OF CURRENT WEEK
6 D
AN AMERICAN SOLHOt
MIO w e n t « *
Brief Resume Most Important
Daily News Items.
COMPILED
FOR
*
AKllUB fillY EHPEY
YOU
MACHINE GUNNER,.JERY1NG IN fRATtCE----------
Events o f Noted People, Government*
C 1*7 BY
wwniiff tnrry
and Pacific Northwest and Other
Thing* Worth Knowing.
Charles J. McCarthy was Tuesday
inaugurated as governor of the terri
tory of Hawaii, succeeding Lucius E.
Pinkham.
President Wilson w ill deliver a
Fourth o f July address at Mount Ver-
non. Va.. in connection with a cele
bration in which representatives of
allied nations will participate.
Discontinuance of instruction In Ger
man at the University of Denver was
announced Wednesday.
During the
second semester o f this year only 50
students enrolled in the German class
es.
Clarence Young o f the American
aviation forces, while making a flight,
was compelled to descend within the
Austrian lines. His comrades have
assured headquarters he was not in
jured.
Representatives o f civic organiza
tions o f Washington, Oregon and
Idaho, at a conference in Seattle Mon
day. adopted a plan of organization for
a zone industrial commission of the
war industries board.
Mexican sisal growers have entered
into an agreement with the food ad
ministration to sell in this country
500,000 bales of this year's sisal crop
at a price 3 cents a pound below that
received last year.
Coal dealers and distributors are
prohibited in a fuel administration
order from adding to the price of coal
they now have on hand the freight
rate increases on this commodity
which became effective Tuesday.
The Dublin police have seized 40,-
000 rounds o f ammunition found in a
consignment of grain in the Smith-
field market. It is believed the con
signment formed a part of a cargo of
arms and ammunition landed on the
northern coast some time ago.
A Washington dispatch says the en
tente allies are earnestly seeking a so
lution of the Russion problem— one
that w ill assist President Wilson in
the execution of his pledge to “ stand
behind Russia"— and latest reports
from Europe indicate that progress is
being made.
Lloyd George, in discussing the war
situation Monday in the bouse of com
mons, referred to the amazing organi
zation which was bringing American
troops to France. “ Enough Americans,”
he added, “ have arrived to satisfy the
allies and to disappoint and ultimately
defeat our foes.”
American troops on the Marne front
Monday night captured the northwest
ern part of Belleu Wood. The Am eri
cans cleared this strategic position of
all Germans, captured some prisoners
and took fiv e machine guns.
The
Americans are now in complete posses
sion o f the woods.
More than 700 men of draft age were
rounded up by the New York police in
the Brownsville district o f Brooklyn
Tuesday and questioned concerning
their registration cards. The raid was
prompted by local draft officers, who
were disappointed in the registration
of June 4.
The accusation that Alonza Sargent,
engineer of the empty troop tw in
which crashed into the Hagenbech
W allace circus sleepers near Gary,
Ind., causing the death of 85 persons,
was asleep at his throttle, was made
Tuesday by J. McFadden, attorney for
the Michigan Central railway.
A proclamation issued Tuesday de
clares the seaport of Tralee, County
Kerry, Ireland, to be a special military
area. This means the same system of
martial law has been applied to Tralee
as has been enforced in the County
Clare. Permits will be necessary for
persons to enter the prescribed dis
tric t
The Austrians have been able to
make virtually no progress against the
British forces holding an important
section o f the line on the Italian front,
says a London dispatch Thursday.
Drenching rains on the Flathead
••eservation, Montana, have saved a
probable wheat crop o f 2,000,000 bush
els just as farmers were gettin g ready
to turn stock into their fields, accord
ing to reports.
Oniy five minutes were required for
passage Thursday by the senate o f the
annual general pension bill, carrying
$220,000,000,
the largest pension
measure by $12,000,000 in the govern
ment’s history.
Austria’s grain supplies have com
pletely run out and such food o f this
nature as she is g ettin g is coming
from what Germany has allotted to
her from the Ukrainian supplies, ac
cording to indications in a Copenhagen
dispatch to the London Exchange T ele
graph company.
I 'T h e Americans in the W oevre sent
their first gas against the German
lines from projectors Wednesday morn
ing.
A German raid at Remieres
Wood was repulsed.
Some o f the
enemy were killed and one prisoner
was taken.
EMPEY TAKES HIS FIRST TURN ON THE FIRING STEP OF
THE TRENCH WHILE BULLETS WHIZ OVERHEAD.
