help themselve.*?no- P body responded to this invitation. Tommy is "fed tip" with biseuits. j "Butter, tins, two." "Nine in one. ten in the other." Another rumpus. "I'iekles, mustard, bottles, one." Nineteen names were put in a steel I* helmet, the last one out winning the II pickles. (Ml tin- next issue there Wire , II only is nanus, as the winner is el jut- , |j| inatcd until cviTj in.'in in tlx' wet ion P has won n bottle. y The raftle is ?'losi'ly watched, liecause Tommy is susiticious when it comes to gambling with his rations. | When the issue is finished the cor- I poral sits down and writes a letter hoifte, asking them it' they cannot tret some M. I'. (member of parliament) to have him transferred to the Itoyal Flying corps where he won't have to issue rations. At the different French estamittet in the village and at the canteens Tommy huvs fresh eggs. milk, bread and pastry. Occasionally when he is Hushed lie invests in a tin of pears or apricots. His pay is only a sibling a day, 24 cents, or a cent an hour. Just imagine, a cent un hour for beW tYM.F.- r,tip,-i\rvi .ftf. . geting rich out there. fl When he goes into the tirt trench p (front line.) Tommy's menu takes a ^ tumble. He carries in his haversack I what the government calls emergency . or iron rations. They are not supposed | to be opened until Tommy dies of star- . vation. They consist of one tin of s( lmllv tieef. lour biscuits, a little tin |p which contains tea. sugar ami Oxojai cubes (concentrated beef tablets), j These are only to be used when the u. enemy establishes a curtain of shell fa lire on the communication trenches, thus preventing the "carrying in" of rations, or when in an attack a body m of troops has been cut off from its b< base of supplies. The rations are brought tip at night t| by the company transport. This is a at section of the company in charge of w the quartermaster sergeant, composed of men, mules and limhers (two- a| wheeled wagons), which supplies in Tommy's wants while in the front v line. They are constantly tinder shell : Ti fire. The rations are unloaded at the entrance to the communication ,'11 trenches and are "carried in" l>v men detailed for that purpose. The quae- IV tcrmaster sergeant never goes into front-line trench. lie doesn't have to. and I have never heard of one volunteering to do so. The company sergeant major sorts K| the rations and sends them in. Tommy's trench rations consist of all the bully beef he can eat. biscuits. ^ cheese, tinned butter (sometimes 17 |., men to a tin), jam or marmalade, and occasionally fresh bread (ten to a ':l loaf). When It Is possible he gets tea fv and stew. in When things are quiet, and Kritz is in behaving like a gentleman, which setdom happens. Tommy has the opportunity of making dessert. This is "trench pudding." It is made from broken biscuits, condensed milk, jam? n little water added, slightly flavored Ma with mud?put into a canteen and *" COOUcd over a little spirit stove known en as "Tommys cooker. (A firm ?n Blighty widely advertises pa these cookers as a necessity for the ^1 men in the trenches. Gullible peoph buy them?ship them to the Tommies, th who. immediately upon receipt of same '?n throw them over the parapet. Sometimes a Tommy falls for the ad. and Xy| uses the cooker in a dugout to the disgust and discomfort of the other oc- ' * cu pants.) li, This mess is stirred up in a.tin and allowed to siiimer over the flames h; from the cooker until Tommy decides that it has reached sufficient (glue- j|, like) consistency. He take.? his hay- se onet and by means of the handle carries the mess up in the front trench to j,( cool. After it has cooled off he tries to eat it. Generally one or two Tom- gr mies in a section have cast-iron XN." stomachs and the tin is soon emptied. Once I tasted trench pudding, hut 1 < only once. 011 In addition to the regular ration issue Tommy uses another channel to >-<> enlarge his menu. Wl In the English papers a "Lonely Soldier" column is run. This is for the soldiers at the front who are sup- oa posed to be without friends or relatives. They write to the papers ami ot their names are published. Girls and th women in England answer them, and w send out parcels of foodstuffs, clgaretts, candy, etc. I have known a Wl "lonely" soldier to receive as many as P< Ave parcels and eleven letters in one , hi week. or CHAPTER VIII. Th* Little Wooden Cross. After remaining in rest billets for iiiht <Iays. we received the unwelcoim lines that the next morning Ml' >u]<J "g*> in" to "take over." At tux i the morning our march start*-*! an?i. ft?