Morning Oregonian., May 13, 1919, Page 6, Image 6

THE 3IOItNTI'G OREGOXIAX, TUESDAY,
31 AY 13, 1919.
HUNDRED-HOUR TEST
1 FAILS TO DAUNT MEN
Period One of Waiting and
Taking Casualties.
HUN FIRE IS CONTINUOUS
Boys of 91st Could See Pals Struck
Here, There and Everywhere by
Shells From Germans.
BY COLIN V. DTMENI,
American Red Crois Kfiarcher with the 91. f
Division.
THIRTY-FIFTH ARTICLE.
Now comes the story of that Hundred
Hours In the Argonne, which tried
eorely the soul of the 91st. It was 100
tiours principally of just waiting, Dux
pretty steadily of taking casualties. To
take casualties when there is imme
diate, visibla retaliation is one thing;
to take them lying down in damp fox
holes without any revenge is another.
The 91st doughboy could see his pals
being struck here one, there one, up
the hill a little way two or three more
- and he was never quite sure (be
cause his eyes could not see it) that his
own artillery was doing the Fame I o
the Hun. The Hundred Hours was
hard on his nerves and temporarily
hard on his spirit.
The story of the Hundred Hours is
chiefly the story of the men who were
killed. There is not much to tell on
the tactics side. The whole division
lay back of the Hundred Hour Hill and
the Tronsol farm line. For a mile and
a half or so back the men stayed most
of the time under cover; back of that
again they stirred around a good deal,
being in great measure men who had
things to do for those farther front.
Clear back to the village of Chappy,
Bix and a half kilometers, the country
was thick with 91st men over a three
mile width, all of them under shellfire,
but in lessening degree as the distance
Increased. . Where Fritz would throw
ten shells on the men in the first two
miles of the area, counting back from
tho front, he would throw one into the
next two.
Center Shelled FeralMtently.
Certain centers he shelled quite per
sistently during the Hundred Hours.
Epinonville was one. Major-General
William H. Johnston, commanding the
91st, was a great hand to ke.vP his post
of command far forward. It was al
ways possible for a -runner to go from
the front back to General Johnston and
not be long in arriving. He is said
once to have been reproved from a i
higher source for keeping the P. C. up
so close, but he did not change policy
so far as could be discerned. One
usually learns what's in the general's
mind by watching the general and not
from the general's lips. Anyway,
Epinonville, as the bird goes, was just
two kilometers from the front outposts,
or about a mile and a third; and the
constant explosion of shells in the
smashed villege was evidence that the
Hun knew the P. C. was there.
Very canyon, as always, was persist
ently shelled. There were not many
minutes when a shell was not breaking
somewhere or other between Very and
Epinonville. The main wagon train,
motor truck train, ammunition train,
engineer train, artillery and infantry
movements up to the Cierges woods,
Baulny woods and Tronsol farm pieces
of line, passed up the Very canyon.
Dead horses lay thick on the roadsides
and that more men did not lay there
was strange; but men are smaller than
horses and harder to hit and are buried
more quickly and can take cover in
stantly; the army horse, poor creature,
can take no cover.
Eclisfontaine Good Target.
Eclisfontaine got numerous spells of
Knelling. Once in a while Fritz gave
Eclisfontaine a rest, but he knew that
many changes of troops took place
around there, his artillerymen had ex
act range and the place was a favorite
target.
Cheppy was shelled less often. The
shells that fell there after the Hundred
Hours began were intended for the re
lieving division, for the time was ap
proaching when the 91st would have to
have rest, and so up the highway
through Aubreville, Neuvilly and Bou
reilles (three more of the 1500 wrecked
towns the Hun left in France and Bel
gum), the great first division was mak
ing its way to Varennes And Cheppy,
getting up its guns and supplies, set
Ting up hospital tents and preparing to
take the place of the left wing of the
91st and the right wing of the 35th. So
occasional shells came over, but what
did the lirst, fresh from Chateau-Thierry,
Soissons and the Vesle, care for oc
casional schells?
The two miles of road from Very to
the field hospital of the 91st in the
Cheppy woods and the adjacent coun
try were shelled. On the plateau just
above Very and along this road was a
Plst dump where company kitchens
drew rations. Ammunition also was
stored near the road. Captain Wilford
Lewis, of the quartermaster depart
ment, a well-known Seattle man and a
much-liked man in the 91st, contrib
uted much toward the success or tne
Q. M. branch by his work at this dump
luring the Hundred Hours. Captain
Lewis died in the embarkation area on
February 10 and was buried February
12 at Belleme, France.
