The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-25


spelling is phonetic; yet he loves long
words, and his reports bristle with such
words as nevertheless, notwithstanding.
He IS regarded by his four men as an au-
thority on elegant diction. A private
may be able to spell, but corporal never
such is the deep rooted belief of all
French officers. l was present one day
when corporal came to the doctor with
one of his men who was unfit for the
saddle. The doctor examined him and
found him suffering from rheumatism.
The corporal proceeded to fill up the
requisite form for the mans admission
to the nearest military hospital.
"Can you spell rheumatism, corporal?'
said the doctor.
al think can, doctor, thank you" re-
piled he, saluting.
That corporal was Louis Coetloyon,
one of the leading journalists of Paris,
who had volunteered soon after the out
break of the war. We had a good laugh
over the incident when told the doctor
of his blunder.
"What business has he to be corporal
If he can spell?" exclaimed the surgeon,
who was a little bit sorry for what had
happened.
Pitou serves his country for the mod
est sum of two sous day. He receives
one sou cash, and the other is placed to
his credit until his term Of service is
over, when he is presented with a sum
representing as many sous, plus interest,
as he has spent days in the army. Of
course his pay is not often his only
source of revenue. Many soldiers work
at some trade inside the barrack, and
those who come from the middle classes
are well supplied with pocket money
from home-even the peasants son is
sure to receive a little help every month
He rises at 8 in the morning, and as
there is no food served before s, he goes
straight to the canteen and has his petit
verre Ia tablespoonful of brandy. He
losses it at one draught, drains the dregs
out in his palms and touches up his hair
with it.
Great fraternity prevails in the bar
racks, If there are any empty pockets,
their owners are not allowed to go short.
He who received little poStoffice order
yesterday is always ready to pay. The
poor fellow who has nothing but his sou
Q day is never left out either, and not
one of his comrades who treat him would
think of abiding to his inability to re-
turn their kindness. He is drilled eight
hours day At s a. m. and 4 D. m. he
has his gamelle containing a piece of
beef, cooked and served in a good, thick
soup of vegetables. This savory and
nourishing repast is eaten with bread,
and forms his only food in time of peace.
How often during the war, when the
officers dinner was but dream, have
relished a dish of this appetizing COM
pound brought me by my good orderly!
/ cannot relate here the thousands of
Jokes that the barracks have furnished,
and will always furnish, to the French
comic papers. But cannot refrain from
mentioning the curious fact that one
finds Hibernianism common among the
ranks, while not to be found elsewhere
In France. l remember one bull that
Paddy might be proud to have perpe-
trated
Pitou, ordered by corporal to dig
pit and bury quantity of rubbish from
the yard, is in trouble. He has per-
formed his task, but there is no room in
the pit for all the mold which was dug
out to make it; so he comes to his cor
poral to ask what he shall do.
"You fool" said the corporal magnifi-
Gently, make the pit larger, of course"
In war time the French soldier is adj
mirable. The good humor with which
he goes through the greatest hardships
Is simply wonderful. If the provisions
are not at hand he breakfasts off a joke
or a song. The only thing that puts him
out is to get short weight when the ra-
tons of bread, rice, coffee, sugar and
salt are served out. He always goes
straightway and weighs them, to make
sure he has his due, and if there is a de-
hciency of the tenth of an ounce he will
grumble all day; but if his rations are
right, he is right, ready for anything the
day may bring, merry as lark. His
philosophical way of taking the inevita-
bic, and putting a good face on personal
misfortune, is proverbial. At the battle
Of Worth one Of my men had his right
hand completely shot away by a shell.
Seeing the poor fellow look at his
manned arm as he was being carried
away, 1 went to him and gave him
word of sympathy.
cay, mon lieutenant" he cried, 81
shall have to learn to make cigarettes
with one handr"
The whole character of the French SOL
der is there.