*r a lone niareh flown the dusty ?.id, v\?* again arriveil at reserve hilts. I was Xo. l. in tin leading set **f <11 rs. Tin- man >ti my loft was ntt?;< *1 I'ete Walling," a <*heer>' sort of f* ?w. He laughed aiol joked all "h* ay on the ntureh. houying uj; m> looping spirits. I could not llgure out raything attractive in again occupy mte front line, hut I'ete di<l not se? n: < mind, said it was all in a lifetime. Iv left heel was Mistered from th* ihhing of my heavy marching hoc' ete noticed that I w: s limping and ITered to carry my rule, hut hy this me I had learned tie* ethics ?>f th* larch hi the British army and cour ously refused his offer. We ltad gotten half way through u* communication trench. Pete in m> i... i n-.ii,I i.it llllic'iiaic rear. in nan iy shoulder. as men in u coinniunica i) trench have to <!o ti> keep in touch itli each other. We hail just clinibI over a bashed part of the tren< h hen in our rear a man tri|>pni uv# r loose siirnal wire, and let out an ith. As usual, Pete rushed to his elp. To reach the fallen man he had > cross this hashed in part. A bullet ackcil in the air and I ducked. Then moan from the rear. My heatt ood still. I went hack and Pete was inu 011 the Kround. Uy the aid of iy llashliaht I saw that he had his ind pressed to bis riuht breast. The Duel's Were covered with blood. I ished the liuht on his face and it: s slow a urayish blue color wa? calinu over his countenance. Pete ioked up at tin* and said. "Well. Yank ley'vc done mc in I can feel m>self nnu West." His voice was vcttinu inter and I had to kneel down to t his words. Then he stave me lessaue to write home to his inotln r Dd his sweetheart, and I like a ureal ii; boob, cried like a baby. I was sinu my lirst friend of the trenches. Word was passed to the rear for a reteher. He died before it arrived, wo of us put the body on I lie .iSS??mS ^8B^9e5F i3BSS& ^ ^Hjgn ft iM>? |H^H|:' JB^Bn^sB^BraPpj .'lyB 585 Taking Provision renlur and carried it to the* nearest st-aol posit, where the doctor took i i>rIi<-i: I record of I'cte's inline, nuni r. rank and regiment from his idenly disk, this to he used in the casilit.v lists and notilication to liis mily. We left I'ete there, hut it hroko our arts to do so. The doctor informed i that we could hur.v him the next o in inc. That afternoon live of the ?ys id our section, myself included, ent to Die little ruined village in the ar and from the deserted gardens of ie French ehateaux gathered grass id (lowers. Front these we made a reath. While the hoys were making this reath. 1 sat under a shot-scarred pie tree and carved out the followg verses on a little wooden shield Itieh we nailed on Pete's cross. ur to his God : true to Itriluin. Ihiing his duty to the lust, 1st one more name to be written On the Holt of Honor of heroes passed is-id to their God. enshrined in glory holering life of eternal rest, ie more ehapter in Knglnnd's story Of her sons doing their tiest. .it, y.>ti xulilirr, nuiti* ho mm. Never forgotten by us below: vtw that we urc i Kinking of you. Kiv to our rest wo are hi.Men to go. Next ninrniiiK the whole section ent over to say good-bye to I'etc, ami i-l hiin away t?? rest. After each one hud a look at tluce of the <lca<l. ;i corporal of the It. . M. i\ sewctl up the remains in it ankct. Then placing two heavy pes across the stretcher (to he used lowering the hotly into the gravel, i p lifted Pete onto the stretcher, and verently covered him with a largo non-jack, the this he hud died for. The chaplain led the way, then came e officers of the section, followed by o of the men carrying a wreath. Itnediately after came poor I'ete on the ig-drapped stretcher, carried hy four Itliers. I was one of the four. Bend the stretcher, in column of fours, me the remainder of the section. To Bet to the cemetery, we had to iss throUBh the little shell-destroyed II.iBe, where troops were hurt-vine and fro. As the funeral procession passed ese