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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (June 8, 1918)
SATUMAY.IJIJNIJ 8, lOld: 0Yer the Top' ; By Ail Amertcu SoMer , " Wi Went, ; . ARTHUR CDY PMPEY Machine Cunnsr Sctvlnf In Francs ; ; V- - '-.V. 8YNOR9IS. .-,- CHAPTER I Fired hv tha Mn Af tha staking of the Lusltanla by a German submarine, Arthur Quy.Kmpey. an Amerl 'Can. ldavea hie offlce In. Jerssv' Cltv. and foe to Kugland where he enlists In the rlllah army. ,. . ..'.".. : CHAPTER II After a narioil of train. ing, Kmpey volunteers for immediate serv ice and Boon finds himself In rest billets "somewhere In France." where he first makes the acquaintance of the ever-pres nt "cooties." .- CHAPTER III Emmiv attends his first ehurch services at the frontwhtle a Ger man Fokker circles over the congregation. CHAPTER IV Kmnnv'n-commnnd roes Into tle front-line' tranches and s under Are for the first, time. ' CHAPTER" Einpoy learns to adopt the motto of the Brtlsh Tommy, "If you are going to get it, you'll get It, so never- worry." CHAPTER VT-Back In rest WHets. Em- pey gets bis first experience as a mess orderly. - .- - CHAPTER VIT Emnev learns haw Ula British soldiers are fed. v , . CHAPTER VIII-Bnck In the frnnt.Un. trench, Empey sees his first friend of the trenches "go West." . CHAPTER Iff Emnev makes his first visit to a dugout in "Suicide Ditch." CHAPTER X Emnev learns what con stitutes a "day's work" 'in tile front-line trnrh. . , THAPTER XI Emnev roes "over the top" for the first time In a charge on the German troncheB and Is wounded by a bayonet thrust. - ' CHAPTER xn Emnoy loins the "sui cide club" as the bombing squad is called. CHAPTER XIU-Each. Tommy gets an official bath. y. J, ... -i. - -OTATTEltXIV-rEmiv helns dlsS an ladvanced trench under German fire. ' - CHAPTER XV-On "listening nost" In No Man's Land. .-. : . , ftTIAPTER XVT Two artillervmen "out- one Over" on old .Pepper, their regimental commander., i -j ' ' . v -.. ; 'CHAPTER XVII Bmpey has narrow es cape -while .6a potfoj duty in No Man's Land-. - x '.' .-'- '.,-'." nwAPTER'SXVIII Back In rest billets Empey writes an-1 stages a farce comedy. CHAPTER XlX-Soldlers have many ways to amuse themselves while "on their own." CHAPTER XX Empey volunteers for machine gun service and goes back into the front-line tronches. . CHAPTER XXI-Empey . ngnin goes 'nvur.the ton" In a charue which cost his company 17 killed . and 31 wounded. CHAPTER XXII Trick with-n .machine Igun Blleh'Cel ohfi "Bothersome r m. CHAFfER XXIII German attack,, pre ceded- by gas wave, is repulsed. . CHAPTER XXlV-Empcy is forced to take- nnrt in an execution as a member IOlheflrln SQinrI , , CHAPTER XXV British prepare for the Big Push the battle of the Homme. CHAPTER XXVI In a trench raid, preceding the Big Push. Empey Is deS- ieraiely TTOUIiubu intu nwo uiu.uubuwu u Jo Man'sLand for 36 hours. chapter XXVII After four months in a British hospital; Empey is discharged Vivalia)lv unfit tnr further war .serv :; ' h Blighty. r Frora this first-aid post, after inocu. ilatltig me with nutltetnuus serum to lnr-pc-nnt InplHnw. T war nnt Into, in nm. jbuhince and sent to a temporary hos- pltal behind the lines. To reach this hospital we had to go along a road about five miles In length. This road wasundor shell fire, for now and then alflnre would light tip the sky a tre mendous explosion and then the roud seemed to tremble- We did not mind. though no doubt somo of ns wished I In "Blighty." ' that a shell would hit us and end our misery. Personally, I was not portlcu Inr. It wns nothing but bump, jolt, rat tle, and bang. Several times the driver would turn around and give us a "Cheero, mutes, we'll soon be there "- fine fellows, 'those nnihlilunce drivers, a lot of them go West, too. We graduolly drew out of the lire zone and pulled up In front of nn Im mense dugout. Stretcher-bearers car ried me down a number of steps and plnceiLnie on a white tnble In a brightly . lighted room. , ' A sergeant of the Royal Army Med ical corps removed my bandages and cut off my tunic Then the doctor, with his sleeves rolled up, took charge. He winked at me and 1 winked back, and then he asked. "How do yon fee!, Smashed up a bit?" I answered : "I'm nil rleht, but Ta give a quid for a drink of Buss.' nn-rd' V I rd If Z ! .I,. i-t ....... -.i.t. -i...... .1. T 1 could only open my mouth about a quarter of an Inch, but I got away with every drop of that ale. It tasted Just like Blighty, and that is heaven to Tommy. : The doctor nld something to nn nt 'derly, the only word I could cntch was "chloroform," then they put some kind of an arrangement