The Monmouth herald., March 08, 1918, Image 2

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CHAPTER I.
From Mufti to Khaki.
It was In an office In Jersey City.
I was sitting at my desk talking to
a lieutenant of the Jersey National
Guard. On the wall was a big war.
map decorated with variously colored
little flags showing the position of the
opposing armies on the western front
In France. In front of me on the desk
lay a New York paper with big flaring
headlines:
LUS1TANIA SUNK! AMERICAN
LIVES LOSTI
The windows were open and a feel
ing of spring pervaded the air.
Through the open windows came the
strains of a hurdy-gurdy playing In the
street '1 Didn't Raise My Boy to Be
a Soldier."
"Lusltanla Sunk I American Lives
Lost!"-"I Didn't Raise My Boy to
Be a Soldier." To us these did not
seem to Jibe,
The lieutenant In silence opened one
of the lower drawers of his de.sk and
took from It an American flag which
he solemnly draped over the war map
on the wall Then, turning to me with
a grim face, said:
"How about it, sergeant? Ton had
better get out the muster roll of the
Mounted Scouts, as I think they will
be needed In the coarse of a few days."
We busied ourselves till late In the
evening writing out emergency tele
grams for the men to report when the
call should come from Washington.
Then we went home.
I crossed over to New York, and as
I went np Fulton street to take the
subway to Brooklyn, the lights In the
tall buildings of New York seemed to
be burning brighter than usual, as If
they, too, had read "Lusltanla Sunk I
American Lives Lost!" They seemed
to be glowing with anger and righteous
Indignation, and their rays wigwagged
the message, "Repay !"
Months passed, the telegrams lying
handy, but covered with dust Then,
one momentous morning the lieutenant
with a sigh of disgust removed the
flag from the war map and returned
Guy Empey.
to his desk. I Immediately followed
this action by throwing the telegrams
Into the wastebasket Then we looked
at each other In silence. He was
squirming In his chair and I felt de
pressed and uneasy. ; ,
The telephone rang and I answered
It It was a business call for me, re
questing my services for an out-of-town
assignment Business was not
very good, so this was very welcome.
After listening to the proposition I
seemed to be swayed by a peculiarly
strong force within me, and answered,
"I am sorry that I cannot accept your
offer, but I am leaving for England
next week," and hung up the receiver.
The lieutenant swung around In his
chair, and stared at me in blank aston
ishment A sinking sensation came
over me, but I defiantly answered his
look with, "Well it's so. I'm going."
And I went v
The trip across was uneventful 1
landed at Tilbury, England, then got
Into a string of matchbox cars and
iriif
mumsm soimr
WHO VENT .
MIldlErKT
MACHINE ,BY!NGIfiniAflCE
proceeded to Loudon, arming tnert
about 10 p. m. I took a room In a hotel
near St. Fancras station for "Ave and
six fire extra." The room was minus
the tire, but the "extra" seemed to
keep me warm. That night there wai
a Zeppelin raid, but I didn't see much
of It because the silt In the curtains
was too small and I had no desire to
make it larger. Next morning the tel
ephone bell rang, and someone asked,
"Are you there?" I was, hardly. Any
way, I learned that the Zeps had re
turned to their fatherland, so I went
out Into the street expecting to se
'scenes of awful devastation and a cow-
erlng populace, b'ut everything was
normal. People were calmly proceed
ing to their work. Crossing the
street, I accosted a Bobble with :
"Can you direct me to the place of
damage?"
He asked me, "What damage r
In surprise, I answered, "Why, the
damage caused by the Zeps."
With a wink he replied:
"There was no damage; we missed
them again."
After several fruitless Inquiries of
the passershy, I decided to go on my
own In search of ruined buildings and
scenes of destruction, I boarded a bus
which carried me through Tottenhum
Court road. Recruiting posters were
everywhere. The one that Impressed
me most was a life-size picture of
Lord Kitchener with his finger point
ing directly at me, under the caption
of "Your King and Country Need Yon."