troops came to the "attention" i<l smartly saluted the dead, i'oor I'ete was receiving the onl> | lute a private is entitled to "some-. Here in France." Now and again a shell from the M'tuan lines would bo whistliiiB over o \ il la Be to hurst in our artillery ies in the rear. When wo reached the cemetery we ilted in front of an open grave, and id the stretcher beside it. Forming hollow square around the opening of e grave, the chaplain read the burial rvice. German machine-gun bullets were racking in tne air anove us. uui -te didn't mind, and neither did we. When the body was lowered into the avo the llag having been removed. f clicked our heels together and nie to the salute. I left before the grave was filled in. fouId not hear to see the dirt thrown i the blanket-covered face of my mrade. On the western front there! c no coffins, and you are lucky to t a blanket to protect you from the c4 and worms. Several of the scorn stayed and decorated the grave ith white stones. That night, in the light of a lonely ndle in the machine gunner's dugout the front-line trench I wrote two iters, one to Pete's mother, the her to his sweetheart. While doing is 1 cursed the Prussian war god ith all my heart, and I think that St. ?ter noted same. -The machine gunners in the dugout ere laughing and joking. To them ?te was unknown. Pretty soon, in e warmth of their merriment, my ues disappeared. One soon forgets i the western front. CHAPTER IX. Suicide Annex. 1 was in my first dugout and looked ; aroun I curiously, over the door of t , same WTt> a luti. sign reading "Sui- v '"id"- \nncx." < ine "f the hoys told a j tni- that this particular front trench li | was . a||, ,j "Suicide IHtch." Later on s jl ha-m-d that machine gunners and r honthers are known as the "Suicide r ji'luh." s That dugout was muddy. The men s slept in mud. u ashed in mini, ate inu<l t .iii'i "Ireaim-d niihl. 1 had never before a j realised that s<i much discomfort and h | mis.-iA coiihl lie coiitaiiie"! in those h j thr< .- letters. M (' I). The floor !> ' ">f tli? ilugoiit was an inch deep in h j aatef. (iiitshlc it was raining cats anil j dog*. .>::<l thin rivulets were trickling p (down the steps. Kioih the air shaft immediately above in*- came a drip. ji . trip. Irip. Suiri<le Annex was a hole ti eight f.-.-t wide, ten feet long and six T I feet high. Ii was ahollt twenty feet tl | below the tire trench: at least there ! Air. twenty steps leading down to it. ti j Th< s. steps were out into the earth. 1. I nut .it that tune were muddy and slip- 'I' ! pet >. A man had to be very careful o I or else lie would "shoot the chutes." T The air was foul, and you could cut n the smoke from Tommy's fags with a h knife. It was cold. The walls and o roof were supported with heavy square cut timbers, while the entrance was ti strengthened with sandbags. Nails -had tl been driven into these timbers, (in ? esn h nail hung a miscellaneous assort- S incut of eiiuipinetit. The lighting ar- d rang, incuts were superb?one candle it in a reflector ma le front an uinniuni- n lion tin. My teeth were chattering r from the > old. and the drip from the p airsiiaft did not help matters much, i; While I was sitting bemoaning my tl fate and wishing for the fireside at a home, the fellow next to me. who was p writing a letter, looked up and intio- p eentl> asked. 'Say. Yank, how do >*?u .? spell 'eotiflagalion'?" tl I looked at him in contempt and an- ji swereil thai I did not know. From the darkness in one of the n corners came a thin, piping voice sing- p ing otic of tiie popular trench ditties n i-nt'tled: r "l'aek up your Troubles in your old .1 Kit Itag. and Smile. Smile. Smile." , Kvery now and then the singer |. I s ii s to the Front. 1 i would stop to eoUgll. I'lillU'll, rough. v l>ut it was :i good illustration of Totn- d ru.v's cheerfulness under such eondi- ;i . lions. I A machine-gun officer entered thi, dugout and gave me a hard look. I ? jsneaked past him, sliding and slipping, ? j.ind reached my section of the front- M . line trench, where I was greeted by , the setgeant, who asked me. "When j {in "ave you been'.'" t I made no answer, hut sat on the :i ! muddy tire step, shivering with the j cold and with the rain heating in my , I face. Ahout half .an hour later I | learned up with another fellow and ., I went on guard with my head sticking t I over the top. At ten o'clock I was , relieved and resumed my sitting posi- j Hon on the lire step. The rain stnl- | denly stopped and we all breathed a sigh of relief. We prayed for the morning ami im? rum iwuv, t \ CHAITKK X. I "The Day's Work." I was last learning that there is a ? rtgular routine ahout the work of the t trenches. although it is badly upset at r limes l?