Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Eleventh Hour A Dramatic Description of the Final Scens of the Great ; Kl CT? m i- ? The following account of the last hour before the armistice went intc effect at 11 a. >m., November llth. and the celebration that followed the cessation of fighting was printed in The Stars and Stripes of Novembe; 15. (The Stars and Stripes is the of ficial newspaper published for the American Expeditionary Forces in France). The article was sent to Mrs. J. H. Levy by her son, Lieut. Geo. D. Levy, with the interesting letter, which is printed herewith: "At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month hostilities came to an end from Switzerland to the sea. Early that morning, from* the wireless station on jthe Eiffel Tower in Paris, there had gone forth, through the air to the wondering, half-incredulous line that . the Americans held from near Sedan to the Moselle the order from Mar shal Foch to cease firing on the stroke of 11. On the stroke of 11 the cannon stopped, the rifles dropped from shoulders, the machine guns grew still. There followed then a strange, unbelievable silence as though the world had died. It lasted but a mo ment, lasted for the space that a breath is held. Then came such an i uproar of relief and jubilance, such a tooting of horns, shrieking of whis tles, such an overture from the bands and trains and church bells, such a shouting of voices as the earth is not likely to hear again in our day and generation. When night fell on the battlefield the clamor of the celebration waxed rather than waned. Darkness? There .was none. Rockets and ceaseless fountain of star shells made the lines a streak of glorious brilliance across the face of startled France, while, by the light of flares, the front and all its dancing, boasting, singing peoples was clearly visible as thouh the sun sat high in the heavens. The man from Mars, coming to earth on the morning of November 11, 1918, would have been hard put to it to say which army had won, for, if anything, the greater celebration, the more startling outburst, came not from the American but from the German side. At least he could have said?that man from Mars?to which side the suspension of hostilities had come as the greater relief. The news began to spread across the front shortly after the sun rose. There was more or less of an effort to send it forward only through mil itary channels, to have the corps re port it calmly by wire to the divisions, the divisions to the brigades, the brigades to the regiments, the regi ments to the battalior 3, and so ? on down to the uttermost squad, quite as though1 this were an ordinary or der and nothing to get excited about. There was the effort. But it did not work very well. The word was sped on the kind of wireless that man knew many centuries before X Look Out for Dam aged Cotton. ? We cannot refrain from giv ing a word of advice to those of our friends who are holding cotton. In riding through the country it is to be seen thrown around the yard under trees or in some cases piled three or four bales high. The average farmer will tell you that by turning his cotton over afer a rain so as to allow the sun to dry it. there is no danger of damage. In this sttaement we think our friends are mistaken. With sugar sack bagging es pecially, the moisture gets un der the bagging and the sun can't get at it to dry it thor oughly and damage is bound to result. We have had a great deal of experience with damag ed cotton, all of which has been very unsatisfactory. We have known cotton to damage as much as 15? pounds to the bale and figuring around the present price, that means $40 per bale. It is our candid opinion that any cotton ex posed to the weather at this season of j-ear for four to six months, no matter how care fjil the owner may be In turn ing, it will be damaged from ten to twenty pounds to the bale. Another trouble in this con nection is the expense of pick ing it This work is usually done at the public weighers' platform before the cotton is weighed and the cost will be double what it has been here tofore. In some cases it may be necessary for the owner to carry the cotton home on ac count of the scarcity of labor, and have it picked before he can 'sell it. Our advice is warehouse your cotton no mat ter what the cost may be and if you can't find a place in which to store it. build sheds to pro tect it from the weather. It is strange that people will go to so much trouble and expense to raise cotton and then throw it around any old way to be dam aged by the elements. Another thing, insure your cotton, you can't afford to be without it. We are not charging any thing for this advice, and the farmer who fails to act upon it will only have himself to blame, when he comes in to sell his cotton in the. spring o. early summer at 30 to 35c. which we hope he will obtain for it. and finds a lot of It dam aged. x With