Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eagle Valley news. (Richland, Or.) 191?-1919 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 1918)
"OVER By An American Soldier WhoWent EMPEY GIVES A DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK ON OBSER VATION POST DUTY. Synopsis. Flrwl by the sinking of the Lusltnnln, with tho loss of American lives, Arthur Guy Kmpey, nn Amerlcnn living In Jersey City, goes to Knglnnd and enlists as a private In the British nnny. After n short experience as a recruiting ottlcer In London, ho Is sent to train Ins quarters In France, where he flrat hears tho souud of big Runs and makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After n brief period of training Empey's company Is sent Into the front-line trenches, where he takes his first turn on the fire step while the bullets whU overhead. Empcy learns, ns comrade falls, that death lurks always In the trenches. Chaplain distinguishes himself by rescuing wounded men under hot fire. With pick and shovel Empey hns experience ns a trench digger In No Man's Land. Exciting experience on listening post detail. CHAPTER XVI Continued. 11 "I came out with the first expedi tionary force, and, like all the rest, thought we would hnve the enemy licked In Jig time, and be able to cat Christmas dinner at home. Well, so Tar, I have eaten two Christmas din ners In the trenches, and am liable to eat two more, tha way things are pointing. Thnt Is. If Fritz don't drop a 'whizz-bang' on me, nnd send me to Blighty. Sometimes I wish I would get hit, because It's no great picnic out here, and twenty-two months of It makes you fed up. "It's fairly cushy now compared to whnt It used to be, although I admit this trench Is a trifle rough. Now, we send over five shells to their one. We are getting our own back, but In the early days It was different. Then yon had to tnke everything without reply. In fact, we would get twenty shells In return for every one we sent over. Fritz seemed to' enjoy It, but we British didn't; we were the suf ferers. Just one casualty after an other. Sometimes whole platoons would disappear, especially when a 'Jack Johnson' plunked Into their middle. It got so bad that a fellow, when writing home, wouldn't ask for ony cigarettes to be sent out, because he was afraid he wouldn't Uj there to receive them. "After the drive to Paris was turned back, trench warfare started. Our general grabbed a map, drew a pencil across It. and said. 'Dig here.' Then he went back to his tea, and Tommy armed himself with a pick and shovel and started digging. He's been dig ging ever since. "Of course we dug those trenches at night, but It was hot work, what with the rifle and machine-gun fire. The itretcher bearers worked harder than the diggers. "Those trenches, bloomln ditches, I call them, were nightmares. They were only about five feet deep, and you used to ge,t the backache from bending down.' It wasn't exactly safe to stand, upright, either, because as soon ns your napper showed over the top a bullet would bounce oil It, or else come o close It would make your hair stand. "We used to All sandbags and stick them on top of the parapet to make It higher, but no use; they would bo there about nn hour and then Fritz would turn loose and blow them to bits. My neck used to be sore from ducking shells and bullets. One of the Dig HE Arthur Guy Empey Machine Gunner, Oopjrtghl HIT, by Arthur Qujr Empy "Where my battery wna stationed a hasty trench had been dug, which the boys nicknamed 'Sulcldo ditch,' and, believe me, Yank, this was the orlgtnnl 'Suicide ditch.' All the others arc Imitations. "When n fellow went Into thnt trench It was nn even gamble thnt ho would come out on a stretcher. At ono time a Scotch battalion held It, and when they henrd the betting was even money that they'd come out on stretchers, they grabbed all the bets In sight. Like a lot of bally-Idiots, sev eral of the battery men fell for their game, and put up real money. The Jocks' suffered n lot of casualties, and tho prospects looked bright for the battery men to collect some easy money. So when the battalion was re lieved the gamblers lined up. Several Jocks' got their money for emerging safely, but the ones who clicked It weren't there to pay. The artillery men had never thought It out thnt way. Those Scottles were bound to bo sure winners, no mntter how tho wind blew. So tnke a tip from me, never bet with n Scottle, 'cnuso you'll lose money. "At one part of our trench where n communication trench Joined tho front line n Tommy had stuck up a wooden signpost with three hands or arms on it. One' of the hands, point ing to the Qermnn lines, rend, To Ber lin;' the one