The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1916-11-10
B. OUj GUSatS fSOM
tARo asD AOStS Of
tULvIlR5 ii tRJiI
OLLIE SMITH, RETURNED FROM
CANADA, REPEATS HAlR-RAlS-
ING SOLDIER STORIES.
THE SHELLS K StMBL NIT ORS
Become Fed Hot From Contact With
Air and Throw OF Sparks IN all
Directions-Men Hurt for Two Hun
dred Yards When Guns Are Fired


Relating hair-raising stories OF the
reports of soldiers returned from the
British trenches, ollie Smith is back
from Canada and is visiting his mother
in this city. Mr.. Smith has for the
mast few months been the agent Tor
the ]. |. Case Co. and has sold many
farming implements to the Canadians
Mr.. Smith has talked to large
number of survivors from the front
and relates some of the stories toio
Inv them. With reference to the war
he said: 1T is seldom that you can
get anything out of soldier returned
from the front. When one talks OF
conditions in France, he is momentar-
ily forgetting himself. From what
have heard the life in the trenches
must be horrible. Soldiers tell that
when one OF the large guns is hred'
blood will gush from the noses and
ears of every man within two hundred
yards.
"The sight of the great shells flying
over the trenches is the most horrible
sight that the soldiers are required to
face. The shells become red hot by
their rush through the air, and resem-
BILE huge meteors as they throw on
sparks in every direction. Then, too,
the noise is frightful and men ire
Quently go crazy in the trenches
~ understand that, when new troops
are sent into the trenches, three shifts
have to be kept on duty. One OF these
IN composed OF old men who are put
fhere to sooths the new men, who are
shocked by the confusion. They are
not afraid, but old men have to De
Kept with them for several hours to
keen them from leaving the trenches
They are really insane for brief
period and would just as soon go into
the German trenches as their eWn.
From reports that have heard,
the great mass of troops are kept from
forty to fifty miles behind the scene
0f action. When the turn OF regl-
ment comes to go to the front. the
men are taken in motor cars to within
eighteen miles OF the trenches and
there they enter underground pas
sages which lead to the first line
trenches.
IL have personally seen a letter
from a soldier at the front to his bro
Their in Canada-you know letters
from England to Canada are uncen-
sored-telling him by all means to
keep out of the army. The letter tells
the civilian to go to the United States
to escape CONSUMPTION, and If he can
not escape service there to keep going
until he gets far enough away to for
get about the war.
But the peculiar part OF it all Is
the desire OF the wounded to return to
the front have seen many wounded
soldiers, but not a one who was not
anxious to get back into the trenches.
Eyes, CONSUMPTION is coming to Can
ada. The French Canadians have not
generally entered the army, and the
Empire feels as If their services must
be had. am looking for CONSUMPTION
in Canada within the next few
months"
Turning to more peaceful scenes,
Mr.. Smith told OF the great crops and
enormous acreage in Canada. He was
stationed at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
In the heart OF the farming district
He said that thousands Of Americans
are pouring into Canada and taking
Nd homesteads. He told wonderful
stcries OF Americans who have be-
come rich in a few years by farming
IN the lands given by the government.
Continuing, Mr.. Smith said: "The
most wonderful wheat field ! have
ever seen was of one hundred, twenty
acres. On this was produced an aver
age yield Of seventy bushels an acre.
Flax is also an important crop in that
district. The peculiar thing about this
crop is that it absolutely cannot be
handled when it is wet. II it is put on
0 wagon, and allowed to become wet,
no power on earth can get it off that
wagon until it becomes dry. 1t can
not be threshed in the morning hours
on account OF the dampness made by
the dew. / have seen twenty-seven
bushels of fax produced on an acre.
'But up in Canada the people trade
in dollars, where we down here use
nickels. have never seen such gen.
eral prosperity elsewhere as there is
in the Dominion"
After a short visit In Columbia, Mr..
Smith will probably go to Knoxville
and take up his duties with the J. |.
-. ~ - tha4 Y1tona Ha has M.