Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-15
TIA gettin' the colonel's thanks ant
all that

it-a gettin' the colonel's thanks ant
all that.
An maybe I'm weak on this fiimfan
thinkin, but never could imagine II
real warlike hikin' over the country
In rain or snow-sometimes twenty.
one days, maybe--goin' through rea
rain all night after an imaginary enc.
my-with the hell Of It real and every
thing else just imaginary.
:! was learnin'. One was never tc
strike back when horse with a nasty
temper kicks you across the stall. Bifl
him with q currycomb and it's ten and
twenty the first thing you know-$1C
fine and twenty days in the guard
house. No; the kicked soldier Is sup
posed to give thanks that there Is. q
Epost hospital.
L Griffin teeth and n holdin' for. dear
life, we poor rookieG were jolted over
rocky ways. Once a piece overturned,
horses and men. The captain rode up
land his first inquiry was II the horses
were hurt. He was a. humane man.
'Igwas the captain, and he loved his
ihorses.
The "top cutter" or first sergeants.
were closer to you. Some top cutters
IIare good fellows. Mine at Riley was
the worst sort at the post, maxim life
miserable for those who wouldn't keep
him in whisky.
Before he deserted he tried to get me
court-martialed four times. IF you
don't beat It from Riley I'll put you in
the guardhouse," he'd say, but 1t was
him as finally beat tan unusual
thing for top sergeant or any nom
com, but he was a boozer and he got a
chance at some laundry, and trust
money.
For one thing the top cutter" hated
me as a dog robber." They hate man
on extra or special duty-outside their
BOSNIAN enlisted man who works
for an officer and who gets the name as
he eats the stuff the dogs would get.
AS dog robber," brought In coal
for the officers cook, ran errands, look
ed after the officers horse, groomed
and saddled 1t.
Horse groomin' at the post Is a con-
slant and prolonged exercise. No mis-.
tress would be more exactin' OF maid
person. Take dirt, caked or frozen, on
the horses les;-you can't touch cur
Try comb to that, but must use brush
and your bare hand.
Soldier life for lots of fellows is made
bearable by baitin' the rockies. They
blanket toss you till 1t seems like you d
catch your chin on the clouds. And
three or four that don't like you will
very likely let go the blanket as You
come down. Which is some come.
Maxim the rockies fight each other and
hidin' their blankets Is sport. Also
biff on the nose keeps rookie In place.
shaved by one court-martial-and
my top cutter" wasn't in 1t, either. I
was down in Junktown one night In
l'cits''-civilian clothes. One soldier In
our battery had four suits and he made
money rentin', for a uniform wasn't
any bloomin' Endorsement In Junktown,
believe me.
| Anyway, I'm in "cits," and on the
Imain street I shoves by Double Time
willie" without salutin'. Double Time
Willie" was a second lieutenant, who
was always putin the men into Quick
time, always a-pushin' when he got a
whiff Of authority. I had to pretend /
hadn't seen him-and it's narrow
Imiss had from the guardhouse.
got the worst battery at the post
lfor grub. We never had mess fund
lor a good cook. It Is fair to say that
some companies had good meals. A few
owned cows. Why, once when on kitch-
en- police, cooked some steak and the
boys raved over II. But, anyway, that
breakfast call never meant much to
Ius:
Doggie, doggie, doggie,
| Come and get your honey.
Soupy, soupy, soupy,
Soup without a bean.
They say that one day captain en-
tered discontented messroom. The
sergeant handed him a cup. Captain. -
Will you taste this?" he asked. The
captain never blinked an eye. Why,
that's the best soup I ever drank" ne
said. That's Just the trouble, cap
tain" said the cutter. "The cooks try
in to make us believe it's coffee. But
that's an army story.
Well, I stuck 1t out. Alice didn't.
You'd find notices with his pictures In
the police stations here, likely. But
came here with an honorable discharge.
Just as soon as put on some new
"cits" was goln' to Phillie. And was
some frisky glad, too. Yep. was TOO
glad.
The first knew Kansas City had
turned me back to the army, just ike
she turns lots and lots Of them back.
Here's where they make re-enlist-
lments-a soldier with his savings and
his new freedom and him a-feelin'
glad.
around. but less and less confident like.
Now, the army amt no trainin' school
for business. could make good team
ster, guess, but didn't see nothin' as
appealed to me. So writes her down
and holds up my hand an goes up 70
the flag again. I'm at Ft. LeaVenwortn
makin' another Phillia frlnd-and left
behind In the Texas orders, too.
| I amt got any Of them poster mo-
tions about soldierin'-but here's q SOL
diers say for better day:
| First, the canteen, to do away with
the cheap bootleg whisky Nv been guz-
Second, more amusement and less
fatigue duty"-pick and shovel stun.
And, third, more officers who encour-
age sport. 49,,
Them-and more pictures on the re-
crutin' posters.-Kansas City star.