"OVER
By An American
Soldier Who Went
EMPEY GETS INTO THE FRONT LINE TRENCH
WISHES HE WERE BACK IN JERSEY CITY.
Synopsis. Fired by the sinking of the Lusltanln, with the loss of
American lives, Arthur Guy Empey, ftn American living In Jersey City,
goes to England and enlists ns n private in the British nnny. After a
short experience ' recruiting officer In London, he Is sent to train
ing quarters in France, where he first hears tho sound of big guns
and makes the acquaintance of "cooties."
CHAPTER II. Continued.
The greatest shock a recruit gets
when he arrives at his battalion In
France Is to sec the men engaging In a
"cootie hunt. With an air of con
tempt and disgust he avoids the com
pany of the older men. until a couple
of days later. In a torment of Itching,
he also has to resort to a shirt hunt,
or spend many a sleepless night of
misery. During these hunts there are
lots of pertinent remarks bandied back
and forth among the explorers, such
as, "Say, BUI, 111 swap you two little
ones for a big one," or, "I've got a
black one here that looks like Kaiser
Bill."
One sunny day In the front-line
trench, I saw three officers sitting out
side of their dugout ("cooties" are no
respecters of rank ; I have even noticed
a suspicious uneasiness about a certain
well-known general), one of them was
a major, two of them were exploring
their shirts, paying no attention to the
occasional shells which passed over
head. The major was writing a letter ;
every now and thpu he would lay aside
his writing-pad. search his shirt for a
few minutes, get an Inspiration, and
then resume writing. At last he fin
ished his letter and gave It to his "run
ner." I was curious to see whether he
was writing to an Insect firm, so when
the runner passed me I engaged him
In conversation and got a glimpse at
the address on the envelope. It was
addressed to Miss Alice Somebody, In
London. The "runner" Informed rac
that Miss Somebody was the major's
sweetheart and that he wrote to her
every day. Just Imagine it, writing a
love letter during a "cootie" hunt; but
such is the creed of the trenches.
CHAPTER III.
I Go to Church.
Upon enlistment we bad Identity
disks Issued to us. These were small
disks of red fiber worn around the neck
by means of a string. Most of the Tom
mies also used a little metal disk which
they wore around the left wrist by
means of a chain. They had previous
ly figured it out that If their heads
were blown off, the disk on the left
wrist would Identify them. If they lost
their left arm the disk around the neck
would serve the purpose, but If their
head and left arm were blown off, no
one would care who they were, so It
did not matter. On one side of the
disk was Inscribed your rank, name,
number and battalion, while on the
other was stamped your religion.
C. of E., meaning Church of Eng
land; It. C, Bomnn Catholic; W., Wes
leyan; P., Presbyterian; but If you
happened to be an atheist they left It
blank, and Just handed you a pick and
shovel. On my disk was stamped C. of
E. This Is how I got It: The lieuten
ant who enlisted me asked my religion.
I was not sure of the religion of the
British army, so I answered, "Oh, any
old thing," and he promptly put down
C. of E.
COMMUNICATION
TRENCH
3 TOS Ft. IfcLWI DT
Diagram Showing Typical Front-Line
Arthur Guy Empey
Machine Gunner, Serving in France
Oopyrlf M IMT, by Arthur Onj EMJ7
-AND
Now, Just Imagine my hard luck. Out
of five religions I was unlucky enough
to pick the only one where church
parade was compulsory!
The next morning was Sunday. I
wns sitting In the billet writing home
to my sister telling her of my wonder
ful exploits while under fire all re
cruits do this. The sergeant major put
ms Dead in the door of the billet and
shouted : "C. of E. outside for church
parade 1"
I kept on writing. Turning to me, Id
a loud voice, he asked, "Empey, aren't
you u. of E.?
I answered, "Yep."
In an angry tone, he commanded.
"Dont you yep me. Say, Tea, ser
geant major.'"
"I did so. Somewhat mollified, he
ordered, "Outside for church parade."