> the tiernians. * t The real work in the lire trench t commences at sundown. Tommy is s like a burglar, he works at night. < Just as it begins to get dark the I word "stand to" is passed from trav- I rtse to traverse, and the men get busy. The lirst relief, consisting of two men to a traverse, mount the lirst step, one man looking over the top. while the other sits *at his feet, icndy to carry messages or to inform the platoon 1 Hu i! V ll C Ltwla Gun In Action. 1officers of any rcj?ort made b>' the j sentry as to his observations in \o ; Man's Land. The sentry is not allowto relax his watch for a second. It he is questioned from the trench or asked his orders, he replies without ? turning around or taking his eyes n from the expanse of dirt in front of , him. The remainder of the occupants of his traverse either sit 'on the fire step, with laiyonets fixed, ready for a any emergency, or if lucky, and a v dugout happens to be In the near vicinity of the traverse, and if the night c is quiet, they are permitted to go to o same and try and snatch a few winks of sleep. Little sleeping is done; generally the men sit around, smoking tyga and Beeing who can tell the biggest lie. Some of them, perhaps with h tyeir feet in water, would write home j sympathizing with the "governor" because he was laid up with a cold, con- ' i railed l>y getting his feet wet on his ray to work in Woolwich arsenal. It man shoithi manage to doze off. ikely as not he would wake with a tart as the clammy, cold feet of a Jj at passed over his face, or the next iln f stepped on his stomach, while tumlding on their way to relieve the entries in the trench. Just tr\ to sleep with a belt full of f|[| ininiinition arounil you, your rifle bolt iting into your ribs, intrenching tool an?lle sticking into the small of your T1 nek, with a tin hat for a pillow anil peliitK very damp and cold, with rooties" boring for oil in your armits. the air foul from the stench of rimy human bodies and smoke from a licy pipe being: whiffed into your nosrils. then you will not wonder why 'oinmy occasionally takes a turn in all tie trench for a rest. m; While in a front-line trench orders irldd Tommy from removing his oots. puttees, clothing or equipment. l'> he "cooties" take advantage of this ret rder and mobilize their forces, and binmy swears vengeance on them and , Hitters to himself, "Just wait until I it rest billets and am able to get my tw wn back." roj Just before daylight the men "turn >" and tumble out of the dugouts, man tie fire step until it gets light, or the elcome order "stand down" is given, mi ormtimes before "stand down" is or- j.. ered, the eomntand "five rounds rapi" is paused along the trench. This nans that -ach man must rest his I fie on the top and fire as rapidly as th ossible five shots aimed toward the jn ertnan trenches, and then duck (with lie emphasis on the "duck"). There is great rivalry between the opposing or Dives to get their rapid lire all oil* rst. because the early iiird. in this in- .. lance, catches the worm?sort of gets In- jump on the other fellow, catching im unawares. w) We had a sergeant in our battalion t.i, ained Warren. He was 011 duty with . is platoon in the lire trench one after- lo 0011 when orders came tip from the car that he had been granted seven ays' leave for Wight y. anil would he i*lit'Vi'il at iiv?