No matter which way I turned, the
accusing finger followed me. I was
an American, In mufti, and bad a little
American flag In the lapel of my coat
I had no king, and my country had
seen fit not to need me, but still that
pointing finger made me feel small and
ill at ease. I got off the bus to try
to dissipate this feeling by mixing
with the throng of the sidewalks.
Presently I came to a recruiting of
fice. Inside, sitting at a desk was a
lonely Tommy Atkins. I decided to In
terview him In regard to Joining the
British army. I opened the door. He
looked up and greeted me with "I s'y,
myte, want to tyke on?"
I looked at him and answered, "Well,
whatever that Is, 111 take a chance
at It"
Without the aid of an Interpreter, I
found out that Tommy wanted to know
If I cared to Join the British army. He
asked me: "Did you ever hear of the
Royal Fusiliers?" Weil In London,
you know, Yanks are supposed to know
everything, so I was not going to ap
pear Ignorant and answered, "Sure."
After listening for one half-hour to
Tommy's tale of their exploits on the
firing line, I decided to Join. Tommy
took me to the recruiting headquarters,
where I met a typical English captain.
He asked my nationality. I immedi
ately pulled out my American passport
and showed It to him. It was signed
by Lansing. After looking at the
passport, he Informed me that he was
sorry but could not enlist me, as It
would be a breach of neutrality. I
insisted that I was not neutral, be
cause to me It seemed that a real
American could not be neutral when
big things were In progress, but the
captain would not enlist me.
With disgust In my heart I went out
In the street I had gone about a
block when a recruiting sergeant who
had followed me out of the office
tapped me on the shoulder with his
swagger stick and said: "S'y, I can
get you In the army. We have a lef
tenant' down at the other office who
can do anything. He has Just come
out of the 0. T. 0. (Officers' Training
corps) and does not know what neu
trality Is." I decided to take a chance,
and accepted his Invitation for an In
troduction to the lieutenant I entered
the office and went up to him, opened
up my passport and said:
"Before going further I wish to state
that I am an American, not too proud
to fight, and want to Join your army."
He looked at me In a nonchalant
manner, and answered, "That's all
right ; we take anything over here."
I looked at him kind of hard and re
plied, "So I notice," but It went over
his head.
He got out an enlistment blank, and
placing his finger on a blank line said,
"Sign here." '
, I answered, "Not on your tintype."
"I beg your pardon T
Then I explained to him that I wouM
not sign It wimout tint reading It I
read It over and signed for duration of
war. Some of the recruits were lucky.
They signed for seven years only I
Then he asked me my birthplace. I
answered, "Ogden, Utah."
He said, "Oh, yea, Just outside of
New York?"
With a smile. I replied, "Well, It'a up
the state little."
Then I was taken before the doctor
and passed as physically fit, and was
Issued a uniform. When I reported
back to the lleutennnt, he suggested
that, being an American, I go on re
cruiting service and try to shame somo
of the slackers Into Joining the army."
"All you have to do," he snld, "la to
go out on the stsrot, and when yog see
a young fellow In mufti who looks
physically lit, Just stop htm and give
him this kind of a titlk : 'Aren't yon
ashamed of yourself, a Britisher, phys
ically fit, and In mufti when your king
and country need you? Deu't yoo
know that your country Is at war and
that the place for every young Briton
Is on the firing lino? Here I am, an
American, In khaki, who came four
thousand miles to fight for your king
and country, and you, ai yet, have not
enlisted. Why don't yon Join? Now
Is the time.'
"This argument ought to get many
recruits, Empey, so go out and see
what yoa can do."
He then gave me a small rosette of
red, white and blue ribbon, with three
little streamers hanging down. This
was the recruiting Insignia and was
to be worn on the left sldo of the cap.
Armed with a swaRger stick and my
patriotic rosette, I went out Into Tot
tenham Court road In quest of cannon
fodder.
Two or three poorly dressed clvlk
lans passed me, and although they ap
peared physically fit, I said to myself,
"They don't want to Join the army;
perhaps they have someone dependent
on them for support," so I did not ac
cost them.