best wishes for a hap py and pleasant Christmas. O'DON NELL & CO. Marconi came on earth. It,spread 'ike a current of electricity along the shivery mess lines, hopping up and down and sniffling and scuffling as : they waited for the morning coffee. It spread along the chains of sing ing road menders, along the creep ing columns of camions. Driver call ed it to driver and runners tossed the word over their shoulders as they hur ried by. Now and again a fleet ?. of motorcycles Would whizz along through the heavy mist. J'The guerre will be finee at 11 o'clock. Finee la guerre." You could hear it called out again and again. ? -What time?" "Eleven o'clock." A pause. "Say, you, what time is it now?" They took it a little incredulously at first. That was old stuff, that ru mor. They had heard it again and again during the past fortnight. "Well, the captain says it's so." "Hell, who's he? I'll wait till Foch comes and tells, me himself." Why, the preceding Thursday night ?that was the night the envoys came over from Spa?news that what the doughboy seems to prefer calling the "arstimic" had been signed spread like the Spanish flu from Grandpre to the Meuse. That night the flares inflamed the skies, the rockets streaked the night. Bands burst into long-suppressed mu s?; and the headiights twinkled all along the ^ad. It did not last long,1 this little vmbidden] flunry, and there was much scolding; but, as a matter of fact, nothing much more demoral izing to the enem3r could well have been staged than this spectacle of the First American Army cslebrating something he had not heard. All along the 77 miles held by the Americans the firing continued, liter ally, unto the eleventh hour. At one minute before 11, when a million eyes were giued to the slow-creeping min ute hands of a million watches, the roar of the guns was a thing to make the old ?:arth tremble. At one point ?it was where the Yankee division visiting at the time, with a French corps was having a brisk morning battle to the east of the Meuse, a man stationed at one battery stood< with a handkerchief in his uplifted hand, his eyes fixed on his watch. It was one minute before 11. To the lanyards of the four big guns ropes were tied, each rope manned by 200 soldiers, cooks, stragglers, messeng ers, gunners, everybody. At 11 the" handkerchief fell, the men pulled, the guns cursed out he last shot of the battery. And so it went at a hun dred, at a thousand, places along the line. Probably the hardest fighting being done by any Americans in the final hour was that which engaged the troops of the 28th, 92nd, Slst and 7th Divisions with the Second American Army, who launched a fire-eating at tack above Vigneulles just at dawn on the 11th. It was no mild thing, that last flare of the battle, and the order to cease firing did not reach the men in the front line until the last moment, when runners sped with it from fox hole to fox hole. Then a quite startling thing occur- ! red. The skyline of the crest ahead of them grew suddenly populous with : dancing soldiers and, down the slope, ? all the way to the barbed wire, straight for the Americans, came the German troops. They came with out- i stretched hands, ear-to-ear grins and souvenirs to swap' for cigarettes, so well did they know the little weak ness of their foe. They came to tell how pleased they were the fight had stopped, how glad they were the Kais er had departed for parts unknown, how fine it was to know they would ? have a republic at last in Germany. "No;" said one stubborn little Prus sian, "it's a kingdom we want." Whereat his own companions mob bed him and howled him down. The farthest north at 11 o'clock on the front of the two armies was held at the extreme American left up Se dan way by the troops of the 77th Di vision. The farthest east?the near est to the Rhine?was held by those negro soldiers who used to make up . the old New York 15th and have long been brigaded with the French. They were in Alsace and their line ran through Thann and across the railway \ that leads to Colmar. When the great hour came, across ( the trenches from our side swarmed a small army of civilians bearing food and clothing to their kith and kin on the other side. From the highest steeple in Thann the tricolor flutter ed gayly. and within the church, there knelt in thanksgiving all the old folks from miles around. ? With them, in among them, poilus knelt and Yankee soldiers, and the crowd so choked the aisles and steps that the priest could not move for ward for his services. But the words that he preached from the pulpit were such words as leave the eyes dim and the heart glowing. Up to the front, past Montfaucon and Romagne. past Remonville and on up a truck trundled that morning. Over the tailboard, at the endless mud of Argonne and Ardennes, there gazed a boy who had been drafted in the heart of America some six months be fore and who. with stop-offs for te dious