* o'clock to proceed to higlaml. th Me was tickled to death at these si' welcome tidings and regaled his more r less envious mates beside him on lie first step with the good times in ltl tore for him. He, figured it out that ee a .two days' time'hc would arrive at re Waterloo station, Ixmdon. and then? even days' bliss! At about live minutes to tive he tu tinted to lldtti't with his title, mid or hen suddenly springing up on the fire jt, lep with a muttered, "I'll send over couple of souvenirs to Fritz so that it'll miss tin- when I leave." he stuck lis rifle over the top aud tired two m hots when "crack" went a bullet ami ie tumbled off the step, fell into the mid at the bottom of the trench, ami sl ay still in a huddled heap with n liul- tl< et hole in his forehead. tu At about the time he expected to arive at Waterloo station he was laid nl o rest in a little cemetery behind the hi iyes. He had gone to Mighty. ri In the trenches one can never tell? t is not safe to plan very far ahead. After "stand down" the men sit on he lire step or repair to their res pec- F ive dugouts and wait for the "rum isme" to materialize. Immediately folowing the rum issue comes breakfast, nought up from the rear. Sleeping is w hen in order unless some special work st urns up. Around < 1J.30 dinner shows up. tVtlen this is eaten the men try to iiiiuse themselves until "tea" appears it about four o'clock, then "stand to" s. tnd they carry on as before, H While in rest billets Tommy pets up lbout six in the mornjpg, washes up, Anwvfim lall fnlUla inryufrtni.JL.Y hli ? ilatoon officer, and has breukfast. At OI 1.45 he parades (drills,) with his conilany or goes on fatigue according to ''' lie orders which have been' read out b; y the orderly sergeant the night pre- 8C 'ious. Between 11.30 anil noon he is dis- ' iiissed. lias his dinner and is "on his l,! iwn" for (he remainder of the day, ce mless lie has clicked for a digging or j? Milking party, and so it goes on from lay to day, always "looping the loop" ? ml looking forward to peace and si flighty. Sometimes, while engaged in a cootie" hunt you think. Strange to tay, but it is a fact, while Tommy is C1 earching his shirt serious thoughts to ome to liirn. .Many a time, when per- n brming this operation, 1 have tried o llgurc out the outcome of the war nd what will happen to me. .My thoughts generally ran in this in liannel: C( Will I emerge safely from the next ittack? If I do will I skin through the 05 allowing one, and so on? While your in uind is wandering into the future it H, s likely to be rudely brought to earth i> a Tommy interrupting with. What's good for rheumatism?" Then you have something else to in hink of. Will you come out of this car crippled and tied into knots with hcumntism, caused by the wet and nud of trenches and dugouts? You rive it up as a bad job and generally aunter over to the nearest estaniinet o drown your moody lorebodftigs in a rlass of sickening French beer or to ry your luek at the always present m rami' of "bouse." You can hear the ing-song voice of a Tommy droning nit the numbers as he extracts the it tie squares of cardboard from the ot >ng between his feet. f< (To be Continued). si _ H( Remarkable Manifesto.?Following ta s a remarkable manifesto that was ecently issued by a number of Kngand's most noted ministers: ? "First?That the present crisis tonus towaru me Close 01 ine nmes >f the Gentiles. "Second?That the revelation of ,>s l'? Lord may l>c expected at any monent, when He will he manifested as aI vidently as to His disciples on the n< vening of His resurrection. "Third?Tliat the completed church fll rill he translated, to he 'forever with he l?ord.' 10 "Fourth?That Israel will l>e re- cl to red to its own land in unbelief, fll md he afterward converted hy the ai ippearance of Christ on its behalf. "Fifth?That all human schemes ct d reconstruction must he subsidiary 8C o the second coming of our Lord, beause all nations will he subject to & ds rule. "Sixth?That under the reign of 'hrlst there will he a further great *? ffusion of the Holy Spirit on all t0 lesh. ? "Seventh?That the truths em- ,0 lodied in this statement are of the itmost practical value In determinng Christian character and action rith reference to the pressing probpms of the hour." 'n This statement was signed by A. ". Dixon and F. B. Meyer, Baptists; leorge Campbell Morgan and Alfred 30 lyrd, Congregationalists; William 'uller Gouch, Presbyterian; H. Webb 'eploe, J. Stuart Holden, Episcopalans; Dinsdale T. Young, Methodist. Prohibiting Patriotism.? Down in Southeast Missouri two colored wo ten were discussing their efforts at ood conservation. "Me and Line has wore ourselves to bj frazzle, trying* to keep de meatless, cc .heat! ess days," declared Mrs. Linoln Black. "Line ain't had a wink i* sleep fo' three nights." p? "Wash says It can't be did," earn- th stly replied Mrs. Washington Brown, fo as long as de white man sleeps on m >is corn-meal sack and ties a bull- m og to de henhouse door."