Synopsis.— Fired by the sinking o f the Lusitania, with the loss o f
American lives. Arthur Guy Kmpey, an American living In Jersey City,
goes to England and enlists as a private In the British army. A fter a
short experience as a recruiting officer In Loudon, he fs seut to train
ing quarters In France, where he first hears the sound o f big gun*
and makes the acquaintance o f “ cooties." A fter a brief period o f
training Empey’s company is sent lit o the front-line trenches.
C H A PTE R V.
Mud, Rats and Sheila.
I must have slept for two or three
hours, not the refreshing kind that re
sults from clean sheets and soft pil
lows, but the sleep that comes from
cold, wet and sheer exhaustion.
Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake
and a thunderclap burst In my ears. I
opened my eyes— I was splashed all
over with sticky mud, and men were
picking themselves up from the bottom
o f the trench. The parapet on my left
had toppled into the trench, completely
blocking it with a wall o f tossed-up
earth. The man on my left lay still. I
rubbed the mud from my face, and an
awful sight met my gaze— his bead
was smashed to a pulp, and his steel
helmet was full o f brains and blood.
A German “ Minnie” (trench mortar)
had exploded In the next traverse. Men
were digging into the soft mass o f mud
in a frenzy o f haste. Stretcher-bear
ers came up the trench on the double.
A fter a few minutes o f digging, three
still, muddy forms on stretchers were
carried
down
the
communication
trench to the rear. Soon they would
be resting “ somewhere in France," with
a little wooden cross over their heads.
They had done their bit fo r king and
country, had died without firing a shot,
but their services were appreciated,
nevertheless.
Later on, I found out their names.
They belonged to our draft.
I was dazed and motionless. Sud
denly a shovel w ts pushed Into my
hands, and a roush but kindly voice
s a id :
“ Here, my lad, lend a band clearing
the trench, but keep your head down,
and look out fo r snipers. One o f the
Fritz’s Is a daisy, and he'll get yon If
you’re not careful.”
Lying on my belly on the bottom of
the trench, I filled sandbags with the
sticky mud, they were dragged to my
rear by the other men, and the work of
rebuilding the parapet was on. The
harder I worked, the better I felt. A l
though the weather was cold, I was
soaked with sweat.
Occasionally a bullet would crack
overhead, and a machine gun would
kick up the mud on the bashed-ln para
pet. A t each crack I would duck and
shield my face with my arm. One o f
the older men noticed this action o f
mine, and whispered:
“ Don’t duck at the crack o f a bul
let, Y a n k ; the danger has passed— yon
never bear the one that wings you.
Always remember that If you are going
to get It, you’ll get It, so never worry.”
This made a great Impression on me
at the time, and from then on, I adopt
ed his motto, “ I f you're going to get It,
you'll get it.”
It helped me wonderfully. I used It
so often afterwards that some o f my
mates dubbed me, “ I f yon're going to
get It, you’ll get it.”
A fter an hour's bard work, all my
nervousness left me, and I was laugh-
ing and joking with the rest.
A t one o'clock, dinner came up in
the form o f a dixie o f hot stew.
I looked fo r my canteen. It had
fallen off the fire step, and was half
burled In the mad. The man on my
left noticed this, and told the corporal,
dishing out the rations, to put my
share In his mess tin. Then he whis
pered to me, "Alw ays take care o f your
mess tin, mate.”
I bad learned another maxim o f the
trenches.
That etew tasted fine. I was as
hungry as a bear. W e had "seconds,”
or another helping, because three of
the men had “ gone West,” killed by
the explosion o f the Oerman trench
mortar, and w e ate their share, but
still I was hungry, so I filled In with
bully beef and biscuits. Then I drained
my water bottle. Later on I learned
another maxim o f the front line, “ Go
sparingly with your water.” The bully
beef made me thirsty, and by tea time
I was dying fo r a drink, but my pride
would not allow me to ask my mates
fo r water. I was fast learning the
ethics o f the trenches.
That night I was pat on gnard with
an older man. W e stood on the fire
step with oar hands over the top, peer
ing out Into No Man's Land. It was
nervous work fo r me, but the other fel
low seemed to take It aa part o f the
night's routine.
Then something shot past my face.
My heart stopped beating, and I ducked
mjr head below the parapet. A soft
chuckle from my mate brought me to
my senses, and I feebly asked, "F o r
heaven's sake, what was that?”
H e answered. “ Only a rat taking a
promenade along the sandbags.”
I
felt very sheepish.
About every twenty minutes the sen
try In the next traverse would fire a
star shell from his Hare pistol. The
“ plop" would give me a stnrt o f fright.
I never got used to this noise during
my service In the trenches.