training on the way, had slow ly journeyed from his home to the Ardennes. It had taken him six months, it had put him through the cheerless channel of the replacement system, but it had brought him at last to his destination?the destina tion of his daydreams and his night mares. He had reached the front.? As he rode along he noticed a cer tain excitement tingling eveywhere, . but perhaps that was just the mood ? of the front. When finally the truck ' stopped and he jumped out, the . news was waiting for him. "It is 11 o'clock. The war is over." "Hell." he said. "I just got here." Then he laughed a short, little ; laugh that was mage half of relief ' and half of disappointment! And his ? name was Private George W. Legion. " Up in a high observation post an - American observer was trying to pene " tr?te the mist with his Herman field I glasses. Tho young officer at his elbow ? asked him to look due- west. What did " he see? Well, not much?the road to ? the forest full of traffic, no shell lire. * a crippled airplane ;n the field below. * "Lord, Lord, what good are those ~l glasses? Why, without them, I can -e?wr see a litle house in Kansas City. There's a nursey on the second' floor and the sun, shining- in the window, just touches a cradle there. Inside that cradle, man, is my daughter. I have never seen her before. She was born since I sailed for France." Meanwhile, on the roads'below, the Engineers were working with a will, time to celebrate, for the roads must be kept in shape. But they sang as they worked. Send the word, send the word over there That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming? The words, in that hour, had ac quired a new significance. While here and there across the devastated land where Yanks were at work, you could hear a knot burst into song. And the burden of all the songs was this: It's home boys, home, it's home we ought to be, Home, boys, home in the land .of liberty. So came to an end the 11th of No vember, 1918?the 5S5th day since America entered the war. November 13th, 191^8. My Dear Mother: Thank God the war is over. For ?the first time in nine days I have been able to'write you a line. During that time I have thought of you constant ly, and prayed that I might live to see you again, for I certainly lived through a veritable hell. I am safe, and sound now, and it will not be many months before I come back to you. ? Now, I can tell you the whole truth about what I have been doing. From the day I left Commissey I have eith er been at the front or on my way to a new front. For three weeks I was in command of a combat group on the jlront line, in the Vosges sector, and for one month I never took off my clothes, not even my shoes, except once, when I had a chance to *ake a bath. We then had ten days- rest and then went to the Verdun front, where we stayed but a few days and were hurriedly sent to another sec tor of the same front for an attack. We marched out for that attack be fore noon on the 10th. From the minute we started on the road, we came under terrific shell fire, which increased as we .advanced. A little after ten o'clock, we were going "over the top," with the ene my sending down a rain of high ex plosives and gas shells and using aeroplanes against us. Our men were wonderfully brave throughout that hell of fire, and shell. Machine gun fire was incessant, gas came over at frequent intervals, and we had to put on our masks, but still the boys went on. Maj. Willis was right in the thick of it, and as his ad jutant I was with him to send and re ceive messages, and help keep; up communications. For twelve hours the show kept U,p with ever increasing intensity, until finally orders came . to withdraw from that point, in order to join in an attack on the left. In leav ing, the danger was increased two fold, but we were early the following morning 'in time to see the first and second battalions move out for the at tack, . while we were held back in muddy trenches as "support. When we were about in the act of moving out again for a second dose an or der came at 10.15 that firing would cease at 11 o'clock. You can Imagine how I felt! I had been without without sleep for nearly four days, and four ni&hts.; I had been living under the highest kind of tension during that time, and had little or no food. When I thought of what I had' lived through, and how wonderful my- es cape from death had been, I there,' and then offered up a prayer of thanks to God ::or my safe deliver ance. I will soon be able to tell you of my many experiences. * * * Orders have just come for us to move out. I suppose that we are to occupy some territory under the terms of the armistice, so I must close. I will write again at the first opportunity, and will cable you if pos sible. With unbounded love I am al Your devoted son. George. FOR INFORMATION OF RED CROSS MEMBERS. During Red Cross Christmas Rx>ll Call. There are those who when