pointing down the com. munlcntlon trench rend, To Blighty,' while the other said, 'Suicide Ditch, Chnnge Here for Stretchers. "Farther down from this guide post the trench ran through nn old orchnrd. On the edge of this orchnrd our bat tery had constructed nn advanced ob servation post. Tho trees screened It from the enemy nlrmcn and the roof was turfed. It wasn't cushy like ours, no timber or concrete re-enforcements, Just walls of sandbngs. From It a splendid view of. tho German lines could be obtained. This post wasn't exactly safe. It was n hot corner, shells plunking nil nround, nnd the bullets cutting leaves off tho trees. ' Mnny n time when relieving the sig naler at the 'phone, I' had to crawl on my belly like a worm to keep from being hit. "It was an observation post sure enough. That's all the use It was. Just observe all day, but never a message back for our battery to open up. You see, nt this point of the line there were strict orders not to fire a shell, unless specially ordered to do so from Ount Barking. 99 Serving in France brlimdo henilnunrters. Bllnie U10. If anyone disobeyed that command, our general yes, it was uiu I'oppor would have court itmrtlalert tho whole PYtiodltlnnnrv fnrre. Nobody Went OUt of their wny to disobey Old Pepper In thoso days, because nc couumt uo called n parson ; he was tnoro llko n pirate. If nt any time tho devil should feel lonoly and sigh for n proper mate, Old Pepper would got tho first cnll. Vnrfntf tho rwinans wasn't halt bad compared with an Intervlow with thnt old firebrand. "It n company or battalion should t-ivn wot ii row vards ncnlust n su perior forco of Bodies, Old Popper would send for trie commanding om cer. In about half nn hour tho otllcor wmilil mum hnek with Ills foCO tho color of a brick, and In a fow hours whnt was left of his command would bo holding their orlglnnl position. "I hnvo soon nn o I cor who wouiunt 8(ly q n for n thousand quid spend flvo minutes with tho old hoy, nnd when ho returned tho How Of InnguagO from his Hps would mnko a navvy blush for shame. "What I am uolnc to tell you Is how tn-n nf tin Tint II over on tho old flCnmn. and got away with It. It wns a risky thing, too, because Old I'cppcr wouldn't hnve been exactly mild with us If he had got next to the game. "Me nnd my mate, a lad nnmod Har ry Cassell, n bombardier- In D 238 bat torv. nr Innco cornoral. as you call It in tho Infnntrv. used to rellovo tho telephonists. We would do two hours on and four ofT. I wouiu uo on amy In the advanced observation post, while he would be at tho other end of tho wlro In the bnttcry dugout slgunl Ing station. We were supposed to send through orders for the battery to ilro when ordered to do so by tno ouservn- lion officer In the ndvauced post, uut rorv fow messnces were sent. It was onlv In case of nn actual attack that wo would get a chance to unrn our two and six a day. lou sec, Old ren- pcr had Issued orders not to tiro cx rent when tho orders enmo from him And with Old Pepper orders Is orders, and mnde to obey. 'Tho Germans must have known about these orders, for even In tho dny their transports nnd troops used to expose themselves ns If they were on nnrnile. This sure cot up our noso, sitting there, day after day, with flno tnrgets In front of us but unnuio to send over a shell. Wo heartily cusseu Old Pepper, his .orders, tho govern ment. tho nconle at home, and every thlni? In cenernl. But tho Bodies didn't mind cussing, nnd got very enro Ipss. Bllmo mo. tliev were bally in sulting. Used to, when using n certain road, throw their cops Into tho nir a a tuunt nt our helplessness. "PtiRsoIl had been a telegrapher in civil life and Joined up when wnr wns declared. As for me, I knew Morse, lpnrnoil It nt the slimalers' school bnck In 1010. With an ofllccr In tho obser vation post, wo could not carry on tho kind of conversation that's usual bc luwn two mates, bo wo used tho Morse code. To send, one of us would tap tho transmitter with his Anger nails, nnd tho one on tho other end would cot It throuch tho receiver. Mnny an hour wns whlled nway In this manner passing compliments dock ana forth. "In the observation post tho ofllccr used to sit for hours with a powcrrui nnlr nf Hold classes to Ills CVCS. Through a cleverly conccnlcd loopholo he would scan tho ground behind the German trenches, looking for targets and finding mnny. This ofllccr, Cap tnn a bv name, hnd n habit of tnlklnc out loud to himself. Some times tin would vent ills opinion, sumo as a common prlvato does when he's wrought up. Onco upon a tlmo tho contain hnd been on Old Pepper's staff, so he could cuss and blind In tho most approved style. Gat to bo sort of a hoblt with him. "About six