The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-11-09
MESS COOK Big
man OF army
Even Company Officers Have to
Be Considerate to the New
Autocrat.
NOBODY "BAWLs HIM OUT"
Any Kicks or orumbllng Against the
Worst Cook Are Made In Private
and Out Of His Earshot-
Word ls Final.

Field Headquarters, American Expe-
dictionary Forces, France.-"Who's the
great hero In the estimation of the pri.
Yates in the American armyi" asks the
man interested in the psychology OF
soldering.
"The commanding general, OF
course" interrupts his companion, an
noyed at the apparently foolish ques-
ton.
"Naw, not him. / amt never seen
him even," replies Q private, kicking
his hobnailed shoes into the turf.
4 your captain. then" suggests the
wise friend, coming down several
ranks.
; saw. he's all right and we're al
ways there TO salute him. but there's
Others" says the private.
How about your top sergeant a
veteran 'noncom' with rough talk and
strong right?" asks the friend, losing
confidence.
"We're all for him, but there's others
just MS good as him too" insists the
private,
'Put us next, who's the boss Of the
companyf' the first questloner insists.
.The cook, who else?" chorus half a
dozen.
That's the hero--the company cook,
writes Junius b. Wood, in the Chicago
Daily News. The cook may be hot
and grouchy, his uniform greasy and
his eyes red from smoke, but he is the
most respected man in the mess. That
is, If he is a good cook. Even II he
isn't good cook, indeed Is very poor
cook. which Is unusual for our army,
nobody "bawls him OUT TO his face as
they might even do TO sergeant major
who isn't much of a scrapper. Any
kicks or grumbllng against even the
worst cook are made in private and out
of his earshot.
"Say cook. gimme another helpln' of
the 'slum gullionT asks soldier,
coming up with his tin mess kit
secured clean with hunk Of bread Of
all traces Of the first helping Of stew.
"No seconds, tonight" replies the
mess sergeant.
Jaw. be q good fellow, I'm nearly
starved begs the soldier.
"Nothln' dom, some OF the fellows
haven't got here yet beat It."
Mess Cook 10 Boss.
American soldiers are always hungry |
and stand-in with the mess cook is
equivalent to one with the landlady's
daughter II you want the second piece
Of pie" He Is the company autocrat.
who has suddenly dropped
INTO a strange company about mess
lime knows that the chances of dining
we'll. though he may be obliged to
'quat on the ground. hold the mess
,late In one hand and feed with the
,ther. are better II the first cnII is
made on the mess sergeant than II II is
made on the captain. The captain
POSSIBLY eats or table made out OF an
Id boz. Certain formalities, however,
re observed among officers. The cap
ain may not always volunteer as host.
nd 1t 70 not good form to invite your
elf.
Say, sarg. any chance Of cumming
ONE chowr is good formula.
always can scrape the old pan for
hungry man. is his usual reply.
Don't want to crowd you. and III
aven't mess kit either" you shy. II
"Guess Eve got an. extra one around. (
II fix you up oil right" he says, and
GU eat
The American army eats well but II
cures closely. Ratons are drawn for
xactly the number Of men and the /
xact number Of days that they are to
at. 1t is up to the mess sergeant and ]
is cooks to see that everybody gets [
is share of everything and that moth
1g is left over. That means close fig {
ring with only his eyes and a big
pooh to measure by. Ii
Not Too Many Cooke.
For each Infantry company of 204 |
len there are mess sergeant and (
lree cooks. Under the old organlza-
on there were sergeant and three
ooks for company of 1853 men and
Ulcers. The way 1t works out up to ,
rigade unit is:
naf- |