Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-08-26
SOLDIERS ENJOY
 OLD TIME GAMES
 BETWEEN BATTLES
Privates Initiate Tommies and Poilus Into Mys-
 teries of Poker.

l Paris, Aug. 25.-Many Americans
 are probably wondering how Uncle i Sam's soldier boys are passing their |.spare time, now that they have been
 in France long enough for the open
 mouthed period of gazing about that l follows ones first arrival in a foreign | land to have worn off.
 What with sentry duty, reconnais- | sance patrols, inspections, and other work that falls to his lot the soldier l in the trenches doesn't have great l deal of spare time on his hands. How ever, when a member of a trench gar | risoH. having made up for arrears in lost sleep, and having washed, shaved, and scraped some of the mud from his boots, does find an hour or so on his hands, his favOrite occupation is to write a few letters to "the folks at home.'
 |. Monographs in the trenches have
 always been popular In fact, they are the one form of passive amusement of which the troops never tire. Officers and soldiers returning from leave bring with them from London or Paris the very latest records. In the even- ing, when things in general grow a trifle dull, the photograph is set a. going and the soldiers are treated to the latest comedy of Harry Lauder, a, ballard by John Mccormick, or a song from some other popular favorite Other trench relaxations are to be found in building specially elaborate iuug-outs, complete with glass win doWs and flower beds. Often, too, diversion is provided in quite unex- pected manner. For instance, a Brit ish infantry officer tells how a gilt tering ricochettting shell from the enemy landed recently in the open
 ground immediately behind his pla- toon's front, and neither buried itself nor exploded. Instantly the scurrying for shelter was replaced by shouts of dreisive laughter, and rush in the opposite direction to inspect the un- invited guest. Two or three minutes later Tommy was doing mock ,dumb-bell exercises and weight-liftinIg feats with the forbidding looking mis- I sle.
 On another occasion, after a few trying minutes of enemy lombard ment, young soldier announced the atrical]y in loud voice that, strafe | or no strafe, he would not be deprived of his tea, and with that ran towards his dug-out carrying his mess tin of not water. In the circumstance it was bad luck that he should have
 trippeG up, although the incident cer-
 tainly provided a hearty laugh for his
 comrades at particularly trying moment.
 Many games, of course, are played by the soldiers in order to while away | the time of waiting behind the ! trenches. Officers devote large pro- portion of their spare time to the
 playing of auction bridge, which they
 find provides an excellent mental ex- erclse, besides being a fascinating and
 harmless game. The boys from the United States frequently relieve the | tedium of camp life by indulging in a friendly game of poker, into the mys- terles Of which many of the French and English soldiers have already been initiated by the Canadians.
 Baseball, of course, is the favorite sport of the American soldiers
 Thanks to the generosity of the American public the different camps
 have been provided with parapher- nalia, and as many of the soldiers have had experience on college or emi-professional teams their games in many instances are we'll worth witnessing. Two games that are popular with all the soldiers of the allies are distinct ly the product of trench life. One called "bomb-ball," was unknown be- fore the war. It is played like foot ball, with elevens and two goals. The
 ball is bomb-shaped, made of wood covered with felt, and may only be propelled with the right hand, and never kicked.
 The other is "shove-ha-penny," a game which has always been popular