over my nose and mouth and It was me for dreamland. When r nnened tnv eves I wns Ivlna on a stretcher, in a low wooden building. Everywhere I looked I saw rows of Tommies on stretchers, some ice. j , j . CHAPTER XXVII. ,: i , alosrwoHfi-TSirTMi a tag In Mr months, . , ,. ...... . The- niala topic of their conversation was BUjrlity. - Nearly all had a grin on theUr faces, except those who didn't have; eoaucb face left to grin with. 1 grinned wilb mjr right eye. the other woe baridaged. ' Stretcher-bra reri came in and !be- gun,to rnrry the Tommies outside. Ton could hear, the chug. of the engines IS the waiting ambulances. , 4 ....... , I was put Into an ambulance with three others aud ewny we went for an eignteen-mue ride. I was 4)n a bottom stretcher. The' lad right across from me was smashed up something horrible. , . ,.. Right above ine was a man from the Royal Irli-h rifles,' while across from him was a. Scotchman. , : We hod gone about three mlleu whan I heard1 the death-rattle in the throat or tne man opposite. He had gone to rest Across the Oteat Divide. I think at the-time I envied him.' ' . The fnan of the Royal Irish rifles had had his left foot blown off, the jolting of ' the ambulance over the rough road had loosened up the band ages on p'.s foot, and had started It blecdlnr again,' -This blood ran down the. side ,ot the stretcher and started dripping. 1 was lying on my back, tod weak to move, and the dripping of this blood got me in my unbandaged right eye. 1 closed my eye and pretty soon could not open the lid ; the blood had congealed,and closed if, as if it were glued down. An English girl dressed in khaki was driving the ambulance, while beside her oil the sent was a corporal of the It. A. lf..e Tlieyliept up a running conversation about Blight which al most: vrtecked, my. .nerves;, pretty soon front the stretcher above me,. the Irishman , became aware of the fact that the bandage from his foot hud be come loose; It must have pained htm horribly, because he yelled in a loud 'voicet'v ,)";';. ;' . "If you don't stop this bloody death wapon ind flz this d bandage on my foot, I will get out and walk,".;,-' The girl on the seat turned around and in a sympathetic voice asked, ,"Poori i fellow, are you . very badly wouqded?" v ' 'v- The Irishman, at this question, let out a 'howl of indignation and; an swered,,,"Am I very badly wounded, what bioody cheek; no, I'm not wound ed, I've only been kicked by. u. canary bli-tl." ., :(! "Vi-nv- ;..'. f Tlie'nmbulance Immediately stopped, and 'the: corporal came to the rear aud llxctl ltliu up, and also washed out my right Vv'e.' I was too weak to thank him, but It was a great relief. Then I must have become unconscious, be4 cause when I regained my senses, the ambulance was at a standstill, und my stretcher was being removed from it.v - It' Wsnlaht,. lanterns were luishlpg here and there, and I could soe stretcli-cr-bcurers hurrying to and fro, Then I wits curried Into a hospital train, Tue,lo!de of. this train looked tike heaven to me, just pure white, and' we lnct-oux. first Red Cross nurses; e thought they were angels. Aud tbey wcre.s . . , . Nice -little soft bunks and clean, white sheets. : . . A Red Cross nurse sat beside me during the whole ride which lasted three hours. Sue was holding my Wrist; I thought I had'mdde a hit, and tried to tell her how I got wounded, but she would put her finger to her Hps and say, 'Yes, I know, but you mustn't talk now, try to go to sleep. It 11 do you good.' doctor's orders." Later on . I learned that she was taking my pulse every few julnutes, as I was very weak from the loss of blood and they expected-me to snuff It, but I didn't;: Froth the train we went Into ambu lances for a short ride to the hospital ship Panama. Another palace and more nngejs. I don't remember the trip across the channel. .; ' .' I opened my eyes; I wns being cor rle.d on a stretcher through lanes of people, . Eome cheering, some wnvlpg Anns, Snd'others crying. The flags were Union Jacks, I was In Southampton. Blighty,' at last. My stretcher was strewn wltii flowers, cigarettes, and chocolates. Tears started to run down -my cheek from my good eye. I like a booby wns crying. Can you beat It? ' Then Into another hospital train; a live-hour ride to Paignton, another am bulance ride, and (hen I ftas carried Into Munsey ward of the American Women's War hospital and put Into a reiil bed;"" ' ':"- ' ; ' ' .This real bed was too much for my unstrung nerves and I fainted. . When I came to, a pretty Red Cross nurse was bending over me, bathing my. forehead with cold water, then she left and the ward