"Crasy Americans" Feared.
Les Bouleaux Bois and Serieux farm,
west of Eclisfontaine, in which lay 91st
upport companies, were shelled. The
Small Pill
Small Dose
Small Price
y
CARTERS
ITTLE
IVER
PILLS
For Constipation
Carter's Little
Liver Pills
will set you right
over night.
Purely Vegetable
Stopped Cough After Influenza
"I want to say that Foley's Honey
end Tar is the best cough medicine I
ever tried." writes E. B. McDowel, R. F.
D. 1, Box 119, Arlington, Tenn. "My son
had influenza. He had the worst kind
of a cough and I tried everything, but
nothing did any good. JCJod sent me a
friend with Foley's Honey and Tar, and
his cough was better the next day and
in two days he had no cough at all."
Foley's Honey and Tav stops harsh,
racking coughs; eases wheezy breath
ing. It is effective, yet pleasant to take.
jSold everywhere. A". v.
Tronsol farm flank was under machine
gun fire; the right flank, where the
361st and 362d lay, was not under much
machine gun or sniper fire, as the Hun,
amazed by the Gesnes attack and hav
ing no idea what "the crazy Amer
leans" would take it into their heads
to do next, was loth to come back in
force beyond Gesnes.
The above gives the general setting
and, roughly, the distribution of shell
in the 91st area. The bulk of the
shellfire, as stated, fell on the Cierget
woods, the Baulny woods, Tronsol farm,
the big ravine that curves from behind
Tronsol farm south of the Baulny
woods and northeast between Baulny
and Cierges woods, and upon Les Epi
nettes Bois. From Eclisfontaine and
Epinonville south and southeast the
shelling, except in the canyon or along
some of the roads, was much lighter.
Most of the men within a mile of the
outposts remained in their pits or fox
holes most of the time, as stated. These
foxholes were dug with entrenching
tools, which every man was supposed to
carry. They were from 18 inches to
three feet deep and were not longer
than a man's body; in width they were
sufficient for one man or two; it was
against regulations for three to oc
oupy the same pit, although three some
times did. When it rained the bottoms
of foxholes became muddy and wet and
then the 91st had a disagreeable time
of it.
Men's Endurance Tested.
The men had gone into action light
and most of them had no blankets, or
at any rate not more than one each. A
few had found German blankets or
German overcoats, which were wel
comed indeed, cooties and all. Some
of the foxholes had a bit of straw,
found in some nearby barn, or a few
branches to line the bottom, but the
man without blankets, in summer un
derwear, lying in a wet foxhole in the
cold fall nights along Hundred Hour
Hill, learned at first hand the hardships
of soldiering. They were a good lot
of boys, who stood it with little com
plaint and with spirit largely undaunt
ed. The four days of holding the line
were made harder by the prevalence of
diarrhea. It seemed as if everyone did
have that, though there were some ex
ceptions. What caused the remarka
ble epidemic of this malady the doctors
never did know for sure. Exposure,
frequency of cold meals of "corned Wil
lie" and hardtack, sleeping in wet
clothes on the ground. i drinking un
chlorinated water, eating from un
washed mess kits, have all been blamed.
Anyway, most of them had it.
Looking upon tho four days as a sin
gle episode, therefore, and without at
tempt to go into the detail of company
reliefs along the front line, since no
military decision depended, the writer
will now describe some of the deaths
that occurred. So gradual was the
wastage, and so widely distributed was
it over the area, that 91st officers may
be surprised to read, that well over 200
men were killed outright or fatally
hurt in the hundred-hour period.
Three Instantly Killed.
About half a kilometer west of Eclis
fontaine was a steep reverse slope in the
Bovieaux woods, upon which compa
nies in support used to take refuge for
protection from shellfire. There they
would lie in their pits while the shells
of the Hun passed over and went down
the hill, the trajectories being such
that the pits were almost Immune. In
one of these pits on the night of Sep
tember 30, lying together for warmth.
were three men of headquarters com
pany of the 363d infantry Travis L.
Snow of Torrington, Wyo., Robert 8
Sturtevant of 449 Loa Angeles avenue.
Daly City, Cal., and 'Jay T. Smith of
Temple, Tex., all privates, 100 feet away
from the company captain, John V.
Richards, of 1725 First avenue, Spo
kane. Smith. Sturtevant and Snow all
belonged to the one-pound cannon
platoon.
