Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-08-23
THOSE DRAFTED
ARE LUCKY GUYS
veteran Of Service Explains
. Joys Of a. Soldiers Life.
he TALKS FROM EXPERIENCE

Camps Beats Living In a Crowded
City and Working In an Office For
Eight Hours a Day-PIenty of Time
For All Sports.
I'm draftedw exclaimed the file
clerk tragically.
Drafted. hey?" replied the construc-
ton boss. Gee, you're lucky guyw
writes Arthur Walter Grahame of the
Vigilantes.
Lucky" shouted the file clerk.
what's lucky about having to go in
the army and perhaps getting shot? l
don't see you running down to the re-
crulting office and enlisting."
NO replied the construction boss
a trifle sadly. But if it wasn't for the
wife and the three kids you would see
me doing just that little thing.
Say he continued, "some of you
young fellows make me tired l served
In the Spanish-American war, and II
didn't kill melt made me a better
man in every way. Oh, yes, know
that the Spanish-American war wasn't
but we heard few shots fired at that"
"1t isn't only getting shot that wor-
rles me- said the file clerk Il don't
want to so around saluting every Off
Ger meet, just as if l wasn't as good
as they are. anyway, what fun will 1
have in the army?'
All Kinds of Fun.
You'll have all kinds of fun-of the
kind of fun that is good for you," re-
turned the construction boss. produc-
ing sack Of 'makins" and proceeding
to roll cigarette. "And as for Salut-
ing officers-that's a privilege.
1T shows that you are members of
the same Observation-Disclosures in arms.
The officer is just as much bound to
return the salute as you are to give
it. And if you don't like being a pri-
vate you can be an officer-if you are a
good enough man. We need all the
officers we can get. All you have to
do is to prove that you have the stuff"
"Well, l don't want any of it," said
the file clerk. Little old New York
is good enough for
"Yes, little old New York-eight
hours day in an Office, couple of
hours in a movie theater or a bum
cabaret in the evening, trip to Coney
Island on Sunday and all of $40 q
week. That's fine life for a man,
isn't it?
"1n the army you'll get up in the
morning feeling like a real man. You'll
go through half hour Of setting up
exercises to take the kinks out Of your
muscles. By the time the bugle goes
for breakfast you'll want it, and you'll
get real breakfast. Then you will
start in on the work of the day. You'll
drill, and you'll drill hard. You'll know
what it means to sweat and you'll
learn what good drink water really
is. You'll feel the old sun burning
through your flannel shirt and you'll
like it-like it almost as much as the
shade of the trees along the dusty road
when you fall out for ten minute
rest.
"Along about 1890 you'll start think
ing about dinner-they don't eat lunch
in the army-and you'll think about it
harder and harder until you get it.
After dinner you'll get some more drill
they give you plenty to door learn
to dig trenches, or throw bombs, or to
read maps, or to signal, or practice
bayOnet fighting, all of them real
mems jobs. Then you'll get chance
to clean up for retreat, which comes
along about sundown. That's the real
classy, dress up affair of the army day.
You'll march out on to the parade
ground and line up in regimental for.
nation. Then the band will play The
Star Spangled Banner and you will
stand at attention while the flag comes
down, and if you are a real American
you'll feel a creepy sensation down
your spine, and you'll be so darn proud
of your uniform and of Your regiment
and of yourself that you'u almost bust
the buttons off your shirt.
After That You Can Read.
'Then you'll eat again and clean
up your rife. After that you can read
or write or sit around and swap stories
or sing. Along about 0 O'Clock you'll
begin to get nOddy. and by the time
the windjammer blows taps you'll be
ready to stretch out on your cot. and
the next thing yOu know you'll be
cussing the bugler for blowing revellle
in the middle of the night
you won't have much chance to
practice the one step. but you'll get
plenty of time for baseball and all the
other games that make men. YOh'll
get chance to use your bean too. The
American army wants men who can
think for themselves, not cattle that
have to be driven along by their off,
GERS"
The file clerk seemed rather impress
ed, but he still had his doubts.
"All that's all right" he said, "but
suppose l get sent to France?"
IF you get sent to France you'll be
luckier than ever. You can help put