orderly placed a screen around my bed, and gave me a niuCh-ncedcd bath und clean pajamas. Then the screen rtus removed and a houl of steaming soup was given me. It tasted delicious. Before finishing my soup the nurse came back to ask me my name and number. She put this information down In a Mttlc book and then asked: , . "Where do you come from?" I an swered: "From the big town behind the Statue of Liberty ;" upon hearing this she stiirteii. Jumping tip and down, clnpplng her hands, and calling out to three nurses across the ward: ",Oiui here, girls at last we have got n reaf live Ynnkee with us." ; They came over and besieged me j tflth questions, until the doctor nr- lived. Upon learning that I wns an I American he almost crushed my hand j In his grip of welcome. They also " ' IMe The doctor very tenderly removed my bandages and told me, aftej view ing my wounds, thnt he would have to take me to the operating theater Im mediately. Personally I didn't care what was done with me. In a few minutes, four orderlies who looked like undertakers dressed In while, brought a stretcher to my bed and placing me on it carried me out of j the ward, across a court ysrd to the operating room or "pictures," as Tom my calls It ' , . LA " GRANDE WEEKLY CBjESVEEoTAR I don't' remember HaTtng thefnelv tfceetlc applied.- .. . s : . When. I came to I, was again lying In a bed In Munsey ward. One of the nurses had draped a large? American flag' over the head of the bed, and clasped In my hand was a smaller flag, and II made me feel good all over to ' again see the "Stars and Stripes." .At that time ( wondered when the boys In the trenches would see Jhe emblem of the' "land of the free and the home, of the brave" beside them, doing Its bit In this great war ofivl lizntlon. -.'. , .My wounds were verf painful, and several times at night I would dream that myriads of khaki-clothed figures would pass my bed and each would . stop; bend over me, and whisper, ."The best of luck, mate." " Soaked with perspiration I would awake with a cry, and the night nurse would come over and hold my hand. This awakening got to be a habit with me until that particular nurse was transferred to another ward. . In three weeks' time, owing to the careful treatment received, I was able to sit up and get, my bearings. Our ward contained seventy-five patients, 00 per cent of which were surgical cases. At the head, of each bed hung temperature chart and diagnosis sheet. - Across this sheet would be written "G. S. W." or "S. W.." the for mer meaning gun-shot wound and the latter shell wound. The "S. W." pre dominated, especially among the Royal Field artillery and Royal engineers. - . . ; About forty different regiments were 'represented, and many arguments en sued as to the respective fighting abil ity of each regiment, The rivalry was wonderful. A Jock arguing with an Irishman, then a' strong Cockney ac cent would butt In in favor of a Lon don regiment. . Before long a Welsh man, followed by a member of a York shire regiment, and, perhaps, a Cana dian Intrude tltemselves and the argu ment waxes loud and furious. The patients In the beds start howling for them to settle their dispute outside and the ward is in an uproar, The head sister comes along and with a wave of tho hand completely routs the doughty warriors . and ' again silence reigns supreme. ,. .- Wednesday and Sunday of each week Were visiting days nnd were looked forward to ty the men, because they motint parcels containing fruit, sweets or fags. - When a patient had a regular visitor, he was generally kept well supplied with these delicacies Great jealousy Is shown among the men as io their visitors nr.d many word wars ensue after the visitors leave. .When a man is sent to a convales cent home, he generally turns over his steady visitor to the. man In the next bed. - v , : Most Visitors have autograph albums nnd bore Tommy to death by asking lilm to write tho particulars of his wounding In same. Several Tommies try to duck this unpleasant job by tell ing tho visitors that they cannot write, but this never phases the owner of the album ; he or she; generally she, rTffers to write It for then and Tommy is stung Into telling his experiences. The questions asked Tommy by vlsl-1 tors would make a clever joke book to a military man. Some kindly looking old lady will stop at your bed and In a sympathetic voice address you : "You poor boy, wounded , by those terrible Germans. You must be suffering frightful pain. A bullet did you say? Well, tell me, I have always wanted to know, did it hurt worse goln$ In or coming out?" Tommy generally replies that he did not