The Glasgow courier., 1916-10-27

tainted. But most of our fellows
have roughed it more or less and knew
| how to get along with next to moth
| ing"
"The heat bothered most. And we
didn't get the dining halls built for
a couple Of months. Before that we
would line up for dinner, get plate
full and then squat down any old
place in the burning sun. Say, it
kinda made a fellow wonder why he
came. But it's over now, and we
want to get home. Do you figure we
can make it in time to vote?
Carl E. Hammerness, mechanician
from Glasgow, went down with
bunch of northern Montana boys to
help settle the trouble in Mexico. He
enlisted and went down to the border
with rather definite idea that he
might be needed in scrimmage or
two and that if he was not killed when
his soldering was done he could come
back home and meet his friends and
maybe later tell it to his children
He had firm belief that as an
American, and no less as Montanian,
show of force, display Of arms in
conflict, were necessary to the end
that the Mexican muddle should be
worked out. Fol this belief, Carl,
with his colnraGes, was ready to risk
his life.
But battling for the freedom Of
Mexico consists of several things not
in the manual of arms, nor listed in
the Theories of Wa, as edited and
published by the present Democratic
administration.
"That fighting idea was just joke"
said Carl "Of course we know now
that it was just political move and
that we have wasted our summer and
fall for nothing. But say, you just
ought to see the townsite we cleared
up. We grubbed off a square mile
of mesquite for our camp and drill
grounds. Then we went to work and
laid it all out in squares, graded all
the streets with high crown and
dug bitches that drained the whole
area. We worked like slaves-really
cor months we were prisoners. Be-
tween times we stood guard and drill
ed. This last part of it consisted
mostly in chasing imaginary Mexicans
across a country where there were no
trees and no water even in holes. Lots
Of fun.
Besides, we went on hiles-during
the warmer spells Of weather. Say!
Did you ever try to make walk
across sandy country for twenty
miles with just one Quart of water to
drink? Even if we passed we'll
we couldn't fill our canteens. One
quart of water-twenty miles. Try
her some time. Make your pack up
SO she weighs about sixty pounds and
start the first day the Thermometer
shows to about one-o-three. Great
stuff, this soldering. Do you think
we can get home in time to vote?"
"Say, its kinda tough, don't you
think, this regulation taking our
sweaters and overcoats away from US
when they turn US loose-and with
winter just coming on?"
This is the quite natural minor OBJ
lection of Private Coughlin Of Lewis
town, to one of the farseeing regu-
lations of the present War Depart
ment. Of course, down on the bor-
der where the Montana boys were
putting in long days and weeks grub
hing mesquite and grading streets,
the question of anything beyond an
undershirt did not trouble them. Un-
der the semi-torrid sun their useless
work in desert sands, their long hikes
daily drills, chasing an imaginary foe
across sunscorched and barren wastes,
this effort called not for body cover
ing. But here in the north, returning
to land going to it's winter sleep,
the boys with blood thinned by south
ern service, would like to keep their
warmer clothes.
81 think the boys are equally divid-
ed on the guess that the mobilization
as whole was a political move or just
great big mistake.
81 heard something today about ar
attempt that was being made to re-
organize the Montana National Guarc
from our ranks. Now let me tel
you it will be mighty small bunch
Of enlstments secured among us now
If we have anything else left beside
the belief that we have foolishlS
wasted several months of our time, il
is firm conviction that we have hae
) just about enough soldering for th'
present.