“OVER THE TO P”
By An Am erican
Soldier W ho W ent
A rth u r Guy E m p ey
Machine Gunner, Serving in France
O op zrtsfct 1917. b j A rth u r O u j K a p « ;
dom finppens. Tommy has the opportu­
nity of making dessert.
This Is
“trench pudding.'*” It Is made from
broken biscuits, condensed milk, Jam —
a little water added, slightly flavored
with mud put Into a enuteen nnd
«'«Hiked over a little spirit stove known
ns "Tommy’s cooker."
(A firm In Blighty widely advertises
these «-tinkers ns a necessity for the
men In the trenches, (lulltble peoplt
buy them- ship them to the Tommies,
who, Immediately upon receipt of same
throw them over the parapet. Hotno-
tiinea a Tommy falls for the ml, and
uses the cooker In a dugout to the «11»-
gust and dlN ctim fort of the other oc­
cupants.)
This mess Is stirred up In a tin nnd
nllow«>«| toi, simmer over the f!nm«»e
from the cooker until Tommy di-cldee
that It has reached sufficient (glucllke)
«'«insistency. Hi* tukes hls bayonet nnd
by m«*nns of the handle carries the
mess up In the front trench to «sml.
After It has c ih i I ih I «iff he trt«*s to «*nt It.
Generally one or two Tommies In a
section have cast-iron stomachs nnd
the tin Is s « h iii emptied. Once I tast«*d
trench pudding, but only once.
In nihlltlon to the regular ration Is­
sue Tommy us«'s another channel to
enlurge hls menu.
In the English papers a "Lonely
Soldier" column Is run. This Is for
the soldiers ut the front who are sup-
IHisetl to be without frlemls or rela­
tives. They write to the papers nnd
their names are publish«'«!. «¡Iris nud
women In England answer tliem, and
send out parcels of foodstuffs, ciga­
rettes, candy, etc. I have known a
“lonely" soldier to rtwlve as many as
five parcels ami eleven letters In one
week.
POULTRY
• M TS
SUITABLE SHELTER FOR HENS
House of Appropriate Size, Wlth>
Nests, Roosts and Feeding Appli­
ance# la Needed.
(I'reiMtrei! by the Unit«-«! Hint*«
m<‘iit of Agriculture )
Every Hock of hens needs a slittatilo
slielt«»r—a «-«Hip «ir lume«* «if appropri­
ai«* size, furnished with roosts, iu * s ta
and appliances for f<’«*illng an«l wrater*
lug. A Hock that Is to lx* used for
hr«*eillug should also liavc a yard w hen*
thi* birds can exercise on til«- ground
H iid In the open air.
Ileus kept only
for eggs for the table may he confili«*«!
to their house continuously for as long
a lime as ordinary liens nr«* profitable
layi-rs. It Is better to glvu them nn
outdoor run, hut when sinico I s limited
It «-an he i II mp «* iik «‘<| with.
Small thicks need a little more fiiHir
space p«*r bird than large thicks, and
Mills confined constantly to the houso
should have u little more floor spat-o
per bird than others. A coop for six
hens shmih! allow live or six siptaro
f«*et of floor space for «*nch ; n lions«»
for twenty to thirty belts, three or four
situare feet to ooeh, Ya~«ls are usu­
ally planned to give not less than JO
situare fc«*t of laud per hen.
Small «'«Mips which can he clennc«!
without entering them may he Imllt
only thr<><* or four f«*et high. This
height Is most comfortable for ilio
liens. t ’iHips fur (locks of more than
six or eight birds must he of such
height that a grown p<-rsim can move
about In them. In a low coop tin- same
o|M>nlng will answer for diMir ami win­
dow In high «-«Mips with larger wall
The four that got stuck made a howl,
but to no avail. The bread was dlslunl
EMPEY LEARNS HOW THE TOMMIES ARE FED IN THE
out. Pretty s«x>n from a fur ctiruer of
the
billet, three Indignant Tommies ac­
FRONT-LINE TRENCH AND BACK OF IT.
costed the corporal with:
“What do you call this, a loaf of
bread? Looks more like a sniping
Synopsis. —Fired by the sinking of the Lusitania, with the loss of
plate.”
American lives, Arthur Guy Empey. an American living in Jersey City,
The corporal answered:
goes to England and enlists as a private In the British urttiy. After a
“Well, don't blame me, I didn’t bake
short experience ns a recruiting officer in London, he is sent to train­
It; somebody’s got to get It. so shut
ing quarters in France, where iie first hears the sound of big guns and
up until I dish out these bliukln' ra­
makes the acquaintance of “cooties." After a brief period of training
tions.”