I would watch the arc described by
the star shell, and then stare Into No
Man's Land waiting for It to burst. In
Its lurid light the barbed w ire and
stakes would be silhouetted against Its
light like a latticed window. Then
darkness.
Once, out In front o f our wire, I
heard a noise and saw dark forms
moving. My rifle was lying across the
sandbagged parapet. I reached fo r It,
and was taking aim to fire, when my
mate grasped my arm. and whispered,
“ Don’t fire.” He challenged In a low
voice. The reply came back Instantly
from the dark form s:
"Shut your blinkin' month, ~you
bloomin' Id iot; do you want us to click
It from the BoohesT”
Later we learned that the word, “ No
challenging or firing, wiring party out
In front.” had been given to the sentry
on our right, but he had failed to pass
It down the trench. An officer had over
heard our challenge and the reply, and
immediately put the offending sentry
under arrest. The sentry clicked
twenty-one days on the wheel, that Is.
he received twenty-one days’ field pun
ishment No. 1, or “ crucifixion,” as
Tommy terms it.
This consists o f being spread-eagled
on the wheel o f a limber two hours a
day fo r twenty-one days, regardless of
the weather. During this period, your
rations consist o f bully beef, biscuits
and water.
A fe w months later I met this sentry
and he confided to me that since being
“ crucified,” he had never failed to pass
the word down the trench when so or
dered. In view o f the offense, the
above punishment was very light. In
that falling to pass the word down a
trench may mean the loss o f many
lives, and the spoillug o f some Impor
tant enterprise In No Man's Land.
I
C H A PTE R VI.
I .1
\
"Back o f the Line."
Our tour In the front-line trench
lasted four days, and then wa were
relieved by t h e ----- brigade.
Going down the communication
trench we were In a merry mood, al
though we were cold and wet, and
every bone In our bodies ached. It
makea a lot o f difference whether yon
are “ going In” or “ going out.”
A t the end o f tbe communication
trench. Umbers were waiting on the
road fo r us. I thought we were going
to ride back to rest billets, but soon
fonnd out that the only time an in
fantryman rides is when be is
wounded and is bound for the base or
Blighty. These Umbers carried our
reserve ammunition and ratlona. Our
march to rest billets was thoroughly
enjoyed by me. It seemed as I f I
w ere on furlough, and was leaving be
hind everything that was disagree
able and horrible. Every recruit feels
tbls way after being relieved from tbe
trenches.
W e marched eight kilos and then
halted In front o f a French estamlneL
The captain gave the order to turn
out on each side o f the road and wait
his return. Pretty soon he came back
and told B company to occupy billets
117, 118 and 119. Billet 117 was an
old stable which bad previously been
occupied by cows. About four feet In
front o f tbe entrance was s huge ma
nure pile, and the odor from it was
anything bat pleasant Using my
flashlight I stumbled through tbe door.
Just before entering I observed a
white sign reading: “ Sitting 60, lying
20,” but, at tbe time. Its significance
did not strike me. Next morning I
asked the sergeant major what It
m eant H e nonchalantly answered:
“ That’s some o f the work o f the R.
A. M. O. (Royal Army Medical corps).
It simply means that In case o f an at
tack, tbls billet will accommodate
fifty wounded who are able to alt np
and take notice, or twenty stretcher
It was not long after this that I was
one o f the ‘“JO lying.”
I soon hit the hay and was faat
asleep, even my friends the “ coot!#*"
failed to disturb me.
The next morning at about six
o'clock I was awakened by th# lane*
corporal o f our section, Infonulng m#
that I had been detailed as moas or
derly, and to report to the cook and
give him a hand. I helped hltn make
the fire, carry water from an old wall,
aud fry the bacon. Lids o f dtxlea are
used to cook the bacon In.
A fter
breakfast was cooked. I carried a dlxla
o f hot tea and the lid full o f bacon to
our section, and told the corporal that
breakfast was ready. He looked at m#
O stars of Freedom’s banner bright
In contempt, aud then shouted, “ Break
That clustered shine In field ol blue.
fast up. come aud get It I" I Immedi
From faint lar depths of bcaveu’s
ately got wise to the trench parlance^
height
and never again Informed that “ Break
Your constellated fires you drewl
fast was served.”
From starry ways of ages down
It didn't take long for the Tommies
You bring th* light of old renown I
to answer this call.
H alf droaaed,
they lim'd up with their canteens and
Greece first your dawn-bright radiance
I dished out the tea. Each Tommy
knew
carried in his hand a thick slice o f
When Freedom’s atar roes o’er tbs
bread which hud been Issued with tbs
dee
rations the night before. Then I had
And Athena’ glory full orbed grew
the pleasure o f seeing them dig Into
When Parthenon crowned the Acrop
m
the bacon with their dirty fingers. The
olis steep.
allowance was one slice per man. The
The fame of Greece then brightly shone
late ones received very sinull slices.
