"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,