Etnpey’s company Is sent into the front-line trenches, where he takes
Then the «xirpornl started on the
his first turn on the fire step while the bullets w-hlz overhead.
Jam.
“Jam, three tins—apple one, plum
' sergeant Is called, receives dally from two. Nineteen men. three tins. Six
C H A P TER V I.— Continued.
the orderly room (captain's office) n In a tin makes twelve men for two tins,
seven In the remaining tin.”
After dinner I tried to wash out slip showing the number of men en­
He passed around the Jam, und
the dixie with cold water and a rag. title«! to rations, so there Is no chance
and learned another maxim of the of putting anything over on him. Many there was another riot. Some didn't
trenches—“It can’t be done.” I slyly . arguments tnke place between the like apple, while others who receive«!
watched one of the older men from ' "quarter" and the platoon noncoiti. but plum were pnrtlal to apple. After a
another section, and was horrified to the former always wins out. Tommy while differences were udjusted and
see him throw into his dixie four or says the “quarter" got hls Job because the Issue went on.
"Bermuda onions, seventeen.“
five double handfuls of mud. Then he i he was a burglar In civil life.
The corporal avoided a row by sny-
Then I spread the waterproof sheet
poured In some water, and with hls
hands scoured the dixie Inside nud out. i on the ground, while the quartermas- lng that he did not want an onion, nnd
I thought he was taking nn awful risk. I ter's batman dumptnl the rations on It. I said they make your breath smelt, so
Supposing the cook should have seen The corporal was smoking a fag. I I guess«*«! I would do without one too.
Empey realizes for the first
him! After half an hour of unsuc­ j carried the rations back to the billet. The corporal looked hls gratitude.
time how death lurks in the
“Cheese,
pounds,
two."
The
corporal
was
still
smoking
a
fag.
cessful efforts I returned my dixie to
trenches when a comrade falls
The corporal borrowed a Jackknife
the cook shack, being careful to put on ] How I envied him. But when the Issue
by hls side. He tells about it in
(corporals
are
always
borrowing),
and
i
commenced
my
envy
died,
nnd
I
real­
the cover, and returned to the billet.
the
next installment.
sliced
the
cheese—
each
slicing
bring­
Pretty soon the cook poked his head ized that the first requisite of a non­
ing
forth
a
p«*rt
remark
from
the
on-
commissioned
officer
on
active
service
In the door and shouted: "Hey. Yank,
«TO UK C O N T I N U K L 1
come o’ut here and clean your dixie!” . is diplomacy. There were 19 men In lotikers ns to the corporal’s eyesight.
“Raisins, ounces, eight."
I protested that I had wasted a half- our section, and they soon formed a
By this time the corporal's nerves NOT THEIR FIRST MEETING
hour on it already, nnd had used up semicircle around us after the corpora!
had gone west, anti in despair he suid
my only remaining shirt In the at­ I had called out, “Rations up.”
The quartermaster sergeant had that the raisins were to be turn«*«! over British Officer and Privatea, Home
tempt. With a look of disdain he ex­
claimed : "Blow me, your shirt! Why given a slip to the corporal on which to the cook for “«luff" (plum pudding).
From the Front, Had Same Mem­
| was written a list of the rations. Sit­ This decision elicited a little "grous­
in ----- didn't you use mud?”
ories of “Tight Corner."
Without a word in reply I got busy ting on the floor, using a wooden box ing,” but quiet was finally restored.
“Biscuits, tins, on«*."
with the mud. and soon my dixie was as a table, the Issue commenced. On
Two privates In “Blighty” blue were
the left of the corporal the rations
With hls borrowed Jackknife, the limping their way along itegent str«*et,
bright nnd shining.
Most of the afternoon was spent by were piled. They consisted of the fol­ corporal opened the tin of biscuits, nnd London. Euch hud Ills badges of hon­
told everyone to help themselves—no­ or—two and tlirsrsî eloquent gold
the men writing letters home. I used lowing :
Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf body responded to this Invitation. stripes. They were In Ixuidou town,
my spare time to chop wood for the
cook and go with the quartermaster to of a different size, perhaps one out of Tommy Is “fed up" with biscuits.
again—In It, hut somehow n«>t of It.
“Butter, tins, two:”
draw coal. I got back just in time to the six being as flat as a pancake, the
Only the accident of war made them :
"Nine in one, ten In the other.”
issue our third meal, which consisted result of an army service corps man
Itegent street aaunterers.
Another rumpus.
of hot tea. I rinsed out my dixie and placing a box of bully beef on it dur­
From the opposite direction thers' A Boy's Backyard Poultry House, Built
“Pickles, musturd, bottles, one."
returned it to the cookhouse, and went ing transportation.
approuebed a young officer with a
by Himself.