stop to figure it out when he was hit..' .. ,; '. One very nice-looking, overenthusl nstc y.ning thing, stopped at my tied and asked, "What wounded you In the face?" ' ... In n polite but bored tone I an swered, "A rifle bullet." , - . With a look of disdain sho passed to the next bed, first ejaculating, "Oh I Only a bullet? I thought It wns. a shell." Why she should think a shell wound was more of a distinction beats me." I don't see a whole lot of differ ence myself. - The American Women's War hospi tal wns a heaven for wounded men. They were allowed every privilege pos sible conducive with the rules and mili tary discipline.. The only fault was that the men's passes were restricted, To get a pass required nn net of par liament. Tommy tried many tricks to get out but the commandant, an old Boer war officer, wns wise to them nil, and it tgok a new and clever ruse to make him affix his- slgnuture to the coveted slip of paper. ' As joon as It would get dark many t patient climbed over the wall and went "on his own," regardless of many slgw staring him In the face, "Out of hounds for putlents." Generally the nurses were looking the other wuy when one of Ihesc night raids started.. I hope this Information will get none of them into- irouuie, nut i cnnnoi resist tne temptation to let the commandant know thnt occasionally we put It over on him. '.' ' " -' 'One afternoon I received a note, through our underground channel, from my female visitor, asking me to attend a party at her house that night, 1 answered that she could expect me nnd to meet me at a certain place, on the rond well known by all patients, and some visitors, as "over the wall." I told her I would be on hand at seven thirty. ' About seven-flffeen I sneaked my overcoot and cap out of the ward and hid It In the hushes. Then I told the nurse, a particular friend of mine, that I was going for a walk In tho rose gar-' den. She winked and I knew that ev-i erytning was nil rignt on ner crni. Going out of the ward. I slipped Into the bushes and. made for the wall. It igetier. This service rocs with the was dark ni plt and I wos groping corset anil such comfort, through the underbrush, when sudden-! A full lino of the latest models al ly I stepped Into space and felt myself ways on hand. Priced at 12.00 and rushing downward, a horrible bump. ; up. ' , . nnd blackness. When I came to my n i? O wounded shoulder was hurting horrl- IVllS. IxODl. I dttlSOtl bly. I wes lying against a circular' CoraptlPrA wall of bricks, dripping with moisture.1 , r. a nn and far away I could hear the trickling Res. 1702 Oak. Phoi Red 3221 of water. I had In the dnrkn" fallen Into an o3dUuaed wH.Bul " Why wasn't I 'wet? According to all rules I should have been drowned. Perhaps I was and didn't know it. :' .' As the shock of toy sudden stop radually wore oft it came to me that waa lying on a ledge- and, that the least movement on my part would pre cipitate me to the bottom of the weir. - I struck a match, In its faint gltlre I saw that I was lying in a circular ' bole about twelve feet deep the well had been filled in): The dripping I had heard came from a water pipe over on my right. -. ' .'" . " With my wounded shoulder it was Impossible to shinny up tha, pipe. I ' could not yelt for help-becauso the rescuer would want to know how the accident happened, and I woald be haled before the commandant on charges. I Just bsd to grin and bear It, with the forlorn hope that one of the returning night raiders would pass and I could give him our usunl signal of "siss-s-s-s,7 which would bring hlra to the rescue. . ' . - Every, half-hour I could hear the clock In the village strike, each stroke bringing forth a muffled volley of curses on the man who bad dug the well. -' ". v.. .'.-.-.- After two hours I heard two men talking In low voices. ; I recognized Corporal Cook, an ardent "night rald- j er." He heard my "slss-s-s-s" and came to the edge of the hole. I ex plained my predicament and amid a lot of Impertinent remarks, which at the time I did not resent, I was soon fished out ;;' .".;;'."'. ; Taking off our boots, we sneaked Into ! the ward. I was sitting on my bed In the dark, just starting to undress, when the man next to me, "Ginger" Phillips, whispered, " 'Op it, Tank, 'ere comes the matron." . . I immediately gat under thejcovers and feigned sleep The matron stood talking In low tones to the night nurse and I fell asleep. , : -.. , When I awoke in the morning the night sister, an American, was bending over me. An awful sight met my eyes. The coverlet on tho bed and the sheets were a mass of mud and green slime. She wns a good sport nil right, and hustled to get clean clothes and sheets so that no one would get wise, but "on her own" she gnyo me. n good tongue lashing but: did not report me. One of the Canadians In the wurddescrlbed her as being "a Jake of a good fel low." j .. --t Next visiting day I had ah hwful time explaining to my visitor why I had not met her at the appointed time and place.