/)
w
AN mmCM SOLDO!
WHO WENT
out of the O. T.
(t»Ulcers’ Training
corps) niul 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."
lie looked at me In a nonchalant
mnnner, and answered. "That’s alt
right; we take anything over here."
I looked at him kind of hart) und re
plied. "So I notice,” but It went over
his head.
He got out an enlistment blank, nnd
placing his Anger on a blank line said,
"Sign here."
I answered, “Not on your tintype."
"I beg your pardon?"
Then I explained to him that I would
not sign It without first rending It. I
rend It over nnd 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, yes. Just outside of
New York?"
With a smile, I replied, "Well, It’s up
the state a little."
Then I was taken before the doctor
nnd passed ns physically At, nnd was
Issued a uniform. When I reported
back to the lieutenant, he suggested
that, being an American, I go on re
cruiting service nnd try to shame some
of ,ho i,,ackers *“»'* J«'i»lng the army.“
“AU >'m* hnve to 'I"-" ,u> «■•<*. “*■ t0
K° out on ,he
'""I when y°u
a youn* fe,low 1,1 m«f ,‘ who Iook"
phy8,c“l,y flt- J ust S,'*I’ hlru and **ve
hl,u th,s k,nd of “ ,alk: ‘Aron,t >'««
Affili (iUY n E
ÌIP
E
Y
u o c e -—
m a ch ine : gunner , drying in
•
S ) T
l * iii
7 BY
tg/Y [M Y
Ml
1 this nctlou by throwing the telegrams
Into the wastebasket. Then we looked
at each other In silence. He was
squirming In his chair und 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, nnd answered,
’’I am sorry that I cannot accept your
offer, but I am leaving for Kngland
next week,” and hung up the receiver
The lieutenant swung around In his
chair. H ti d 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.
The trip across was uneventful. I
landed at Tilbury. England, then got
Into a string of matchbox cars nnd
proceeded to London, arriving there
about 10 p. m. I took a room In a hotel
near St. Pancras station for "five nnd
six—Are extra.” The room was minus 1
the fire, but the "extra” seemed to I
keep me warm. That night there was
a Zeppelin raid, but I didn't see much
It, because the slit In the curtains
" as too small nnd I had no desire to
make It larger. Next morning the tel-
»’Phone t>*?ll rang, und someone asked,
Are you there? I was, hardly. Any-
" ay> * learned that the Zeps had re
turned to their fatherland, so I went
FOREWORD
“ Over the Top” is a true
story of trench w arfare on
the French front, written by
an American soldier who
got into the great w ar two
years ahead of his country.
Sergeant Empey tells what
the fighting men have done
and how they have done it.
He knows because he was
one of them. His experi
ences are grim, but they are
thrilling, and they are light
ened by a delightful touch of
humor.
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:
LU
U S
S IT
IT A
A N
N IA
IA
S
A M E R I C A N ° Ut
the Street
eXPectin
g to
see
S U
U N
N K
K ! .
A
M E R IC A N soenes 0f awful
devastation
nnd
a cow-
L IV E S LO ST.
erlng populace, but everything was
I was not ns serious In those days ns
1 was u little luter when I reached
the front)—well, It was the sixth day
nnd my recruiting report was blank.
1 was getting low In the pocket- bar
maids haven't much use for anyone
who cannot buy drinks so I looked
around for recruiting material. You
know a man oil recruiting service gets
a "bob" or shilling for every recruit
he entices Into Joining the army, the
recruit Is supposed to get this, but h#
would not be n recruit if he were wise
to tills fact, would he?
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 Angers were missing, but I said
that did not matter as "we take any
thing over here.” The left hand Is
the rifle hand as the piece Is carried
nt the slope on the left shoulder. Near
ly everything In England Is "by tha
left," even general traffic keeps to tha
port side.
I took the applicant over to head
quarters. where he wus hurriedly ex
amined.
Recruiting surgeons wera
busy in those days and did not hnva
much time for thorough physical exam
inations. My recruit was passed aa
"At" by the doctor and turned over to
a corporal to make note of his scars.
I was mystified. Suddenly the rorj*o-
ral burst out with, "Bllma me. two of
his fingers are gone.” Turning to ma
he snld, "You certainly have your
nerve with you, not 'ulf you ain’t, to
bring this beggar In."