thousand yards from us, behind tho German lines, was n road In plain view of our post. For tho last three days Fritz had brought compa nies of troona down this road In broad daylight. They wero never shelled. Whonnvttr thin hnnncned tho cnntaln would froth nt tho mouth nnd let out a volume of OId Pepper's religion which imed to in nko mo lovo him. "Every battery thas a rango chart on which distinctive 'landmarks nro noted, with tho rungo ror enen, 'incsp ian mnrkn nro imllori inrcols. and a ro num bored. On our battery's chart, that road was called Target 17, Itnngo 0000, 8 ilegrocs 00 minute loft.' D 2118 luidcrv emiMlsted Of four 'iXl' llOWlt- zors, mid tired n Bfl-potini! II. M, shell, As you know, J J. 15. weans 'ngn ex ploklvo,' I don't llko humming up my own buttery, wt wo hud m record In TOP tho division for direct hits, nnd our bovit wero lust nl ill ni: nwnr for ft clmnco to exhibit their skill In tho eyes ot Fritz. "On tho afternoon of tho fourth dny of Frlti' contemptuous use ot the road mentioned tho captain ami i wero nt our posts ns usual, Frits wns strafe Ine us nrettv much, lust llko he's doing now. Tho shollB wcro plnylng Imp- frog nil through tnni orcunni. "I was carrying on n conversation In nup 'I im' onrin with ftamtnll nt thO other end. It ran something llko (his: "Buy, cnssell, how would you iiko to ho In tho saloon bar of tho King's Arms down Ilyo lima with n liottlo of Bass In front ot you, nnd thnt blonao barmaid walling to fill 'cm up agalnf Tho next Installment relate -rtow two artillerymen "put one over" on Old Pepper. (TO UR CONTINUED. VAPOR BATHS IN LAPLAND Writer's Strenuous Experience or Cleansing Procees Finishes With Belno Bastinadoed. In Wldo World Frank Hedges But ler describes a vnpor bath In tho land of tho Lapps. Ho says: Tho bathhouse la n small wooden structuro generally situated somo wny from the dwelling bonne. It Is divided Into two compartments, ono to undress In, whllo tho other contains tho oven which produces tho Btenm, Tho oven Is nrched with largo stones or pebbles, and heated by n flro placed beneath. Undressing In tho first room, ono en ters tho heated compartment. After 11 short rest on a wooden form or bench, which contains a pluco for tho head, tho attendants .corno In nnd bnlho you. Cold water Is thrown over the stones and tho hissing vapor soon sends up a cloud of steam. Tho higher you sit from tho floor tho greater tho heat. As more water Is thrown over tho red-hot stones tho vapor .becomes so Intense thnt ono con hardly breathe. Wo wcro soon cosnlng for breath and covered with n profuso perspiration which Is sued from every noro or tho sKin. Hanging up In tho room wcro tendor branches or twigs In n green stato and rotnlnlng their leaves. Dipping these In water, tho attendant began lashing nnd whipping mo across tho legs, shoulders, loins and back, till my body seemed qulto red with tho switching. Tho bnstlnndolng over. I wna then washed with a soft flannel covered with sonp, after which a Jug of th coldest water was thrown over my head and body. Interesting Ufo Statistics. On tho nuthorlty of experts repre senting forty-three lending llfo Insur- nnco companies In the United States, It appears that a spinster lives longer than a married woman. Business wom en Uvo lunger than business men. A womnu who takes an endowment pol Icy lives longer than n woman whq takes an ordinary life policy. It Is not easy to expluln why nn unmarried woman survives n matron, nor why a business woman survives n bust ncss man, but tho longovlty of tho endowment womnn Is believed to be duo to tho determination to Uvo until tho policy matures. Will power 1b hardly less Important In many cases than physique, nnd must ntwnys bo reckoned with. Even In dlscnso n man or woman possesses n natural tend ency toward henlth, nnd cures which often nro nttrlbuted to medicine are really tho assertion of tho will. Cap per's Weekly. Love In Flshdom. This Is no "fish" story ns tho term Is usually referred to, but It Is n story about fish. Jim Foster, student of fish nffnlrs. vouches for Is nuthcntlc ty. .Tim tins n collection of 1)1 ir llvo fish In n small aquarium In a down-town restaurant nnd for 12 hours every night Im wntches them perform. "Tho fish nro very offectlonnto," de clared tho flsh student. "They are irnod.tenincrcd nnd kind townrd one nn other. Seo thoso two largest fish? Thov nro 'mnrrled,' I guess, or elso In lovo with each other. They always kiss each other good night and nlbblo nffcctlonntcly nt each other's mouths. Tim fomnlo of tho two never nuts her cold fins on tho mnlo ono's bnck. And In tho morning sny, It s nmuslng to wntch them yawn anu Htrotcn tnem solves." Detroit Froo Press. Use