Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-06-05
TRIAL Of STAMINA.
Endurance, Not Snowy Battles,
viii Decide This War.
Case OF One OF Cars Troopers Cited
to Show Endurance Of Russians
Perforated, Anxious to
Return to Front.

ASW wal SAAS WAL 40 6okA6 W VIC Oc-
cided, not by q series of brilliant,
snowy victories in grand battles, but
by trial of stamina and power OF en-
durance between the allies and their
Teutonic enemies.
Nowhere do the conditions OF war
demand of the allies so much patient
endurance and indifference to great
sufferings as on the eastern front.
where the Russian army Is laboring
under most cruel disadvantages owing
to scarcity Of railways and almost to-
tal absence of good roads, while the
Germans have In their rear the most
perfect system of strategic railways
In the world, built entirely for the pur-
poses of an aggressive war against
Russia.
For this trial of endurance and
stamina the Russian army Ia emf.
nently suited, both collectively and In
dividually. There is no other soldier
In the world who can stand so much
physical pain and privation as the
Russian.
In this connection one may recall a
characteristic scene described In the
Russkoye slovo of Moscow, by Its cor
respondent at the front.
The scene took place at field hos
pital. In front of large tent crowd
of wounded soldiers, straight from
the trenches, were waiting medical
aid. A kindly Russian priest was
handing round mugs of tea, which he
poured from q large samovar. The
soldiers drank their tea with frank
expressions Of enjoyment on their
faces-all except one. He first silent
ly brushed aside the proffered hand of
the priest, and when the latter pressed
upon him mug OF tea mumbled
DULY:
Cant. The tooth aches. Please,
can I see the doctor?"
The priest could not refrain from re-
preaching the big fellow for troubling
the doctor with a toothache.
why" he said, fancy a strong
healthy fellow like you coming here
with toothache, Just after the battle
when the doctors are 80 busy with
really important cases. Couldn't you
waltz"
at aches something awful" mum
bled the soldier.
Then, why didn't you come earlier,
before the battle?"
SIT didn't ache then. II started
aching only when the bullet got In my
mouth. 1t stuck there"
The soldier touched his cheek with
bis finger.
Only then did the priest realize how
unjust he was In reproaching the SOL
der with malingering. He hurried for
q surgeon, who hastily examined the
soldiers mouth. The bullet could not
be seen from the inside, but he could
feel 1t through the cheek.
"Now, hold tight, little brother" he
said, arming himself with pincers,
land don't you move"
Ready to obey, your honor" re-
piled the soldier. quite briskly. forget
ting the pain.
A most painful operation ensued.
The surgeon made one pull, then an
other. and yet another, and all proved
unsuccessful. and only the fourth pull
brought out the bullet. With his
mouth bleeding profusely. he asked
the surgeon to let him have his bullet
as a souvenir. Smiling and happy, he
sat down to tea.
"Ah, 1t 10 good to drink hot tea now.
got quite cold. My back Ia wet and
cold-all sticky"
what Ia the matter with IT." In
quired the priest.
ooh, 1t must be a bullet-grazed my
back" answered the soldier, quite In
differently.
The priest again called the sur
keon. The soldier was quite upset to
trouble Ibis honor" when he was so
busy.
"A through wound" anxiously re-
marked the surgeon, after quick ex'
animation.
"Well, there you are" quite cheer
fully retorted the soldier; "she went
in and out So why waste your time
over her? No harm done. II your
honor would only bandage 1t, I shall
be all right"
The surgeon had to bring down the
whole weight of his authority to pre-
vent him from scooting back to the
trenches with a fresh through"
wound In his chest.
This sturdy. Supplemented soldier,
80 Indifferent to pain and privation, is
but a type of Russia's peasant war
riors. Against an army OF such war
riors all the impetuous German on
slaughts will break like sea waves
against a granite rock.
"Youna Turk" Homesiek.