The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-09-08
BURSTING SHELLS
ADD TO MUSIC
Bat Fail to Stop n-Makers; Ca.
ruso' Rings on While Explo.
sions Of Big Bombs Shake
the Earth

Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
Copyright 1915 by the United Press.
Copyrighted in Great Brittany
There has been violent lombard
ment of the Forest OF Apremont."--
From the French Communique OF Au.
gust 5.
With the French Army at the Front,
Aug 5.-(By mail when the per-
formances of Bernhardt. Irving. Duse
and Mansfield cease to be anything
but faint recollections shall still re
member quite vividly an unpretentious
vaudeville show given by soldiers to
soldiers out here in the open air 1900
yards back of certain famous woods
through which most unhealthy part
of the firing-line runs.
The performers we're soldiers: the
stage was built by soldiers with scraps
of lumber collected here and there;
the curtain was painted by cavalry
man on tarpaulins which had served
in the beginning as covers for boxes
OF ammunition; the sky and a few
bearing trees played the part OF roof,
while that part of the regimentas band
not busy bearing wounded on stretch
ers off the battlefield, furnished the
music, these men and young, stout
ish surgeon lieutenant who doubled
on the piano when not stag managing
the acts
The bill was the regular bill. II was
not specially arranged for. visitors.
Since January IA this house" has
been playing to standing room only,
two performances a day. at 2 D. m.
and at 6. Sometimes-as often as pos
sible-the bill changes; sometimes the
headliner fails to be on hand for his
cue; shell or bullet has interfered.
But always, rain or shine, good bill or
bad, the curtain goes up" on time
and the soldiers on their repose week
usually they have week In and
week back of the trenches) never
mis- sa performance.
AS p. m. drew near the plank
benches in front we're crealdng under
their maximum burden and hundreds
of other poilus-the soldiers nickname
for himself. meaning shaggy-wers
standing at the back and on either
side A heavy rain began to fall pre-
cisely at o'clock but the fat surgeon.
on opening the piano, turned and
shouted:
''Poilus. you don't mind a little
thing like few drops of rain do your"
mol" the poilus hundred back.
and the surgeon sitting down in a
very wet chair began pounding out an
astonished intermezzo on a no doubt
greatly outraged piano For. being in
the place where the orchestra usually
sits, the piano as well as pianist. was
catching the full force of the young
cloudburst. Every time chubby f.r,
! ger struck key there was a splash.
AS the curtains parted the Germans
began to lombard the French posi-
tion a short distance away. The ex-
plosions of shells punctuated every
spoken line which followed and beat
time to the music as if jealous of the
big bass drum.
/ A clown in costume and makeup
which only the ingenuity Of French
\ soldier can account for. rushed out
! and began to sing and grimace. The
audience roared. 1t was clear that hs
was favorite. He was just back from
the trenches as he jabbered a comic
: patter song. with grimaces and antics
! like any Barnhm & Bailey star. ons
, caught sight of his matriculation mum
ber bound by steel chain to his wris.
/ for Identification in case he fails u
dodge bullet some day. The clowi
sang on and when he got round TO thu
chorus his comrades In front joine'
in. A captain of dragons. occupyin
!, a seat on a bench reserved for Off
: GERS. sang and laughed with the other