The three were only seven or eight
feet below the edge of the bank and
were two or three feet into the hillside,
but on the hillside were trees, and the
shell that ordinarily would have gone
harmlessly over them, struck one of
these trees, shattered obliquely down.
and killed the three instantly. It killed
also Private Pete Christensen of
Eagleville, Cal., and wounded, three
other men in a nearby pit. Christen
sen, struck, in the head, flopped for
ward on his face without moving. He
had been sitting up. Sergeant Nelson
Monroe of AKuras, Cal., flattened as
he heard the shell coming and was not
hurt.
Shellfire Continuous.
The night passed. It was about noon
of October 1. Company K of the 363d
was lying on the same slope. Shells
were passing over the trees and going
on down the hill just the same. In one
pit were Sergeant Thomas R. White of
Sacramento, Sergeant John Sweetnam
of Sebastopol, Cal., and Private Hans
Jensen of Oakland.
Out In front of them Private Baroni
Private Del Bene and Private Louis
Batchelor, all of company K, were dig
ging a grave. The grave was intended
lor Christensen of K, and Jay Smith of
headquarters, both killed on the night
before. Batchelor himself was later
killed up in Belgium; he was from San
Francisco, tho 363d being largely
California outfit.
Company K.'s kitchen was close and
the men were getting hot meals. , The
front line was two kilometers forward
The mail had been brought in after
dinner, and. there on the side of Hill
231, with a hot dinner inside, with a
rest from the front line in prospect.
and with letters from home, it was
restoring hour for the men of com
pany K.
Sergeant White got two letters. One
was from a girl in Seattle: the other
was from his mother. He read the two
letters and as he finished he looked
around in deep satisfaction because he
had heard from home.
Corporal Antonio Reggiardo of K
came over just then, and White read
him the opening lines of the letter
from mother. It began by asking
where her boy was tonight. "I can
just imagine how the people in the
states are worrying," remarked the
doomed sergeant. "There will be many
sad hearts after this drive, especially
in California."
The trees still ran along the top of
231. A shell struck the branches. It
shattered obliquely downward, and the
three men in that pit. White. Sweetnam
and Jensen, were dead. Reggiardo had
just walked away. Sweetnam was
leaning on his gun. Jensen was roll
ing a cigarette.
In the pockets of White was a dollar
bill marked "Somewhere in France."
It is thought he intended mailing it to
the mother.
He was buried with Sweetnam and
Jensen and Christensen in the grave
he had watched being dug.
(Tomorrow more of the hundred
hours' deaths will be described In this
serial).
DENTISTS ROBBED OF GOLD
Vancouver Offices Entered and
Metal Carried Away.
VANCOUVER, Wash.. May 12. (Spe
cial. ) A thief in quest of gold looted
the dental offices of Dr. Taylor and
Allen and Dr. J. E. Cahen, between
Saturday and Monday morning. He se
cured about $200 worth of gold in the
offices, gaining entrance by springing
the locks. The theft was not discovered
until the dentists opened their offices
today. While there were other articles
of value in the rooms and many tools
nothing but gold was taken.
A similar theft was reported here
last year and it is believed that" the
same man is making his rounds again,
as lie at that time visited several large
cities on the coat and obtained gold
from many dentists' offices.
WORSHIP
T
SOLE AMERICAN IDEA
President Wilson Reasserts
Nation's Love of Liberty.
WAR BRINGS FULL PROOF
product enterprises so grouped as to
promote their "mutual Interests, are
forecast In announcement yesterday re
garding details of these changes. The
company, it was stated. Is requiring
the removal of all except fruit ware
houses a distance of three blocks. Some
of the coal and lumber yards which are
removing to other locations will be re
placed with fruit warehouses owned
and operated by the present concerns,
which will add this feature t their
business.
In connection with the establishment
of the new coal yards, several of them
are asking for elevated tracks to en
able unloading of coal by gravity to
the bins and from them to wagon.
Ctterances of Chief Executive De
clared to Be the Thoughts of the
Great People He Represents.
PARIS, May 12. President Wilson,
in his address to the French Academy
of Moral and Political Sciences, Satur
day entered a strong disclaimer of the
idea that the American people were
largely materialists or dollar worship
ers.