Nineteen names were put In a steel luily com p an ion . He, to«>, hud the
Three tins of Jam, one apple and the
back to the billet with nn exhilarated
helmet,
the
last
one
out
winning
the
other
two
plum.
feeling that my day's labor was done.
gold stripes of the twice wounded. surfaces a full-sized d««ir nml one or
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all dlf- pickles. On the next Issue there were Eager ami bright, he seemed nb- more windows are n«*aded.
I had fallen asleep on the straw when
only 18 names, as the winner Is ellml- sorbed In his companion, apparently
once again the cook appeared in the ! ferent sizes.
Roosts are commonly made of small
A piece of cheese in the shape of a ' nated until every man In the section not noticing the two privates.
door of the billet with: “Blime me, you
In-! scantling or narrow- strips of board,
has won a bottle.
Yanks are lazy. Who I n ----- a-goin’ to wedge.
d«*«*d, he was almost by them when in ubout eight or ten Im-lies length of
The raffle is closely watched, because n flash he darted from the side of ills
Two one-pound tins of butter.
draw the water for the momln’ tea?
Tommy Is suspicious when It comes to companion, seized the hand of one of riMist being allowed to eucli fowl. In
Do you think I’m n-goln’ to? Well, \ A handful of raisins.
small, low e<s)pH the roosts should ho
A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls ' gambling with tils rations.
I’m not," and he left. I filled the dixie
the privates In a hearty grip und i*Juo pliK-eil about twelve to fifteen inches
When the Issue Is finished the cor­ uluted :
with water from an old squeaking well, ' them “Jaw breakers.”
from the floor. In larger coops wide
poral sits down nnd writes a letter
A bottle of mustard pickles.
and once again lay down In the straw.
“Great heavens! fancy meeting you hoards, to catch the droppings of tho
The “bully beef,” spuds, condensed home, asking them If they cnnnot get here! Bit different when we were t«>-
birds, are generally us«-«l under tho
i milk, fresh meat, bacon and "Macono- s«>me M. I*, (member of parliament) to get her before, eh? Uhat^u tight
C H A P TE R V II.
r«x»*ts, the droppings board being from
chle rations” (a can filled with meat, have him transferred to the Royal Fly- nerl Ami only we two left—nnd here
vegetables and greasy water), had been j ing corps where he won’t have to issue- we are uguin. And how are you, and twenty to thirty Inches from the floor
Rations.
and the r«Mist a few inches above tho
Just dozing off; Mr. Lance Corporal turned over to the company cook to rations.
how are you getting on?”
«Iropplngs
lioaril,
•
make a stew for next day’s dinner. He
At the different French estumlnets
butted In.
Succeeded u string of other ques­
The simplest form of n«-st Is a Ixix
also
received
the
tea,
sugar,
salt,
pep­
in the village and at the canteens Tom­ tions, culminating in “Getting bet- j
In Tommy’s eyes a lance corporal Is
my buys fresh eggs, milk, bread and ter, eh? Feel ns If you’ll k « m * ii he! a little over a foot square ami not l«*s)»
one degree below a private. In the per and flour.
than five «>r six Inches deep. When
Scratching
his
head,
the
corporal
pastry. Occasionally when he Is flush, ready to go out again? How do you j
corporal’s eyes he is one degree above
spa«-«-
Is limited th«- m-sts should lit- at*
studied the slip Issued to him by the he Invests In a tin of pears or uprl- feel about It? Will you be glad to
a general.
tuchi-d
to tho wall, the bottom «if he
quarter.
Then
In
a
slow,
mystified
cots. Hls pay is only a shilling a day,
He ordered me to go with him and
Host being a fo«it or more from tho
help him draw the next day’s rations, voice he read out, “No. 1 section, 1ft 34 cents, or a cent un hour. Just Imag­
What the private said may be In-,
men. Bread, loaves, six.” lie looked ine, u cent an hour for being under ferr<-<] from the resumption of the offi­ fioor. For flocks «>f five or six hene
also told me to take my waterproof.
two m-sts ar«- m-e«l«-«l; for larger flocks
Every evening, from each platoon or puzzled und soliloquized In a musing fir«;—not much chance of getting rich cer's talk.
on«- nest f««r each four or five hens.
|
voice:
| out there.
machine-gun section, a lance corporal
“That’s the right spirit. Shouldn't1
The feeding utensils required are:
and private go to the quartermaster
“Six loaves, nineteen men. Let’s see,
When he goes Into the fire trench wonder If we meet again In another
Hoppers
for dry mush, trough for ta­
sergeant at the company stores and that’s three In a loaf for fifteen men— (front line), Tommy's menu takes a hot corner.