called upon to renew their subscription to the Red Cross for 1919 will wonder, as they were told last May that they would not be called upon for mem bership dues until next May. This Red Cross Christmas Roll Call is a universal campaign for members instituted at National Headquarters. By renewing your m%mbership now you will simply be paying dues in ad vance, paying in December for 1919 instead of in May, hence making one payment for the year and will not be called upon next May. We trust that every Red Cross member will exhibit a spirit of coperation and gladly, pay his dollar now without question. Helpful Herbert* What a friend we have in Hoover, All the skins and thieves to bare. What a surplus-fat remover. All our hungry pangs to share. Ever- present help in trouble. Guide, philosopher, and friend. Pass the shark-meat and fried stubble. Will the conflict ever end? ?Credited to "Exchange" by Amerl-j can Motherhood. Americans in Prison Y. M. C. A. Worker in Germany Did Much for Their Comfort. Paris, Nov. 15 (Correspondence oi the Associated Press)?The condition of American war prisoners In Ger man, prison camps was to some ex tent ameliorated by the work of Con rad Hoffman an American Y. M. C. A. worker who was permitted to remain in Berlin after most other Americans either had left or had been. Interned. Hoffman convinced the German government that the more he was al lowed to do for the American prison ers in Germany the better would fare German prisoners in American hands. He was allowed to employ neutrals as his assistants on his promise that members of his organization would not act as spies or propagandists, but solely to improve the physical and mental welfare of the prisoners. Largely through Hoffman's efforts, it is now stated, prisoner's help com mittees were organized in all prison camps in Germany containing Amer icans and their needs were commu nicated to Mr. Hoffman who forward ed them to A. C. Harte, international Y. M. G. A. secretary in Berne, Switzerland. Both the Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A. cooperated in supplying the prisoners with food, clothing, money and other necessaries, operat ing through that channel. Many let ters have been received at Y. M. C. A. headquarters in Paris from the American prisoners of war in Ger many testifying to the receipt of this aid. Wood for Fuel Urged, To increase the use of wood as a substitute for coal for domestic use this winter, the fuel administration has urged all State administrators to organize "Burn wood" campaigns. The plan is for city or county fuel deputies, particularly in the Eastern States to arrange for wood at reason able prices through the operation of wood yards and by taking orders from consumers and then arranging with farmers to supply it at fair prices. Wood ' cutting clubs as a medium through which the price can be kept at a low level also is suggested. Anthracite Output Lower. Anthracite coal production has been so reduced by a number of causes that it is now nearly 100,000 net tons behind the daily average production last year. Figures just gathered for the week ended November 16 show a total for that week of 1,405,000 net tons, a daiiy average of 234,000 tons, as compared with a daily average of 34 0.000 tons for the corresponding period last year. The anthracite out put for the coal year to date is 63, S51.000 net tons, compared with 64, 921,000 net tons, last year's record for the same period. Influenza and the celebrations of the signing of the armistice contributed chiefly to the slump in production._ THE UNITED STATE AR Frank M. Harper, who for the past eleven years has been the superin ' itendent of the Raleigh, N. C, public 1 schools was in the city for a few days recently. He is now with the Bureau , of Education at Washington, and is organizing in the cities and larger f.owns of North and South Carolina companies of the United States School Army. The purpose of this organization jsi to enlist the services of the public j school children in'the high schools! and upper grammar grades in the 1 cultivation of home gardens and va cant lots under teacher direction for {twelve months in the year. Eighty five per cent, of these children in nor mal times are without employment after school hours. The government, in order to increase food production at home, and thereby releasing more food for shipment to the needy peo ples of Europe, is making an effort to utilize the school children of America in cultivating home gardens for fam ily consumption. The plan is for the superintendent", of schools to select some grade teach er who has a natural aptitude for gardening and, by additional compen sation of $200.00 a year, to secure her services for supervising these home i gardens during /afternoon hours and vacation months. Boards of Educa tion are urged by the authorities at Washington to employ one or more grade teachers in every town and city to carry