I looked up and answered, "I am
not going to church this morning."
lie said, "Oh, yes, you are I"
I answered. "Oh, no, I'm not i" But
I went
We lined up outside with rifles and
bayonets, 120 rounds of ammunition.
wearing our tin hats, and tho march
to church began. After marching about
five kilos, we turned off the road Into
nn open field. At one end of this field
the chaplain was standing In n Umber.
We formed n semicircle around hlra,
Overhead there was a black speck cir
cling round and round In the sky. This
was a German Fokker. Tho chaplain
had a book in his left hand left eye
on the book right eye on the nlrplane.
We Tommies were lucky, we had no
books, so had both eyes on tho air
plane.
After church parado wo wcro
marched back to our billets, and played
football nil afternoon.
CHAPTER IV.
"Into the Trench."
The next morning the draft was In
spected by our general, and we were
assigned to different compunles. The
boys In the brigade had nicknamed
this general Old Pepper, and he cer
tainly earned the sobriquet. I was as
signed to B company with unother
American named Stewart
For the next ten days we "rested,"
repairing roads for tho Frenchles. drill
ing, and digging bombing trenches.
One morning we were Informed that
we were going up the line, and our
march began.
It took us three days to reach re
serve billets each day's march bring
ing the sound of the guns nearer and
nearer. At night, way off In the dis
tance we could seo their flashes, which
lighted up the sky with a red glure.
Against the horizon we could see
numerous observation balloons or "sau
sages" ns they are called.
On the nftcrnoon of the third day's
march I witnessed my first airplane
being shelled. A thrill ran through mo
and I gazed In awe. The airplane was
and Communication Trenches.
TOP"
making wide circles In tho air, whllo
little puffs of white smoke wcro burst
ing all around It. These puffs appeared
llko tiny balls of cotton whllo after
each burst could be heard n dull
"plop." Tho sergeant of my platoon
Informed us that It was n German nlr
plnno and I wondered how ho could tell
from such n distance because I'm piano
seemed llko n little black speck In tho
sky. I expressed my doubt as to
whether It was English, French or Qor
man. With n look of contempt ho fur
ther Informed us that tho allied anti
aircraft shells when exploding emitted
white smoke while the Gorman shells
gavo forth black smoke, and, as ho ex
pressed it, "It must bo nn Atlemand be
cause our pom-poms aro shelling, and
I know our batteries are not off their
bally noppers and aro certainly not
straffing our own planes, and another
pleco of advice don't chuck your
weight about until you've been up tho
line and learnt something."
I Immediately quit "chucking my
weight about" from that tlmo on.
Just before reaching reserve billets
we were marching along, laughing, and
singing one of Tommy's trench dlttlea:
I want to so home, I want to to horn.
I don't want to go to the trenches no
moro
Where sausages and whlix-bnnr aro Eft
lore. Tako me over the ata. Where th Alio-
mand can't set at me.
Oh. my, I don't want to die.
I want to co home"
when overhead came a "swish" through
the air, rapidly followed by threo oth
ers. Then about two hundred yards to
our left in a large field, four columns
of black earth and smoke roso into tho
air, and the ground trembled from tho
A Bomb Proof.
report the explosion of four German
five-nine's, or "coalboxcs." A sharp
whistle blast, Immediately followed by
two short ones, rang out from the head
of our column. This was to take up
"artillery formation." We divided Into
small squads and went into the fields
on the right and left of the road, and
crouched on the ground. No other
shells followed this salvo. It was our
first baptism by shell fire. From the
waist up I was nil cnthuslnsm, but from
there down, everything was missing. I
thought I should die with fright.
After awhile, we reformed Into col
umns of fours, and proceeded on our
woy.
About five that night, we reached tho
ruined village of II , und I got my
first sight of the awful destruction
caused by German Kultur.
Marching down tho main street wo
enme to the heart of tho village, and
took up quarters In shcllproof cellars
(shcllproof until hit by n shell). Shells
were constantly whistling over the vil
lage mid bursting In our rear, search
ing for our artillery.
These cellars wero cold, damp and
smelly, and overrun with largo rats
big black fellows. Most of tho Tom
mies slept with their overcoats over
their faces. I did not. In tho inlddlo
of tho night I woko up In terror. Tho
cold, dummy feet of n rnt lind passed
over my faco. I Immediately smoth
ered myself In my overcoat, but could
not sleep for tho rest of that night.