-, -.. ' .. , - - And for a week every time I passed a patient he would call, "Well, well, here's the Yank. - Hopo you are feel ing well, old top."'' . . ,' 1 The surgeon in- our ward was an American, a Harvard unit man, named Frost. We nicknamed hlra . "Jack Frost." He was-loved by all.. If a Tommy was to be cut up he had no ob jection to undergoing the operation if "Jack Frost" was"to wield the knife. Their confidence in him wns nnthetlc. He was tho best srlort I hnvo ever met, " one Saturday ifiivrnlng the Command ant and some "high up", officers were inspecting the ward, when one of the patients who had been wounded in the head by a bit of shrnnnel. fell nn the 'floor In a fit. Thev bromrlit lilm round. and then looked for the wnrd orderly to carry the patient back to his bed nt the other end ot the wnrd.' The or derly wns nowhere to be found -like our policemen, they never are when needed. The officers wore at a loss how to got Palmer Into bis bed. Doc tor Frost was fidgeting around In n nervous manner, When suddenly with a muffled "d- n" and a few other qualifying adjectives, be stooped down und took the man in his urms like a baby he was no feather, eitherand stoggered down the wnrd with him, put him In bed and undressed him. A lowj murmur of approval came from the pa tients Doctor Frost got very red. nndl Topless Sport Model Look Your Best and Be Comfortable in a j FRONT LACE COESET j the only corset with the patented VENULE i Back and Front Shield , ; Ra fitforl in thn-rnrset desiimed far ur figure, Thorc are i ' CAMILi K MODKLS i fr every figure. They are always I ;filted b 8cj0ntjfjCally trained cor- as .soon 'tis he had SnTiucif undressing Palmer; hurriedly left tho ward. - The 'wound in my face bad almost healed mid I waa a horrible-looking sight the left cheek twisted into a knot, the ej - pulled down,and . my. mouth pointing In a north by north west direction. 1 was very downheart ed and could Imagine myself -during the rest of my life being shunned by nil on account of the repulsive scar, : , Doctor Frost arranged for me to go to the Cnmbrldge Military hospital at Aldershot for a special operation to try and mako the nr prescutnble. - I arrived at the hospltnl and got as awful shock. The food was poor and tho discipline abnormally strict. - Ko patient was allowed to sit on his bed, and smoking was permitted only at certain designated hours. ' The' face medalist did" nothing for me except to look nt the wound.' I made appli cation for a transfer back to Paignton, offering to pay my transportation. This offer was accepted, and after to weeks' absence, once again I arrived in Munsey ward, all hope gdW. The next day after my return Doc tor Frost stopped at my bed and said : "Well, Empey, If you wanf me to try and see what I can do with that scar I'll do It, but you are taking an awful chance."' . 1 answered: "Well, doctor, - Steve Brndlo took a chance; ho halls from New York and so do V ..: : ... Two days after the undertaker squad carried me to the., operating room or "pictures," as we called them because of the funny films .we see un der ether, and the operation was per formed. It was a wonderful piece of jrw .o,Ahhc ,eTtJ t r, ' ,.r " " The Author. Just Before Leaving for . Home. . , . , surgery and . a 1 marvelous I success. From now on that doctor can have, my (Continued on Page Six.) leffersoii 6 Greenwood Sts Sawyer-Holmes Mercantile Company- i Wholesale and Retail Fuel, Hay, Grain, Flour, Produce Lime, Plaster and Cement Bless the Chlhfl i .- Bessie went with her mother to tha meat market the pther day, and, see ing sawdust on the floor, eh whla. pored: "Mamma, dues ha . butcher dolls?" Boston Transcript ' A WANT AD will do it WeAreWorldng t QVECTI1E ' ..,' " A.'- , ' . - - . '. - " ' .' -' ' .. ' I ..III " ..'-.-'-'"'? . in our Dry Cleaning . Department ; WHY? Because we are turning out the best work in town. , Phone Main 56 and we will call for your work. TheStaedard ;, Laundry Good ' ,ork Phone Main One-Seven VAcm jnvis. , .'.,.. i First and Last Thauftite, In mutters . of conscience flra ' thoughts are best; In matters of pru- dence last thoughts are best. RnW Hall. '. -J .: .-, .' Observer advertising will Drlng r eults. ' . .-. . - - a. r t Prompt Service- :y.'V. ) r.'l