?8t. Louis di 'imes-Democrat. THE LAW AS TO FOOD 7 iroroary of BegulaYlons Ip To1,1 Date. HAT IS EXPECTED OF CONSUMERS Co ^e Price of Flour, Sugar and Other Food Commodities is More or Less Definitely Regulated and it Is w I Provided Distinctly that there Must ha Be No Hoarding of Any Kind. U. Below will be found a summary of "f the latest food rulings. The sum- '**? try covers all commodities and it Hild be well for all citizens to cut I'" is report out and save tor future ferencc and guidance: j* > Why We Must Save Food. tlr This greut war is being fought 01. " - - ?..u i? en th U I'UIUIIII'IUS Willi Ullllivo tit a:*u- ^ and with total in America. ,(ll With practically all of their aide- fei died nun in the trenches and in the i,n litary service, France, Kngland and l> have few left to cultivate the wl Ids. America must feed the armies, mi We cannot ship them corn because j*"'1 ey have no mills; the meal will sjr?11 y(l transit. We must ship them wheat. sic Their food animals are getting few- lf . eU each year. Furthermore, America must feet I ,,M ese armies out of her savings. 'Hi Xlr. Hoover has promised that he ,11 feed Americu first and our assoites in the war afterward. This nt rclldy puts it up to us to save food. l'" pi t h Flour. No person should have more than 30-day supply of flour. No more wi an 70 per cent of usual supply J'j' cold lie sold or bought. w, Flour should i>o sold as follows: To pr itisumers in towns and cities not ex- ilr y| | eding one-eighth to one-fourth bar- ' I lots, or less. To rural consumers. w those who live a considerable tlis- 1 nee from town, dealers may sell 1:1 ic-fourth to one-half barrel, or ss. These limitations must not be ht :ceeded. hi No flour shall be sold or delivered 'tjJ iless the buyer purchases at the tit .i..? ?i nii...,t itiiiii- is ibstitutcs for every pound of wheat )ur puivhased. Wheat flour suhsti- n lies are: Hominy, corn grits, corn ot eal, corn flour, edible corn starch, irley flour, rolled oats, oatmeal, rite. J.', ce flour, buckwheat flour, potato jur, sweet potato flour, soja bean w jur. and feterita flour und meals. J" armers raisitiK their own corn may ., it a miller's certificate showing corn ui round, and thereon purchase flour ithin the above limits without sub- ?,| itutes. t, Profit on Flour. r< Wholesale prollt: (Iross maximum profit for whole. ()| ilers in flour should not exceed from a fty to seventy*live cents |ier barrel. l> Retail I'roflt: .t'jr t-MMi JwJtwi Ufc r> Iglnal mill packages should not ex- o' ed from eighty cents to $1.1*0 per irrel, depending upon character of ^ rvlce performed. Where retailers hi II umounts less than original mill 1,1 ickage the gross profit should not exed one cent per pound. Any prollt t>: i excess of these or in excess of that in tamed in pre-war times will he condered cause for an investigation. ui Sugar, tl Sugar should i?e sold to town and f< ty consumers in not more than J 5 pound quantities; to farmers and p, iral customers in not more than ii ei i 10 pound <iuantities. Dealers are prohibited from tuak- (>| g comldnution stiles of sugar in tf mnecnon wmi omvr wuiuiiiutiiu^, ? tcept that of corn meal. The dealer his discretion may require the eon- f;( imer to purchase two pounds of corn tl eal for the purpose of Increasing jj le use of corn meal and thereby savg flour. tl Profit on Sugar. m Wholesale pioflt: Jobbers and wholesalers shall not t? large more than 25c per 100 pounds, is Retail profit: Retailers' profit should approxl- J! ate 10 per cent. ti Meat. The armies need meat. The saving r meat by the American people Is eding our armies and all meat pos- tl hie should be saved. For this reaPI1 >n the food administration has esiblished meatless days as follows: ft Tuesday is meatless. Saturday is tc jrkless. One meatless meal every c" rx ty. h Patriotic DcODle will follow this rule, el Poultry. T The department of agriculture urg- tfl i farmers not to sell hens between the hi rst of February and