Next evening, wo took over our sec
tor of the line. In singlo fllo wo wend
ed our way through a zigzag com
munication trench, six InchcH deep
with mud. This trench was cnllcd
"Whisky street" On our way .up to
tho front lino an occasional fluro of
bursting shrapnel would light up tbo
lHiLBiBLLNriKSHB eVp
sky and wo could hear tho fragments
Mapping tho ground nbovo us on our
right und left. Then n Frits would
traverse bnck nntl forth with his "type
writer" or machine gun. Tho bullets
undo n nhnrp cracking nolso overhead
Tho boy In front of mo named Prcu
tlco crumpled tip without n word, A
pleco of shell had gone through his
shrnpnel-proof helmet. I felt sick and
weak.
In about thirty minutes wo reached
tho front line. It wns dark ns pitch
Every now and then n German stnr
shell would ptcrco tho blackness out
In front with Its silvery light. I was
trembling nil over, nnd felt very lonely
and nfrntd. All orders wero given In
whlHpers. Tho company wo relieved
filed past us and disappeared Into tho
blackness of tho communication trench
lending to tho rear. Ah they passed us,
they whispered, "Tho best 0' luck
motes."
I sat on tho fire step of tho trench
with tho rest of tho men. In each
traverse two of tho older men had been
put on guard with their heads sticking
over tho top, and with their eyes try
lug to pierce tho blackness in "No
Man's I.nml." In this trench there
wero only two dugouts, and theso wero
used by Lewis nnd Vlckors machine
gunners, so It was tho firo step for
ours. Pretty soon It started to rain
Wo put on our "macks," but they wore
not much protection. Tho rain trickled
down our backs, nnd It was not long
before wo wero wet and cold. How I
passed that night I will never know,
hut without any unusual occurrence,
dnwn arrived.
The word "stand down" was passed
nlong tho line, nnd tho sentries got
down off tho firo step. Pretty soon tho
rum Issue camo along, and It was a
Godsend. It warmed our chilled bodies
nnd put now life Into us. Then from
tho communication trenches camo
dixies or Iron pots, filled with steam
ing tea, which had two wooden stakes
through their hnndles, nnd wcro car
ried by two men. I filled my canteen
nnd drank tho hot tea without taking
It from my lips. It was not long be
fore I wns asleep In tho mud on tho
firo step.
My munition had been attained 1
was In a front-line trench on tho west
ern front, nnd oh, how I wished I wore
back In Jersey City.
Empey takes his first turn on
tho firing step of the trench
while the machine gun bullets
whiz over his head. Ho soon
learns why Tommy has adopted
the motto, "If you're golag to
get It, you'll get It, so never
worry." Don't miss the next
Installment
(TO UE CONTINUED.)
NEW AND GREATER THINGS
Possibility Ever Open to Mankind as
tho Periods Dividing Life Aro
Successively Crossed.
Tho poetry of nil growing llfo con
Hints In carrying nn olducss Into n now-
ness, n pant Into a future, always. 80
only can our days possibly bo bound
"each to each by natural piety." I
would not for the world think that 20
yenrs hence I should have censed to seo
tho things which I seo now, nnd lovo
them still. It would mako llfo wenrl
some beyond expression If I thought
that 20 yenrs licnco I should seo them
Just ns I seo them now, and lovo them
with uo deeper lovo hecauso of other
visions of their lovnhleness. And so
there comes this deep and simple rule
of any man as ho crosses tho lino divid
ing one period of his llfo from nnothor,
tho snmo rulo which ho may uso also as
ho passes through nny critical occur
rence of his life. Mako It a tlmo In
which you shnll realize your faith, nnd
also In which you shnll expect of your
fnlth new nnd greater things. Tnko
what you believe nnd are, and hold It in
your hnnd with n now firmness ns you
go forwnrd; but look on It with con
tlnunl and confident expectation to seo
It open Into something greater nnd
truer. Phillips Brooks.
Rehabilitation of Holy Land.
Immediate plans for thu rehabilita
tion of tho Holy Land, to fit It for tho
homo of tho Jews of tho world, nro
now under consideration by tho officers
of tho New York Zionist organization.