Coming down the street I saw
young dandy, top hat and all, with a
fashionably dressed girl walking be
side him. I muttered, "You are my
meat," and when ho came abreast of
me I stepped directly In his path and
stopped blra with my swagger stick,
saying:
"You would look fine In khaki ; why
not change that top hat for a steel
helmet? Aren't yon ashamed of your
self, a husky young ctmp like you In
mufti when men are needed In the
trenches? Here I am, an American,
Swearing In Recruit
came four thousand miles from Ogden,
Utah, Just outside of New York, to
fight for your king and country. Don't
be a slacker, buck np and get Into uni
form; come over to the recruiting 3f
flee and I'll haw you enlisted."
He yawned and answered, "I don't
care If you came forty thousand miles,
no one asked you to," and he walked
on. The girl gave me a sneering look;
I was speechless.
I recruited for three weeks and near
ly got one recruit
This perhaps was not the greatest
stunt In the world, but It got back at
the officer who had told me, "Yes, we
take anything over here." I had been
spending a good lot of my recruiting
time In the saloon bar of the Wheat
Sheaf pub (there was a very attractive
blonde barmaid, who helped kill time
I was not as serious In those days as
I was a little later when I reached
the front) well, it was the sixth day
and my recruiting report was blank.
I was getting low In the pocket bnr
maids haven't much use for anyone
who cannot buy drinks o I looked
around for recruiting material You
know a man on recruiting service gets
a "bob", or shilling for every recruit
he entices Into Joining the urmy, the
recruit is supposed to get this, but he
would not be a recruit if he were wise
to this fact, would be?
Down at the end of the bar was a
young fellow In mufti who was very
patriotic he had about four "Old
Six" ales aboard. He asked me if he
could Join, showed me his left hand,
two -fingers were missing, but I said
that did not matter as "we take anv-
tning over nere.- The left hand Is
the rifle hand as the piece la carried
at the slope on the left shoulder. Near
ly everything lu England la "by the
left," even general traffic keeps to the
port side.
I took the applicant over to head
quarters, where he was hurriedly ex
amined. Recruiting surgeons were
busy In those days and did not have
much time for thorough physical exam
inations. My recruit was passed as
"fit" by the doctor and turned over to
a corporal to make note of his scars.
I wai mystified. Suddenly the corpo
ral burst out with, "Wline me, two of
his Augurs are gone." Turning to me
he said, "You certainly have your
nerve with you, not 'nlf yoo ain't, to
bring this beggar In."
The doctor came over and exploded,
"What do you mean by bringing In a
man In this condition?"
Looking out of the corner of my eye
I noticed that the officer who hnd re
cruited me hnd Joined the group, and
I could not help answering, "Well, air,
I was told that you took anything over
here."
I think they called It "Yankee Im
pudence," anyhow It ended my recruit
ing. CHAPTER II.
- ,
Blighty to Rett Billets.
The next morning the captain sent
for me and Informed me: "Empey, as
a recruiting sergeant you are a wash
out" and sent me to a training depot
After arriving at this place, I was
hustled to the quartermaster stores
and received an awful shock. The
quartermaster sergeant spread a wa
terproof sheet on the ground aud com
menced throwing a miscellaneous as
sortment of sirups, buckles and other
paraphernalia Into It I thought ho
would never stop, hut when the pile
reached to my knees he panned low
enough to soy, "Next, No. C217, 'Arris,
B company." I gazed In bewilderment
nt the pile of Junk In front of me, and
then my eyes wandered around looking
for the wagon which was to carry It
to barracks. I wus rudely brought to
earth by the "quarter" exclaiming,
"'Ere, you, 'op It; tjke It aw'y; blind
my eyes, 'c's looking for la batman to
'elp 'Ira carry It"
Struggling under the load, with fre
quent pauses for rest, I reached our
barracks (large car hams), and my
plntoon lender came to the rescue. It
was a marvel to me how quickly ho
assi-mhli-d the equipment After he
hnd completed the task, he showed me
how to adjust It on my person. Pretty
soon I stood before him a proper Tom
my Atkins In heavy marching order,
feeling like an overloaded enmol.