The doctor cutne over ami exploded,
“What do you mean by bringing In a
man In this condition?"
Looking out of the corner of my eya
I noticed that the officer who had re
cruited me had Joined the group, and
I could not help answering. “Wall, sir,
I wns told that you t<*ok anything over
here."
I think they called It "Yankee Im
pudence," anyhow It ended my recruit
ing.
^
In training quarters, “some
where in France," Empey hears
the big guns booming and makes
the acquaintance of the “coo
ties."
Read about his experi
ences In the next installment.
(IX» UK CONTINUICI» )
HAD CONFIDENCE IN EDISON
The windows were open and a feel- ; normal. People were calmly proceed
Negro Was Sure That Wonderful But
ing of spring pervaded the air. ing to their work.
Crossing the
let He Invented Would Never
Through the open windows came the street, I accosted a Bobble with :
Kill American Soldiers.
________
X
strains of a hurdy-gurdy playing In the
“Can you direct me to the place of
street—“I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be damage?"
Two negroes were walking along a
a Soldier.”
He asked me, "What damage?”
New York street discussing the won
"Lusitania Sunk! American Lives
In surprise. I answered, “Why, the
derful Inventions hrougl t about by tha
L ost!”—“I Didn’t Raise My Boy to damage caused by the Zeps.”
war.
Be a Soldier.” To us these did not I With a wink he replied:
“Yes, sab," one said, ”un’ a friend of
seem to jibe.
“There was no damage; we missed |
miue who knows all about It says dls
Swearing In a Recruit
The lieutenant In silence opened one I *kcn» again."
heah man Edison has done gone and
After
several
fruitless
Inquiries
of
of the lower drawers of his desk and
ashamed or
of yourseir,
yourself, n itntisner,
Britisher, phys- ' Inventt'd .........
a magnetized bullet dat can't
______ .
. . ,, ,
■
1 asnnmeo
took from It an American flag which lw nP!n starch 1 d^ lded t0
00 “ 5 I ,cnlI>' flt- and ln n,nftl «hen your king
" ° ' ’r“lal>- kuse ef dere’s one In
he solemnly draped over the war map
rds de bullet Is drawn
ner /,ulldlnf s ”nd s and country need you? Don’t you a hundred yard:
on the wall. Then, turning to me with n «hi
boarded
a bus i k jjnow
Is u at i war
and
. i , , h
. -
..
, _
u u n t|,nt
m i n your
i n u i i country
- v u i n i i 19
iv u r 11
u(] 1 rlght ■mack
- - - - - - - nga
..I n st Ills s t e e l h e l t n e L
a grim face, said:
r urt r
1
v»me
Tottenham i tlint the place f,.r every young Briton ' • x s•'111 • *■' h*’i dOM Invented an-|
Recruiting posters were ,s on fhe fir|nK |lne7 Here i nlll an other one with u return attachment.
“How about it, sergeant? You had
better get out the muster roll of the
• ^re\
e
*^at Impressed American, In khaki, who came funr Whenever dat bullet don’t hit nothin'
Mounted
Scouts, , —
as . I think
---------
- —
i— « they
w.w will
« ... T nrj
a„ .,n ^ ki
Pcture ”f thousand tnlles to fight for your king It comes right straight back to de
be needed in the course of a few days.” .
.. ^ . .
" ‘‘¡s fir3ger point- ; nnfj coun(ry. and you, us yet, have not American lines."
We busied ourselves till late in the
“Vrofr in ««
f f x-*
enlisted. Why don’t you Join? Now
"Dnt's what I cnl! Inventin'," ex
evening writing out emergency tele- N0 m attei whlch wav T t n r a i l th i ,s ,h* ,lme''
claimed the other.
"But. say. how
grams for the men to report when the accusing finger followed —^rn*
-
"This argument ought to get many about dem coinin' hack bullets? What
I was recruits, Empey, so go out and see do dey do to keep ’em from hlttln'
call should come from Washington. an American, In mufti, nnd me.
hnd a little i what you can do."
Then we went home.
ouuh men?”
American flag In the lapel of my coat.
I crossed over to New York, and as I hnd no (ft««
____..„a
He ,h'*n K“v<‘ me n f,mn" rosette of
“Well, mull frlen’ didn’t tell in«
.?
y .' .nniL? ^ d —
red, • ...........................
white and bHie ...............................
ribbon, with three
I went up Fulton street to take the „„„I n «.
s.