for Clothespins. Clothespins mnko un excellent play' thing for babies. They cun be used for babies or soldiers, or to tiuiku fencos, trees, log houses and many oilier Inter cstlng things. Playthings that can be taken apart and put together again are good to hnvo; also blocks with which tho child can build all kinds of objects engines that ho can push along tho floor, balls to botinco and throw, doll carriages, washing sols, otc. Dolls with clothes that button mid unbutton and como off iriuy bo used to teach tho clill drcn how to dross nnd undress thom solves. Tho fruit of old ago Is llio memory nnd rich nt oro of l)loKlnfi luld up In tmriy nro, uccro, INCREASED HONEY CROP DESIRABLE Bockoopers Can Add to Supply of This Sugar Substitute at Small Cost. MORE BEE COLONIES NEEDED High Degree of Skill, Special Train Ing, Faithful and Persistent Atten. tlon, Is Required for Marked Success. Prepared by tho United fllntes Depart ment of AKrieiiiiir!, About liMlOOO.OW pounds ot lioooy iro produced mutually In tho United .States, California being tho lending stntu In tho production of this awcot. Honey production in this country could bo Increased largely ten or twenty times tho present yield with out nn appreciable Increase In the cost of production, for tho raw material the nectar In flowers Is nt cerium times practically unlimited. To pro duce moro honey wo Just need mora colonies of bees properly managed. rho proposition Is very simple to stnte, but decidedly dllllcult to execute. Suc cessful beekeeping requires n high de gree of skill, special training, nnd faithful, persistent intention to tno business, no nny marked Incrcnso In successful beekeeping hinges upon ed ucational work among present and pro spcctlvu beekeepers. Lones by Dlioaie. Lonxcb of bees by disease, principal ly foulbrood, rango during the summer from nothing to 10 per cent. Winter losses of bees range from 10 to 15 per cent, nnd In somo stales tho loss was utmost GO per cent during tho winter of 1010-17. Winter losses may bo greatly reduced by moro cn.uful at tention. Tho, honey production busi ness, commercially, Is getting moro and more In tho hands of specialists be cause disease nnd winter losses dis courage many who are untrained nnd uiinble to prevent theso losses by prop er treatment. Honey became established somo years ago as a seasonal product rather iliitu a staple food fur use throughout tho year. Tho bulk of the honey wns produced by fanners ns a sldo line, tho bees wero Liven little intention nnu the honey wns produced'nt llttlo cx iienso. Tho crop was marketed, nt low prices during the autumn nnd Blocks wcro usually cxhnustcd during tho win tiT. Thero wns llttlo demand and practically no supply, during' tho spring nnd summer. But honey Is now handled In n largo wny as n staple rorni product. Produced In Three Forms. Honey Is produced In three forms: Comb honey, In oiio-pound sections ns commonly retailed ; extracted or liquid honey, which has been removed from tho comb; bulk or "chunk" honey, In which tho comb Is more or less mixed with the liquid honey. From 101-1 to 1017 the production of liquid honey hns Increased In proportion to the com mercial output of comb nnd chunk honey. Tho bees nro nblo to produce a larger quantity of honey, If they nro not compelled to build n comb for It, and when tho comb Is emptied nnd re placed In tho hlvo tho boos nro nblo, In periods of heavy neclnr secretion, to proceed Immediately to tho storago of moro honey. Keeping Manure Busy. The only effective way to keep ma nure busy ut Its appointed work la to get It back to the land at tho ear liest possible moment. Weeds Decomo Asset. A rank growth of woods becomos nn asset when plowed under boforo they mnko seed. INJURY BY CORNSTALK BORER Farmers and Gardeners Urged to Watch for Destructive Peit and Report Appearance. (Prepared by the Unltod fllnton Depart ment of Agriculture.) Tho ICuropeun cornstalk borer, which wns discovered In custom Massachu setts, last summer mid which Is ono of tho most destructive Insoct pests of corn, Is reported to bo spreading rapidly to other neighboring localities. Tho most vigorous and energetic ac tion posslblo will bo required on tho part of farmers nnd gardeners, county ngents nnd entomologists If tho post Is to bo crndlciitod or satisfactorily controlled. It Is known Hint shlpmontn'of Infest ed cars of sweet corn wero shipped last year to practically nil (ho Now Kngliuid status beforo tho prosenco of llio worm was dlscovored, Corn grow ers nro warned In bo on llio alert to discover this pest In growing corn or within llio stulliH of Inst year's crop, and gardeners aro urged to wntch for It In such VI'glltullll'H II B tOllllltOCB,