On my feet were heavy-soled boots,
sttidded with hobnails, the toes and
heels of which were re-enforced by
steel half-moon. My legs were In
cased In woolen puttees, olive drnb In
color, with my trousers overlapping
them at the top. Then a woolen khaki
tunic, under which was a bluish graj
woolen shirt, mlno" s eniin henenth
WATCH TALK
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Now is the time t6 get that new watch you are want
ing as 1 am offering these movements at last year's pric
es. WALTER G. BROWN
Watch Repairer and Jeweler. Perkins Pharmacy.
For any thing you waiit or don't
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H"I"M"l"l"M"I-l"l-l"l"I-l"l"l"l"l"I"l"M" .M4 WiM"H"H4 Hi H 1111 ll1
First National Bank
Monmouth, Oregon
Paid Capital, - $30,000.00
Surplus & Undivided Profits, $18,000.00
Established - - - . 1889.
Ira C. Powell, President; J. B. V. Butler, Vice Pres.
W. E. Smith, Cashier
Emma M. Parker, Assistant Cashier -
We are prepared to take care of your
banking business and solicit your account.
Interest paid on time deposits.
DIRECTORS
' J. B. V. BUTLER, Chairman
I. M. SIMPSON, WM. RIDDELL, ROBERT STEELE
IRA. C.
Mint 1 1 1 ll 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 n
this shirt a woolen belly hand about
six Inches wide, held In place by tie
strings of white tape. On my head
was a heavy woolen trench cap, with
huge earlnps buttoned over the top,
Then the equipment: A canvas belt,
with ammunition pockets, and two
wide canvas straps like suspenders,
called "1" straps, fastened to the belt
In front, passing over each shoulder,
crossing In the middle of my hnck, and
attached by buckles to4he rear of the
belt, On the right side of the belt
hung a water bottle, covered with felt ;
on the left side was my bayonet and
scabbard, and Intrenching tool handle,
this handle strapped to the bayonet
scabbard. In the rear was my In
trenching tool, carried In a canvas case.
This tool was combination pick and
aade. A canvas haversack was
strapped to the left aide of the belt,
while on my hark was the park, also
of canvas, held In place by two canvas
straia over the shoulders; suspended
on the bottom of the pack was my
mess tin or canteen In neat little
canvas ense. My waterproof sheet,
looking like Jelly roll, was strapped
on top of the peck, with a wooden stick
for denning the breach of the rifle pro
jecting from enrb ond. On a lanyard
around my waist hung a huge Jack
knife with a can-opener attachment.
The park contained my overcoat, an
extra pair of socks, change of onder
wesr, hold all (containing knife, fork,
sMMin, comb, toothbrush, lather brush,
shaving soap, and a razor mado of tin,
with "Made In England" stnnied on
the blade; when trying to shave with
this It made yoo wish that yoo were
at war with Patagonia, so that you
could have a "hollow ground" stnmped
"Mado In Germany") ; then your house
wife, button-cleaning outfit, consisting
of a bras button stick, two stiff
brushes, and a bog of "Soldiers'
Friend" paste; then shoe brush end
a box of dubbin, a writing pad. Indel
ible pencil, envelopes, end pay book,
and personal belongings, such as a
small mirror, a decent razor and a
sheaf of unanswered letters, and fags.
In your haversack yoa carry your Iron
rations, meaning a tin of bully beef,
four biscuits and a can containing tea,
sugar and Oxo cubes; a couple of
pipes and a pnek of sbng, a tin of rifle
oil, and a pull-through, Tommy gen
erally carries the oil with his rations;
It gives the cheese sort of sardine
taste.
Add to this a first-aid pouch and a
long, ungainly rifle patterned after the
Daniel Boone period, and yoa have an
Idea of a British soldier In Blighty.
Before leaving for France, this rifle
Is taken from him aud he Is Issued
with a Lee-Enfield short trench rifle
and a ration bag.
In France he receives two gna hel
mets, sheepskin coat, rubber mack
intosh, steel helmet, two blankets, tear
shell goggles, a balaclava helmet,
gloves aud a tin of autlfrostblte grease
which la excellent for greaalug tho
boots. Add to this the weight of his
.atlons, and can you blamo Tommy for
growling at a twenty-kilo route march?
POWELL
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 till
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