— „bout It. but ef Mr. Edison made ’« IQ
' ~
'•
............
•
" J. ™
8tl1!. thni | little streamers hanging down. Thla | you MD bet youali life he’a got ’em
subway to
Brooklyn,
the
lights - ln the
pointing finger made me feel small and
ill at ease. I got off the bus to try wiis the recruiting insignia and was i (rained. You don't 'spose he'd let ’em
to be worn on the left side of the cup.
B„y Americans, do you? No, sulu
to dissipate this feeling by mixing
Armed with a swagger stick nndjuy j , Ie.g got Vm fix,
<J(,y j,.N- eilM#
with the throng of the sidewalks.
patriotic rosette, I went out into Tot back down aroun’ de gunner'a feet an'
Presently I came to a recruiting of tenham Court road ln quest of cannon
say: ’Dey’s all dead In dat trench,
fice. Inside, sitting nt a desk was a fodder.
boss. Send »ue to a live place where
lonely Tommy Atkins. I decided to In-
Two or three poorly dressed civll-
*n regard to Joining the |nns pHSS,.(|
un(j although they ai>- i s got a chnnct to do somethin'.' ”
British army. I opened the door. He pea red physically fit, I snld to myself,
"Newport News.''
I looked up and greeted me with "I s’y, “They don’t want to Join the army;
In Virginia's early days communica
| myte, want to tyke on?”
| perhaps they have someone dependent
I looked at him and answered. “Well, I on them for support,” so I did not uc- tion with the mother country was, of
course, wholly by ships, and when one
I whatever that Is, I ’ll take a chance cost them.
was expected the colonists were all
j at It.”
Coining down the street I saw
Without the aid of an Interpreter. I young dandy, fop hat nnd all, with a I eagerness for the news from home,
found out that Tommy wanted to know fashionably dressed girl walking be i On the occasion of one. it may hnve
I If I cared to Join the British army. He side him. I muttered, "You are my been the first, of ii certain Captain
, asked me: “Did you ever hear of the meat,” nnd when he came abreast of t Newport's expected return from Kng
Royal Fusiliers?” Well, ln London, me I stepped directly In”his path and land, at or near the place now bearing
you know, Yanks are supposed to know stopped him with my swagger stick, his name, a large number of persons
collected to receive “Newport's news."
everything, so I wus not going to ap saying:
pear Ignorant and answered, “Sure.”
"You would look fine In khaki; why Hence the name, now shortened to Itn
After listening for one half-hour to not change that top hnt for a steel present form.
Tommy’s tale of their exploits on the helmet? Aren’t you ashamed of your
The Sardine.
firing line, I decided to Join. Tommy self, a husky young chap like you In
took me to the recruiting headquarters, mufti when men nre needed In the
The fresh sardine Is a beautiful lit
where I met a typical English captain. trenches? Here I nm, an American, tle fish. The scales on Its back nr#
He asked my nationality. I Immedi came four thousand miles from Ogden, an Iridescent blue-green, the exuct
ately pulled out my American passport Utah, Just outside of New York, to tint which the sea so often tnkes,
and showed It to him. It was signed fight for your king nnd country. Don’t while beneath the scales there shows
by Lansing. After looking at the be a slacker, buck up and get Into uni up the most wonderful peacoek-hlue.
passport, he Informed me that he was form ; come over to the recruiting of There nre bnrs on Its hack and side#
sorry but could not enlist me, as It fice and I’ll hnve you enlisted.”
when It first comes out of the water,
would be a breach of neutrality. I
He yawned nnd nnswered, “I don’t like those of the mackerel, but they
Guy Empey.
Insisted that I was not neutral, be care If you came forty thousnnd miles, seem to fade and disappear the mo
tall buildings of New York seemed to cause to me It seemed that a real no one asked you to,” and he walked ment It Is exposed to the air. The rest
be burning brighter than usual, as If American could not be neutral when on. The girl gave me a sneering look; of Its body Is silver.
they, too, had read "Lusitania Sunk! big things were in progress, but the I was speechless.
American Lives L o st!” They seemed captain would not enlist me.