A medical unit will bo dispatched to
tho stricken laud, loans will ho inndo
to tho colonists to rebuild nnd refit
their farms nnd vineyards, nnd Irrlgn
tlon nnd sanitation problems must bo
solved. Tho $1,000,000 fund now being
raised will bo used for Immediate pur
poses, nnd It Is believed tho recon
struction work will Involve nn expen
diture of approximately $100,000,000.
Advance by Retrogression.
Tho rookie was being taken to tho
guardhouse.
"Quick promotion." ho muttered in
himself. "I nm already In chargo of
a squud of men." Boston Evening
Transcript
Womsn, Will Tell.
Mrs. Bacon I seo English banking
Institutions employ over 01,000 wom
en. Mr. Bacon Of course. Whero would
you expect to find tellers? 1
PQ1L1RY
LITTLE TROUBLE WITH GEESE
Many Farms Adaptsd for Raising
Small Numbsr of Fowls Pastur
ago Is Quite Essential.
(Prepared by tho United Htatei Depart
ment of Agriculture )
In our efforts to Increase tho pro
duction of poultry, which Is being
urged by tho department of agricul
ture, wo should not Ignoro turkeys,
ducks nud geese. Many farms nro
well adapted for geese-mlslng. They
Flock of Toulouse Geese.
nmy he raised In small numbers suc
cessfully nnd nt a profit on fnnns
whero there Is low, rough pnsturo Innd
with n natural supply of wnter. Geeso
nre generally quite free from disease
and Insect pests, but occnslonnlly uro
affected by ailments common to poul
try. Grass makes up the hulk of their
food, nnd for this renson pasturage Is
cssenttnl. A body of water, whllo not
nbsolutely essentlnl, Is valuable whero
geese aro raised, nnd some breeders
consider It Important during thu breed
ing seuson. Geese are good foragers,
and for this renson umny farmers In
the South keep them to kill thu weed
In the cotton fields.
Geese ueod Uttlo protection Ju tho
woy of n house, except In winter nnd,
during stormy wenther. Homo kind of
a shelter should bo provided for tho
young goslings, and tho name precau
tions taken In raising chickens ns to
keep tho coops nnd houses clean nnd
provided with plenty of straw scat
tered about the floor, should bo taken.
Geeso llko other kinds of poultry,
should be selected for size, prolificacy
nnd vitality. They should ho mnted
several months prior to tho breeding
season to obtain the best results. Good
inntlngs are not changed from yenr to
yenr unless tho results nre unsatisfac
tory. A gnnder may be mated with
from one to four geese, but pair or
trio matlngs usunlly give tho best re
sults. When mnted, geeso nre allowed
to run In flocks. From four to twenty
five geese may bo kept on an ncro of
land, und under most conditions ten
is a fair average.
REPARE GEESE FOR MARKET
Young Fowls Can Do Fed Advantage
ously Whllo on Grass or Con
fined In 8mall Yards,
(Prepared by thn United Htates Depart
main or AKriciinuro.)
Before marketing thu young goeso
tho nvcrugo farmer can feed advan
tageously u fattening ration either
whllo tho geese nro on grass range or
confined to small yards, but It Is doubt
ful whether it would pay him to con
fine them to Individual or small pens
and mako 11 specialty of fattening un
less ho has a special market or retail
trado for woll-fnttoned stock.
Geeso aro usually killed und picked
in tho same manner ns other kinds of
poultry. Homu markets prefer dry
picked geeso, while In other markets
no difference Is Hindu In tho price of
scnlded or dry-plekod geese. When
feathers aro to bo saved, fowls should
not bo scalded hut should ho picked
dry boforo or after steaming.
RAISING GEESE FOR PROFIT
Fowls Earn Their Own Living by For
aging in Pastures Alfalfa
Field Is Ideal.
That there Is hu monov In rnlHlnir
goeso Is conceded by every ono who
hits had anything to do with tho raising
of them. They earn their own living
by foraging In tho pastures juid mead
ows, nnd whero groat quantities of al
falfa uro raised would bo nn ldenl
pluco for them.