the first of May, 01 id at the same time requests buyers J" )t to buy hens during that time. ^ Kvery hen which is sold before the sf rst of May represents a food loss to le nation of about thirty eggs. The ital loss of eggs represented by the ^ istomary selling of hens between the t|| rst of February and the first of May di nountn to about 1*>0.000.000 eggs. The ilue of these eggs is about SO i*t |jj nt of what the hen is actually worth. m > that this programme does not en.11 a loss to the fanner, but an actual ( f n< tin. (-, Cotton Seed. ll< Farmers are urged not to use cot- "? n seed for fertilizer or for feeding ^ i stock. They lose much money lereby and the country loses much A od. Licenses. t't All information concerning licenses ct lould be addressed to Food Admin- 8lJ (ration, License Department, Wash- m gton, D. C. Licenses are Issued from n, 'ashlngton. to Save food for youi country by ob- 18 rvlng: New Food Programme. H Monday is wheatless. Tuesday is meatless. Saturday Is porkless. m One wheatless meal every day. d One meatless meal every day. Save sugar every day. Save fats every day. If you cannot serve your country r fighting In her army, serve your iuntry by saving food. Bo a Food Soldier. Food dealers, grocers and retailers ^ Tform a moat important sendee to elr country In distributing food. The od administration expects them to re ake reasonable profits. The food ad- Aj inlstration wishes to stabilize, not D) sturb trade conditions. B< Complaints and requests for tnfor- T< :it ion should l?e adilnmtl to the Hid Administrator. Columbia. S. C. I>o the riirht thin*;: Follow the Irs. William. Klliott. Food Administrator for S. ?\ ABOUT RAILROAD RATES. ngressman Stevenson Talks Some Straight Business. The hoi!so in committee of tlie* loir house on the state <>f the I'nion d under eotisideration the lull (II. >f? > to provide for the operation transportation systems while under dotal control, for the just competition oi their owners, and for other rposes. Mr. Stevenson. Mr. Chairman, there ono thing that is or rt a inly evident this discussion. and that is that use who are proponent* of the lull If stands ex|?ect It to he used for e puip. e of raising rates. Now. ere need noi r " hotly get mixed ui> out that. There Is i. ' dv here ofred any reason that atnuu.tt* to ything for this power exeept tin iMMin that it may heeomo necessary arise the rates. The gentleman 10 has just spoken said that it ight heeoine necessary to raise pasnger rat"s in order to keep people home, ami it would not do to rely on the interstate commerce commis?n to raise these rates. Well. now. the gentleman has kept up with rrent history lie will know that thin the last I'n days passenger fares mileage hooks have heen raised a latter of a cent a mile hy this samo li-rstate eomnieree commission lerefore. the argument that the lit estate commerce ?ommission will ?t make ami raise any rates if it bcn?es necessary is certainly begging e i|Ucstkon. The gentleman from Pennsylvania >lr. Moore i said a while ago that ho is unable to see any reason why tes should not he raised: that if niisportation systems break down II mild be iieeessary, and il would be 'obable that wages would be raised: til he wanted to know why rates lould not lie raised also, and that body had gisen him any reason hy they should not be raised. Now. want lo know why they should be ised. and that is a very important lestion lo tin- business of litis eouny. And the other is, how they shall raised. In tiie last 12 months, the st liscal year, (lie railroads that are men raiironos, ..1.nnn.-. ... n in, iiukIc a net income I mean icir railway operating income, which with all i'\|n iim's and taxes, ami all that |>aiil, and the balance that is ft made an operating incoine of l,l?6!t.00H,iMMi on $ 1 J?.nun.mm.