I recruited for three weeks and near
Finest New Year Celebration.
to be glowing with anger and righteous
With disgust in my heart I went out ly got one recruit.
The finest New Year celebration Id
Indignation, and their rays wigwagged in the street. I hnd gone about a
This perhaps wns not the greatest the world Is In Jnpnn nnd China,
block when a recruiting sergeant who stunt In the world, hut It got back nt where before the clock strikes New
the message, “Repay I”
Months passed, the telegrams lying hnd followed me out of the office the officer who had told me, “Yes, we Year’s eve, every debt and account
handy, but covered with dust. Then, tapped me on the shoulder with his tnke anything over here." I hnd been must he paid. No good Chlnemnn or
one momentous morning the lieutenant swagger stick and said: "S ’y, I can spending a good lot of my recruiting Jap ever thinks of entering Ihe new
with a sigh of disgust removed the get you In the army. We have a ‘lef- time ln the saloon bar of the Wheat year with an unpaid bill. Would that
flag from the war map and returned tenant’ down at the other office who Sheaf pub (there was a very attractive we might emulnte thnt form of cel»
to hla desk. I Immediately followed can do anything. He has Just come. blonde barmaid, who helped kill tline— bratlon!—Ladles’ Home Journal.
i
RIB1ÍC
KÂD6
CARING FOR COUNTRY ROADS
Heavily Loaded Wagons With Narrow
Tiros Are Injurious— Place H ar
rows on a Drag.
illy K. n IIOimK. Colorado Asrleullural
College, Fort Collins, Colo )
Excessive loads placed on wagons
with narrow tires are exceptionally
had for any road. Tractors using
wheels upon which are cleats, or any
thing that will cut through or Injure
the road surface should never be al
lowed on country roads. Disk har
rows and In fact any cultivating tool
Himuld he kept off the road. If It
Is necessary to move them along the
road, place them upon a drag, stone
boat, or haul them to tIn- field on a
wagon. If draggeil over the road,
they will scar the road badly, break
through the surface ami start disin
tegration. No road Is In such i*»or
condition ns to warrant abuse of this
kind.
ITEMS OF HIGHWAY EXPENSE
Interest on Investment snd Cost of
Malntensnce All Have Vital Bear.
Ing on Road Plans.
The following Is quoted from nn u»
tide by B. II. I’lepmeler. maintenance
engineer, highway department, slate
of Illinois:
‘There are three principal Items of
expense connected with road Improve
ment which tlie engineer must Impreaa
upon the public mind before It will be
|M*sslble for him to construct ail econ
omical system of roads. These factors
are: The original cost of the Improve
ment ; the Interest on the money In
vested In the Improvement, and (he to
tal upkeep cost. When nil of these
factors are taken Into consideration, It
Is evident that ninny of the cheaper
types of roads, when properly mnln-
tnlned, will give the desired service
snd yet will be much more economical
on account of their low first cost.
“When u type of road Is selected,
taking Into consideration the three
principles set forth nbove. It Is very
essentlnl that provision be made for
proper nnd efficient maintenance. If
locnl conditions are such that mainte
nance may be delayed or prevented,
preference should be given to a ty|s*
of pnveinent that n-qtilres only n small
amount of mulntenance and which will
he serviceable for n period of time
oven with no maintenance whatever.
Concrete Road in Suburbs of Chicago.
Neglecting proper maintenance for hut
one year on many types of roads Is
very much more serious than the
amount of money Involved represents.
The rond engineer should keep tills In
mind and thoroughly Impress the fact
upon the Individuals who have a voice
In the final determination of a type of
road.”
SOUTH IS IMPROVING ROADS
Interest Stimulated by "Drlve-Awaya”
of Automobiles and Trucks From
Northern States.
“Drlve-aways" of automobiles nnd
trucks from the manufacturing cen
ters In tho North to points south of
the Mason nnd Dixon line has won
derfully stimulated the good road«
movement In tho South, writes an ac
cessory denier In Atlantn.
"I hnve traveled over considerable
territory ln the South of late nnd It Is
noticeable the Hmount of Interest that
hns been worked up locnlly over rond
Improvement by the Influx of cars thnt
from necessity hnd to be driven to
distributors. The high price of cot
ton Is responsible In great measure for
tho prosperity this section Is enjoy
ing.”