"I have had in recent months one
very deep sense of privilege," the presi
dent said. "I have been keenly aware
that there have' been times when the
peoples of Europe have not understood
the people of the United States. We
have been too often supposed to have
been devoted chiefly, if not entirely to
material enterprises. We have been
supposed, in the common phrase, to
worship the almighty dollar.
v e have accumulated wealth, sir;
we have devoted ourselves to material
enterprises with extraordinary success,
but there has underlain all of that, all
the time, a common sense of humanity
and a common sympathy with the high
principles of justice which has never
grown dim in the field even of enter
prise, and it has been my very great
joy in these recent months to interpret
the people of the United states to the
people of the world.
Americans Stand for Liberty.
"I have not done more, sir. I have
not uttered in my public capacity my
own private thoughts. I have uttered
what I have known to be the thoughts
of the great people whom I represent
I have uttered the things that have
been stored up in their hearts and pur
pose from the time of our birth as a
nation."
It was at this point that the presi
dent made his declaration that the
American people who came into the
world consecrated to liberty were ready
to cast in their lot in common with the
lot of those whose liberty is threat
ened whenever the cause of liberty was
seen to be imperiled.
"This is the spirit of the people of
the United States," he continued, "and
they have been privileged to send two
million men over here to tell you so.
It has been the great privilege not
merely to tell you so in words, but to
tell you so in men and material the
pouring out of their wealth and the
offering of their blood.
Influence of German Teaching Seen,
President Wilson alluded to his
studies in the field of political science
and of the attempts he had made "to
put Into the words of learning the
thought of a nation, the attitude of a
people toward public affairs." He con
tinued:
"A great many of my colleagues in
American university life got their
training, even in political science, as
so many men in civil circles did, in
German universities. They speak too
often of state as a thing which
would ignore the individual, as a thing
which was privileged to dominate the
fortune of men by a sort of inherent
and sacred authority.
"Now, as an utter democrat,' I. have
never been able to accept that view of
the state. My view of the state is that
it must stop and listen to what I have
to say. no matter how humble I am,
and that each man has the right to
have his voice heard and his counsel
heeded insofar as it is worthy of him
BOOM IN BOISE PROMISED
CAPITOL IMPROVEMENTS AS
SURE ERA OP PROSPERITY.
Read The Oregonlan classified ads.
Bond Issues Voted Provide Funds
for Large Additions to Present
Badly Crowded Structure.
BOISE, Idaho, May 12. (Special.)
A new era of prosperity opened for
Boise on May 10, when the bond ISBue
of $135,000 was voted for the purchase
of property adjacent to the state Capi
tol building. While not large, the
Issue virtually carried with it $900,000,
for the contingency upon Its passage
was the expenditure of the latter
amount on two wings to the Capitol
building.
Governor Davis hasmade it clear
that he intends to have the wings
erected before his present term ex
pires. Had the issue not passed, many
other improvements contemplated for
Idaho s capital city would not be at
tempted. As it is a general programme
of public improvements is now being
launched.
The last legislature passed a bill au
thorizing the 'expenditure of J00,000
on the erection of the two capitol
building wings. The main section was
erected at a cost of approximately
$2,000,000. It is badly crowded. Each
wing is to cost $450,000. When com
pleted the building will cover two city
blocks.
To give this handsome edifice an
appropriate setting tho plan of se
curing approach property was worked
out. The entire building will be bound
ed by Sixth and Eighth streets and by
State and Jefferson streets. The ap
proach property is directly In front of
the capitol building.
FRUIT PROSPECT IS GOOD
Oregon and AVashington Crop and
Price Outlook Favorable.
WALLA WALLA, Wash., May 11.
(Special.) Growers of this section o
Washington will receive almost as
much this year as they did last year
for their prunes, and may receive more
if the Idaho crop is a failure, accord
ing to F. V. Martin of Spokane, north
western field manager for the Earl
Kruit company. He says the Idaho crop
has been damaged at least 75 per cent,
and may be a total failure.
"Apple growers in Oregon and Wash
ington will receive fancy prices this
year, more than they ever received be
fore." Mr. Martin said. "Cherries will
be high as well as peaches. Fancy pears
will sell readily at $3 a box.
YAKIMA CHANGES MANY
Relocation of Business Enterprises
TTsing X. P. Trackage Under Way.
YAKIMA. Wash.. May 12. (Spe
cial.) Extensive changes in the yard
of the Nortnern f acme ity. jo. In this
city, and relocation of business enter
prises using N. P. trackage to make
room for Iruit warehouses and by
"MISS SPOKANE" OH STAGE
POPULAR GIRL TO APPEAR IX
DRAMATIC ROLE.