(MH>. In her word*, as a whole they made . or per cent. Now that is consul *ed a fair net return for any opening property. Now, why should we lie talking that e have got to raise rates? There is a evidence that business is doeroasiK. And that is on the whole sysin. They have been taken over and Hilled and made Into a system, utid i making rates the supreme court of ic I'nited States has said that you innot hold that a rate is eotttlsca ry unless all the operations of the Kid, regardless of this rate along ith it. are not sufficient to hring in a adequate return. The fact that ie rate on one commodity tnukes it loss when they carry that eomtnodir does not destroy all the rates if all ie other operations of the system take a fair return. So if all the opeii'itiiw Hm B; tuftsin fanr ft tew 1 rer make a fair return, where Is the jcesslty Tor raising ini- rates.' Ann 11 >u arc going to ruin** thorn, my lend from Now York say*, they will ivc to In- raisoI iiuirkly and without vcstigat ion. Now, if you are going i arise rales without investigation, t us Kive tile eomrnlssion that has le information, that is expert at the jsiness. tlie right to raise them, anil >t the president, who lias no experitee. And if any of you have been |i against the rale Inisiness you know iat a man has to have expericnee heire lie knows anything aliout it. The gentleman also stated that the oessity for raising rates would have i he exercised at once. I want to ill the attention of this house lo the ict that the raising or changing of ites is tin- most demoralising thing 1 the business of the country iat ean possibly tie imagined. If you lake a rate that is not a proper one, f>u will demoralize business, because It the business of I he great inanuleturing concerns are conducted on le proposition that they will make leir contract* based upon the rate to ic place where they sell. That enr* Into every contract lor sub* and If ip rate is too high you will cause illions of dollars ol loss to the mono icturing interest* of this country, ecauso you have a rate which will uke unprofitable every contract that outstanding. (Applause.) I have offered a* an amendment the revision adopted by the senate, which Ives the president the right to iniate and put into effect rates, subject lie reviewed and filially tixed by ie Interstate commerce commission, here arc two sets of people only iat know enough to make rates in lis country?the Interstate commerce untnission and the experts of the ill roads. The president will have to *ly on one set or the other. Mani stly. the commission Is more likely i deal fairly with the people, beiuse they are not Interested. The tilroad experts will want to put rates igh in the hope that after the Fed al control they will continue high, he commission should lie charged ith this, because it has no selfish in rest to serve. This rate matter may e manipulated as to destroy towns, mnufacturing establishments, and arts, and carries the power to levy, the form of transportation charges. unions (II IUXCH (III llir lould be carefully guarded. tAplause.) Feeding the Soldiers.?To mulntaia it American ariny in France one unit red pounds of cross tonnage a ly must lie landed at French ports r each man. according to Captain art J. Zimmerman, executive officer the depot ipiartermasters' departtent. "The American people have no con ptlon of the <|uantity of supplies feded for the men "over there," said uptain Zimmerman, "nor of the dlf ulty in getting it to them. For exTiple, it takes 23,000,000 pounds of oxen beef each month to feed a illions soldiers. In explaining the food supply of the merican soldiers abroad and the anner In which it must be sent, Capt immerman gave a general picture of ie difficulties of the quartermasters' irps in constantly maintaining a ifficient quantity of food. According to his statement, the en in France are on a "garrison .tlon"?the same as soldiers at cannments In this country. This ration five pounds to a man each day. This eight, however, includes eating utenIs and container. For a million men >0,000,bOO pounds of rations a month e required, amounting to 4,000 carads. A list of the food required ror a lllion men for thirty days would Inude the following. 23.000.000 pounds of frozen beef. 37.500.000 pounds of Hour. 6,000,000 pounds of bacon. 2,000,000 cans of beef. 1,000,000 cans corned beef. 3,000,000 pounds of sugar. 2,400,000 pounds of coffee. 973,000 pounds of butter. At all times. Captain Zimmerman id, a thirty day supply is maintainI in France. Midshipman Wm. K. B. Swope has signed from the naval itcademy at mapolls at the request of Secretary iniels. Swope Is a son of Baroness >llner, recently on trial at Knoxville. :nn., on a charge of espionage.