on this work. Each grade teacher to receive $ 10 a month dur- j ing the school term and $40 a month { during the vacation period. A oompany consists of from 20 to j 150 children under one teacher direc tor. From the company are selected a captain, a first lieutenant -and a sec ond lieutenant, and it will be the duty of these three officers to assist the teacher-director in visiting the gar dens of the children and aiding them with suggestions when possible. A bronze badge is presented to every member as soon as his garden is plant ed. The captain's badge has three stars, the first liteutenant's badge two and the second lieutenant's badge one. A service flag is also given for display in the window of the home. The government estimates that each member of this school garden army will average $12.50 worth of vege tables for the family. By multiply ing 150 by $12.50 we can get some idea as to the value to the commun ity of organizing the work in the pub lic schools. Aside from (its economic value, gar dening has a high educational value. 'It is a phase of manual training, and teaches! uoys and girls the much needed use of their hands. The pu pil who cultivates a 'garden meets with obstacles such as drought, frost, harmful insec* blight, neighbors' chickens, etc. To ? overcome such ob stacles and ^successfully raise vege tables and flowe-s is almost a liberal education. It is nature study of the I most valuable kind._ iS SCHOOL GARDEN .MY ? ' Boards V? Education are readily cooperating; with the government- in . appropriating funds for the employ i ment of one or more teaeher-directora j to cany on this work. Bulletins are {sent out at intervals and other direc j tions so that all needed information j is placed in the hands of the teacher, who gives it to the children. " / I I The school board of Columbia has recently employed six teacher-direc tors. The Chester school hoard has t ! employed one. The training school | of Winthrop College one. The mat [ ter will be presented to the Rock Hill board at their next meeting and fa vorable action will probably be tak en. . Over one million and a half hoys and girls have already joined the United Sttaes School Garden Army, and the governmentis making: .a drive for five millions by spring. Food experts are of the opinion that America's food supply will be taxed to the utmost during the year that ia approaching. It is not generally known that neither North Carolina of K South Carolina raise sufficient food'to^' feed the people in these two Stateav^ This army affords a wonderful oppor tunity for the boys and girls to be patriotic and to gain health and hap-, /piness in the cultivation of plants and flowers. Habits of thrift, pa triotism and industry are thus incui cated. while the family grocery bill will be materially reduced. It is suggested that a garden fair be held on the 4th day of July in all the cities and towns where there :ia a di vision of the garden army, and'prizes be offered for excellence along: the different lines of garden work.. This it is believed, would add greatly to the interest of the young gardeners. . Children who are taught to grow ? plants and flowers while attending; the public schools will imbibe, not only pleasure but also a sense of beauty that will be revealed in later years in more attractive homes. The boys in France are impressed with the skill of even the peasants in France as displayed in their homes. Flowers and shrubbery and climbing; vines are familiar every-day scenes in the homes of the small farmers id France. Our American boys are also* impressed with the fact that there Js no waste land in France; the whole country, not over-run by the enemy, is in the highest state of cultivation. Before the great war, France was the banker nation of Europe on .ac count of its wonderful agricultural de velopment. The nation that con tains the greatest number of success ful farmers and highly cultivated, fields will become the wealthiest na tion. \ Surely, therefore, a knowledge of elementary agriculture shonld.be taught to the young people now at tending the American public schools. United States School Commissioner Claxton has for a number-of years advocated the teaching of - gardening! in the public schools under teacher direction, and the proper place for the garden is at the home : of the child.__;. HEADQUARTERS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS For many years we have been headquarters for Men's and Boys' Christmas gifts. This season we are prepared, as usual, to, satisfy your wants. ?Suit Cases, ?Handkerchiefs, ?Gloves, ?Hosiery, ?Neckties, & ?Collars, ?Collar Bags, ?Mufflers, and other Useful Gifts. ?Ties, in boxes, 50c, Don't wait until all the Best Ones have gone, come in at once. = THE - ler Clothing' Co. The Hxmre of Hart Schaffner 8tr WanrCfctfrey Suits, ?Overcoats, ?Raincoats, ?Hats, ?Shoes, ?Shirts, ?Underwear, ?Bathrobes, ?Smoking Jackets, ?Handbags,