Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-02-25
STRANGE DUTIES FOR SOLDIERS
Fighting Not the Only Work Assigned
to Modern Military Forces

Fighting Not the Only Work Assigned
to Modern Military Forces
The orders given to their soldiers by
the leading Powers Of the world COM
prise many queer services In these
days. Formerly, says the Army and
Navy journal, no government expected
any service Of its military forces ex-
cept that connected with actual fight
ing, but modern conditions call for all
sorts Of additional work.
BY the United States In recent years
there has been wholesale employment
Of our troops in sanitary work, nota-
bly, in Cuba, in putting out forest hres
and aiding sufferers by the Mississip-
pi floods.
A year or 80 ago the French minis
try Of war ordered detachments OF
men in the army comprising those
known to be exceptionally fine shots to
place themselves at the disposition OF
the local authorities at Calais and Bou-
logne for the purpose Of destroying
troublesome seals that freQuented the
sand banks between those towns, and
thus constituted a menace to the fish
ing industry.
The Grand Duchy Of Luxembourg
was once so infested with wolves that
great alarm was excited among the
inhabitants, who found themselves un-
able to cope with the animals. The
minister Of state called out the army,
with the result that the wolves were
quickly exterminated.
Almost at the same time the neigh
boring state of Belgium was having Its
trouble with rats, a vast hord OF
which had crossed the frontier into the
eastern part Of the kingdom. The de-
predations Of the rodents were on so
wholesale q scale that In some towns
II is stated the householders were on
the point of fleeing. When finally the
government was appealed to for assis-
tance it issued orders to the garrisons
Of towns near the point Of outbreak to
do everything possible to aid the In
habitants to stem the rodent invasion,
and it was not long before all the pests
were destroyed.
Another pest that an army was call
ed upon to eradicate was that OF SPAR
rows in Algeria, which gave the French
garrison much trouble before they were
destroyed.
About eight years ago an army was
called upon to aid the people stricken
in one Of the provinces Of Southern
Russia by a disastrous blizzard. Hun
dreds Of peasants were buried under
the snow drifts, while outside Odessa
the trains were completely blocked.
Many detachments of the Russian
army corps stationed at points in the
distressed provinces were called upon
to clear roads, operate the railways,
distribute supplies Of food, and, In fact,
to act as good Samaritans In every
respect
A curious role falls to the lot Of the
private soldier who may be quartered
in the garrison at Heidelberg, mas
much as 1t seems to be expected that
any private may be brought into re-
QUESTION as an object for study by the
students Of anatomy at the university.
In August, 1900, during the journey
Of a company Of Austrian engineers
from Vienna to Trieste the engineer Of
the train by some mischance was kill
ed, while the fireman, under stress Of
his emotion, tainted away. The soldiers
at once took charge Of the train, and as
a tribute to their versatility, 1t may be
added that they got 1t into Trieste five
minutes ahead Of the scheduled time.
One Of the strangest duties that
ever fell to a body of soldiers was that
arising during the French army man
oeuvres at Chartres some years ago. 1t
CHANGED that several of the menagerie
attached to a circus playing in neigh
boring town escaped from their cages
and made off for the open country. I'm
mediately, Of course the countryside
was in a state Of panic, and the war
office at Paris was appealed to, with
the result that soon there was presented
the unique spectacle Of an army corps
interrupting its manoeuvres to engage
in g hunt for wild animals at large in
peaceful province of France. So we'll
did they do their work, however, that
the beasts were, with one exception,
restored uninjured to the circus man.
agement.