Civic Organizations- Propose to Unite
In Testimonial at Seml-Profcs-sional
Debut.
SPOKANE. Wash., May 12. (Spe
cial.) Miss Marguerite Motie, who for
seven years has gained popularity as
the official "Miss Spokane," will make
her first appearance before the public
in a dramatic role with the profes
sionals of the Woodward Stock com
pany May 25.
Miss Motie has been engaged to play
the part of Joan in the play of Jerry.
The part is second in importance only
to that of Jerry,. which will be played
by Hasel Whitmore, and might almost
be said to divide the etellar roles.
Miss Motie's semi-professional debut
will be recognized by the Spokane Ad
club, Spokane Chamber of Commerce
and other civic organizations, which
propose to unite In a testimonial to the
popular young woman, whose name
has been carried from coast to coast
in a most unique publicity campaign.
Arrangements for Miss Motie's ap
pearance on the professional stage
were completed today.
Mr. Woodward, in offering the part
to .Miss juotie, is making a distinct de
parture from a long established rule.
He has never featured amateurs in his
producing company, but in this in
stance he said he recognized in Miss
Motie unusual ability and talent, which
ne was willing to help develop.
ELKS WILL HONOR MOTHER
Local Lodge Is Arranging Ceremony
for Thursday Xigbt.
Officers of Portland Elks' lodge. No.
142, are preparing for the ritualistic
Mothers' day ceremony announced for
Thursday night In the local lodgerooms.
It Is a ceremony which has been made
national for the order and every lodge
in the country will hold the service.
The soldiers' friend committee of the
local lodge, which is working under
direction of the national committee
and under supervision of the federal
board of vocational education, will meet
tonight in the clubroomsat 7:45 o'clock
for the purpose of organizing and
making future plans.
Julius J. Berg, exalted ruler, has ap
pointed Frank Lonergan, C. L. Boss
George B. Thomas, Earl R. Goodwin
and George O. Brandenburg to take
charge of the work. Exalted Ruler
Berg also will take the leading part
in the Mothers' day ceremonies.
SURPLUS OF FOOD LARGE
Beef and Bacon in Vast Quantities
to Relieve Europe.
WASHINGTON. May 12. A method of
disposing of about 100,000.000 cans of
beef and more than 50,000,000 pounds of
bacon included in the surplus food
stocks of the army, representing two
years' production, has been agreed
upon between the war department and
representatives of the packing industry.
The department announced today
that it had accepted the recommenda
tion of the packers that the goods be
disposed of for export to relieve the
food situation in Europe, but that
should this be impossible the director
of sales would control the sale in this
country, fixing the prices.
Five Icebergs Reported.
NEW YORK, May 12. Five icebergs.
one of them ISO feet high, were passed
by the Norwegian-American liner Ber
gensfjord last Friday in latitude 45.48,
longitude 46.57, It was reported when
i ' "J
'a. -..- ,,,. .,-ltll r.A
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DR. WHEAT
207 Morgan Building
Washington at Broadway
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Here you will find the finest
clothes made, and a service on
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tailors that will satisfy your
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Suits and
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$25 to $65
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MEN'S WEAR
Corbett Bldg-., Fifth and Morrison
New
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Heavy Broadcloth,
Crepe de Chine
in a wide variety of
beautiful pattern
effects.
$10andSl2
Rich Knitted Ties to go
with the shirts
$1 to $4
she arrived here tonight from Chris-
tiania. '
Beaverton Grange Is Hot.
BEAVERTON, Or., May 12. (Special.)
At a meeting of Beaverton Grange
here PatiTrday a juvenile programme
was rendered by the eons and daugh
ters of the members. Songs and reci
tations, interspersed with instrumental
numbers proved entertaining and a
large attendance of members, many of
whom came from a distance, was well
pleased with the innovation which the
programme committee provided. Plans
were made for participation in the
meeting of the mate grange at Hills
boro. May 20 to -4.
M. Briand, ex-premier of France, i:i
1911 received an offer of $60,000 to do
liver a series of lectures In the capitals
of Kurope upon anv puh.leet he plensed.
O i :
r
4,y
f : tswon -.... .-w 0
f DAYS
Mi il
TODAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
9865 PEOPLE SAW
DOROTHY GISH
in "PEPPY POLLY"
ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY
AND THEY ARE STILL
Li
GiWG
ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR!
HURRY! U
i
PE0P1ES