With splendor since through age*
Aa each Tommy got bis shure he Im
known.
mediately disappeared Into the billet.
I’retty soon about fifteen of them made
But kindled by Promethean fire
a rush to-the cookhouse, each currying
(Far other lands roes Freedom's
a huge slice o f bread. These slices
atari.
they dipped Into the bacon greasa
Unquem hed by blood, they etIU aanlre
which was stewing over the fire. The
Where far beyond th* old world
last man Invariably lost out. I was
bars
the lust man.
They rose above the new world bright
A fter breakfust our section carried
And blent as one their kindred light
their equipment Into a field adjoining
the billet and got busy removing the
Long may these stars undimmed etill
trench mud therefrom, because at 8:45
shine
a. m„ they hud to fall In for inspection
In Freedom’s gloriouc galaxy“
und parade, and woe betide the man
Long may our Und still be the shrine
who was unshaven, or had mud on Ida
T o all the world of Liberty.
uulfortu. ricunllness Is next to godli
Whose statue stands at Freedom's
câ \
ness In the British urniy. and Old Pep-
gates
per must have been personally ac
And for the coming millions wait* I
quainted with St. Deter.
Our drill couslsted o f close-order
— //. T. SaJJuih i* N il* York HiorU
(J
formation, which lasted until noon.
During this time we hud two ten-min
p«i*t was the first place In the Uniteli
ute breaks fo r rest, and no sooner th*
States to be named for Washington
word, “ Fall out fo r ten tulnuteu,” was
aud that Its existence antedates by
given than each Tommy got out a fag
years Washington. D. C.
and lighted it.
When General Washington was In
Fags are Issued every Sunday morn
Curllslo during the whisky rebellion
ing. and you generally get between
he, with Alexander Hamilton, w oe
twenty and forty.
The brand gen
stilped In the “ Old Presbyterian Meet
erally Issued Is the “ Woodbine.” Some
ing
House” on the public square In
times we are lucky and get “ Gold-
Carlisle, and It wua tu Hits Identical
flakes.” “ Flayers” or "Red Hussars.“
meeting house, on July 12, 1774. a year
Occasionally nu issue o f “ L ife Kays“
before the Mecklenburg declaration, a
comes along. Then the older Tommies
OaHlala, Pa., Claims to Hava Had public meeting o f patriotic cltlsena
Immediately get busy on the recruits
Within Its Limits a Station of Im gathered from the town and surround-
and trade theso fo r “ Woodbines” or
portance That Antedates th* Nation | lug country, condemned the act o f th*
“Goldflakea.”
A recruit only has to
al Capital by Many Yaara— Made British parliament and urged vlgoroui
be stuck once In this manner, and then
Flrat Movo fo r American Liberty.
measure* to correct the wrong. Col.
he ceases to be a recruit. Thera la a
John Montgomery was the presiding
A R L IS L E . Pa., claims to have officer. James Wilson was present and
bad within IU limits the first was appointed one o f lire member* ol
place ( WaahlngtonburR) In the the committee to meet with other com
United State* to be named for m lttre* to tuke action, lie was later a
George Washington and to have the member o f tho Continental congress, a
oldest meeting house west o f the Sus signer o f the Declaration nnd a Jnatle*
quehanna. wherein the genn o f Am eri o f tbe Supreme court. Wing's history
can liberty wa* conceived.
states, “ snd when In the Continental
Access to hidden record* und fuct* congress he received Instructions from
long burled In ulnte archive* I* re III* constituents In Cumberland county
writing history und a lately discovered to advocate an entire separation iron
“ Uncompleted Paper” by the lute Ftho mother country. This was prob
Christian I*, liumrleli, Esq., disclose* ably the first utterance o f thnt sent!
the fact that on the present site of the moot o f the country."
