The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-02
A Clock Tower
In France
How 1t Helped Two Ameri-
can Soldiers to Gain
Promotion
By F. A. Mitchell

When American boys were flocking
to the colors for the great worlds war
Russell Andrews was seventeen years
wears old. He wished to enlist, but his
mother, who was a widow, stood in his
way. Russell did not consider himself
forbidden to enlist, but he knew that
his doing so would well night break
the poor woman's heart. The tempta-
ton was too strong for him, and, with
out saying a word to her, he went to
recruiting station and became SOL
dier. After the deed was done he went
home, and about an hour afterward
mustered up courage to tell his mother
what he had done, hurting it out all OF
a sudden:
Mother, I've enlisted"
The response was not what Russell
had expected.
"Well, my boy" she said, since you
have Joined the army there is nothing
for me to do but get you ready to CO.
Russell Andrews passed to a reSi
ment and was sent to camp, where
he got his first drilling. Then he was
put on a troop steamer and, in com
pany with other steamers, guarded by
submarine destroyers, departed for
France. Being with the first division
that went abroad, he participated In
the animated reception they received.
and 1t seemed to him to be worth
whole lifetime to be one Of the Ameri-
can troops Oh that occasion.
The training camp behind the lines
was nearer the war and not nearly SO
delightful as the reception, especially
that part pertaining to pretty girls
breaking through the lines to bestow
bouquets. But the boys were not sent
for the purpose Of receiving flowers
and those first happy days in France
were soon mere memory.
Russell Andrews was well fitted for
q soldier. Whether cooped up in a
trOopship or a box car, or making a
long march, he was always jovial. No
matter how uncomfortable the situa.
tion, he was always ready for joke
When his corps had been sufficiently
trained to face the enemy he proved
himself brave man.
The ordinary routine work Of sol
der even in face Of an enemy was toe
tame for Private Andrews. Not that
the work was not exciting; indeed, II
was at times too exciting, or, rather
dreadful, for the young American. Rus
sell was cut out for ingenious devices
He admired the methods adopted by
the Germans for obtaining informatio,
of what their enemies were doing ant
longed to try his hand at one Of theil
games.
One day In hand to hand fight Rus
sell. with some thirty of his comrades
was taken prisoner. A church stood
handy, and since there was no NOR,
convenient place to put the prisoners
they were shut up there. Besides. &
building required less guards than al
open space. Four sentries were con
sidered quite enough to watch the pris
oners, and they were stationed abou
the church prison.
Now, this church was on an emi
nence and commanded a good view o
what the Germans were doing in III
vicinity. 1t was constructed like mos
old churches, open within from floor t,
roof. with gallery on three sides
From the gallery the prisoners coul,
see what was going on about them
but, fearing that if they showed them
selves at the windows guard woul,
be introduced to keep them from en-
joying the view, they took care not t
be seen.
Russell Andrews had no sooner beel
incarcerated than he began an explora
ton Of the premises. He found tn
passageway into the basement, wen
down there and, opening a door. foun,
a sort of closet about three feet square
Looking up. he saw that the roof wa
only few feet above his head, an
puzzled him till suddenly the roof he
gan to rise, accompanied by clickin
sound usual to the winding of tn
weight of clock.
Andrews saw at once that the close
was the shaft within which hung th
weight that worked the church cloc
above. A vague something came int
his mind that induced him to go W
stairs and look out through window
He could see the shadow of the spir
of the church and noted where It fel
This was the time the sexton woun
the clock.
The next evening at the clock win(
ing hour Russell went down into tn
shaft, and when the weight reache
its lowest point he stood on a benc
and took firm grip on the weigh
In few minutes the weight began I
rise and carried the soldier up with |
When Russell reached the belfry b
saw white haired man turning
crank. Russell stepped Off on to III
floor. The old man raised his hea
and, seeing the soldier, stood aghast.
"Mon Dieur' he exclaimed.
"You are French" said Russell. "a
you had been German you would hay
said, 'Gott in himmel.'"
"Yes: am French. but IL the Ge
G..I Ill