East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-10-21
nY WILLIAM PHILIP sIsiMs

Omitted Press staff Correspondent)
EASTERN FRANCE, sept L.
(By MaiD-If You need fad and
would like to become a collector
here is a free suggestion Start coll
lection of trinkets made by French
troopers on the firing line.
start with finger rings, in the spring
there are a few things the warriors
are not making between bayonet
charges and lodging big shells. Al
uminum, brass, copper and nickel in
the German shells hurled at the
French, usually are the raw materl-
ais Bullets. empty shells, she'll
clips. coins. buttons insignia buckles,
belts. hand grenades, also are used.
The most popular curlo is the alu-
minum ring Scarcely a soldier ~
without at least one. These are made
by cutting off a eross-section Of the
aluminium fuse-tubing inside German
shells and whiting or filing It to de-
sired design. These are numerous
and some are Of beautiful workman
ship, engraved with professional skill.
Some of the soldiers are, Of course
jewellers.
A popular design is the signet with
crown. cut from the Prussian
Guards brass button, inset. These
rings are much sought.
Others are serpeHts wearing the
s8ked German helmet, the French
War Cross in copper inset, the Cross
Of Lorraine, the thistle Of Alsace, etc.
Ink stands made from hand gren-
ades with crossed cartridges as PEN
racks and mounted on shell frag-
ment are fashioned, while ink-stands
made from the time-fuse caps OF the
famous soixante quin2e shells are
nifty souvenirs for women at home.
Cartridges with the bases Joined,
holding a pencil in one end and "A
pen in the other and pen-racks made
simply Of American Especial" barbed
wire cut from entanglements are
quite au fait, as fashion writer's at
home say.
one Of the incest articles is a
breakfast gong made Of the brass
bases Of shells Of large calibre sus.
pended on a wooden cord. like bells,
and tapped. they give forth verS
pleasant tone.
Watch fobs are made Of leather
from German officers belts with a
gold plated button for fob or a bob
made OF bronze, brass. nickel or alu-
mInum, any desired shape.
Aeroplanes are made Of German
cartridge-clips with pfennings for
wheels Beer mugs in miniature are
made of cartridge shells, and a dandy
paperweight Is fashioned Of she'll
fuses or hand grenades with a grape
laden vine growing out Of the ori-
fices. The vines are made of tele-
phone wires, the grapes from shrep-
mel bullets.
From the mud Of the trenches sol
der sculptors are making all sorts Of
statutes. humorous and serious. The
/ tusts Of Joffre and Poincare; minia-
ture Venuses and Mercuries. and
comic Crown princes and Kaisers are
favorites,
Dainty picks shoyels rifles. cannon
and the like are made, Of brass or
other metal. They are polished and
finished TO a point where any jeweler
might handle them with pride.
There Is no limit to these MADE in
the Trenches" articles. The tools
vary much as do the objects Some
Of the men have a pocltet-knife Most
however. have managed 10 get hold
Of at least a file and a piece Of en-
! cry cloth,
Sometimes instead Of merely filing
a section OF aluminium the metal is
nodded after melting. The original
rings we're made this way: A raw po-
tato was cut in half and a mold of
the desired object made. Then the
two halves were put together and the
: molten metal poured into the strange
mould through an aperture. From
/ this crude beginning some Of the men
have developed complicated arrange
ments whereby two or three metals
are combined to form all sorts Of pat
| terms. one upon another,
The soldier isn't trying to make
money with these things. It is rarely
/ he viii part with the proofs Of his
( ingenuity. He makes them in his lei
sure time between battles or watching