United States Indian school at Car
Bancroft’s Tribute to Wilson.
lisle In prerevolutionary time* wa* an
Bancroft says o f W ilson: “ H e wos nr
establUhment o f “ recognized Impor ardent patriot, like many other ernl
tance, and o f great hl*torlcal interest,” nent men o f that day— not at first
known us Wushlngtoiihurg.
avowedly In favor o f severance iron:
No record Is found In state or coun the mother country, hut he desired It
ty of Its existence, but research shows when he received definite Instruction
that It was quite an Important place from his constituents."
and more than a suburb o f Carlisle.
llellmnn, writing o f the potency ol
It was a national and not a »ta t« es- this meeting held In the "Old Meeting
nmise” on July 12, 1774, snys: "The
Influence, therefore, o f tho meeting, m
of subsequent Instructions to which It
gnve rise, seems to have determined
the action o f Pennsylvania In that
Resting Back of the Line*.
great crisis which men even like John
reason. Tommy Is a great cigarette
Dickinson were too timid or too cow
smoker. H e smokes under all condi
ardly to < loet.”
tions, except when unconscious or
The "vote o f James Wilson deter
when he Is reconnolterlng In No Man’s
mined the vote o f Pennsylvanls. Had
Land at night. Then, fo r obvious rea
Pennsylvania failed to accept the reso
sons, he does not care to have a light
lution we today would be under an
ed cigarette In his mouth.
other (lag.
Stretcher bearers carry fags fo r
Philadelphia mny be considered "The
wounded Tommies. When a stretcher
birthplace o f American liberty,” hut
bearer arrives alongside o f a Tommy
Its conception In the “ Old Presbyterian
who bas been hit the following conver
Meeting House,” In Carlisle, Cumber
sation usually takes place: Stretcher
land comity, Pennsylvania, made It
bearer— “ Want a fng7 Where are you
possible to be born.
hit?” Tommy looks up and answers,
The Heoteh Irish part 111 the Revolu
“ Yes. In the leg.”
tionary war and the events preceding
A fte r dismissal from parade, we re
It la becoming more apparent and Im
portant, and the actions taken In the
turned to our billets and I had to get
Presbyterian meeting houses through
busy Immediately with the dinner Is
out Pennsylvania are vital to historic
sue. Dinner consisted o f stew made
from fresh beef, a couple o f spuds,
recital.
bully beef, Maconochle rations and wa
Principle Must Be Adhered To.
ter— plenty o f water. There Is great
One of the statesmen who fnshloned
competition among the men to spear
this government upon Its broad llnea
with their forks tbe two lonely pota
James Wilson.
thnt have endured left us the guiding
toes.
tabllshment, fo r "Col. Flower, Commls- words thnt “ eternal vigilance Is the
eary-Oeneral o f M ilitary Stores,” re price o f liberty,” nnd WO should hold
quests that he might have "Carpenters, fast to that In all our future; that
Back on the front line, after a
Farriers, Gun Smiths, Tinmen, Had- vlgllnnce which shall make us pre
stay in rest billets, Empey gats a
I dlers and Shoemakers" for work at pared In pence for possible wnr, pre
shock when a German bullet cute
, this place.
pared In wnr fo r promised peace, and
down his flrat friend o f th*
watchful both In peace nnd war for
Coal Used Industrially.
trenchea. He telle the etory In
Dr. Charles F. Himes o f Dickinson the principles snd the policies which
the next Installment.
| college w rites: “ It was, too, an up-to- have safeguarded the constitution and
I date, or rather, away-abead-of-date, which will save. If anything will save,
(T O B B C O N T IN U E D .)
establishment, at least In regard to our republic till nations are no more.
MILITARY POST -
THAT WAS NAMED
FOR WASHINGTON
C
fuel employed, for anthracite coal from
Make Light o f Heavy Loads.
Wllkeabarre region was floated down
T b e streets o f Jerusalem within the
tha Susquehanna and hauled In wagons
walls are as narrow and crowded that
j from Harris’ Ferry (Harrisburg) to
It la Impossible to drive a wagon
this point. This wns the first use of
through them, and many o f them ar*
such coal, on such a scale, and for In-
built o f a aeries o f steps upon tbe hill
side, so that it la a task to lead camels ; dustrlal purposes." Evidence o f the
large force o f workmen employed Is
or donkeys through them after sunrises
found In a meat bill, dated February 7,
Therefore moat o f the carrying and
1781, fo r 1B0 head o f beef cattle to
pottering la done by men. They carry
supply the artificers and others at
the most surprising loads. I am told
Washlngtonburg, at the “ Continental
that they will step along hrtakly with
works nenr Carlisle.”
600 pounds on tbelr backs, with stoat
T h * contention la that this military
ropes holding the bundles to their f t r p
Bhrh>nf^
( t
Put His Americanism First.
“ You must remember,” said he who
first rsme to us as Marquis de la Fay
ette when he wns asked by what title
ho preferred to be addressed when he
wns last on these shores, “ that I bib
an American general.”
He had renounced meanwhile one
o f the proudest patents o f nobility la
France thnt he might feel stronget
within him the call o f freedom. Th*
reply Is characteristic o f hla wholt
outlook o f life.
■)