Well, go«*«l luck und
ble scraps or nmlst mash, small hop*
draw rations for the following day.
i well, to make It even, four of you’ll tumble.
He carries In hls haversack cheero 1”
pers for shell nnd grit, and drinking
The “quarter,” as the quartermaster have to muck in on one loaf.”
what the government calls emergency
pans or fountains. For flocks contain­
or Iron rations. They are not supposed
A Change for the Invalid.
ing
not more than 30 blriis one of each
to be opened until Tommy «lies of star­
If you have , . n ... friend lying ill, try | kind of utensil, If «*f appropriate size,
vation. They consist of one tin of taking some daintily
prepared edibles |„ enough.
bully beef, four biscuits, u little tin next time you make a visit.
I
’___________
which contains teu, sugar ami Oxo
Nourishing broths and soups, wine
cubes (concentrated l>»-«*f tablets). J«-lll«-s, delicately browned custards HOW TO BREAK BROODY FOWL
These are only to be us«*d when the and light puddings made of eggs and
enemy establishes a curtain of shell milk are good. Or ii small Jar of mar­ Confine Hen In Small Coop W ith Slat
fire on the communication trendies, malade or half a dozen lightly brown­
Bottom and Give Her Plenty of
thus preventing the “carrying In" of ed biscuit for the invalid's tea. Or |
W ater to Drink.
rations, or when In nn attack a body creamed chicken and creamed oysters!
When ln-ns become broody nnd It Is
of troops has been cut off from its base delivered in a charming blue howl and
not
desired to allow them to hatch
of supplies.
all reaily to be heated up by the nurse. j
The rations are brought up nt night
Grapefruit Is always appreciated chickens, they should he “broken up”
by the company transport. This Is a and mandarin oranges and white as «iiiiekly «is p«)sslhle. The soon*-r this
section «if the company In chnrgo of grapes In n pretty basket are an nppe- { Is done the sooner they will resume
the quartermaster sergeant, composed 11 zing combination, ami then: are some lading. To break a h«*n of l>r«><>t||n«-HS
of men, mules and limbers (two­ Invalids who would be delighted with she should he confined to n small coop,
wheeled wagons), which supplies Tom­ a Jar of preserved ginger for occa­ preferably with n slat bottom. Give
her tilenty of water to drink 7 sin* nmy
my’s wants while In the front line. sional nibbling.
he f«-«l or not, i i s desired. Not much
They are constantly under shell fire.
difference
will he found Iti the time
The rations are unlouded at the en­
“ Kl" In the Navy.
trance to the communication trenches
Navy cocou, which Princess Mary required to bn-iik her of hrotidlness
nnd arc “carried In” by men detailed thought might he g«»od to eat us cho­ whether she Is fed or made to fust.
for that purpose. The quartermaster colate, is known aboard ship as kl. It Usually three to six days o f conilno-
sergeant never goes Into the front-line Is served out on the first dog watch " " 11 "
' ° 1 wor*t* l,,lf -om«- ln-ns
trench. He doesn’t have to, nnd I hnve every Thursday, nnd It Is drunk when- T *1" r.?n 7* to tw, |ve ^nys- T*>o hroody
n«>ver heard of one volunteering to ever circumstances (In other words ,V " "
" r<’roK,,lz«d by her Inrllnn-
ords,
do so.
the ship’s “crusher," or policeman) tlon to stay on the nest ut night, tho
The company sergeant major sorts permit. The men grate down » liberal ruffling of her feathers nnd her *1« h
the rations and sends them in.
quantity of It (for kl Is less concen­ sire to pick anyone who approaches
Tommy's trench rations consist of all trated thnn shore cocoa) nnd drink It her, nnd by the clucking noise she
the bully beef he can eat, biscuits, mixed In bnslns with sugar nnd con­ makes.
cheese, tinned butter (sometimes 17 densed milk. At sen a special caul­
men to n tin). Jam or mnrmalnde, nnd dron or kl, prepared by the ship’s cook,
Habits of Turkeys.
occasionally fresh bread (ten to a Is sent routnl action stations In “fan­
Young tnrkeys usually remain with
loaf). When It Is posslblo he gets tea nies," or large pitchers. Midnight for the mother hen until about October
nnd stew.
the guns’ crews of our fleet Is the hour or November, when the males ordinar­
When things are quiet, nnd Fritz Is when the kl bout arrives.—London ily separate from the females and
Taking Provisions to the Front.
behaving like a gentleman, which sel­ Chronicle.
range by themselves.
«or