Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-09-14
Thanked BY King and Decorated Tor

Bravery.
II thank yoa.- he said. 'for myself
and my people for your services OuI
gratitude cannot be great enough to
ward mon who have served as you
have"
He spoke IN very low voice and
with no assumption OF royal dignity.
There was nothing in the lcast thrill
ing about the Incident but there was
much apparent sincerity In the few
words.
After he had gone one of the nurses
asked me what he had said.
"Oh." / said, George asked me what
/ thought about the way the war was
being conducted, and | said I'd drop In
aud talk II over with him az soon as
! was well enough to be up"
There happened one Of the great dis
appointments Of my life. She didn't
see the Joke. She was English. She
gasped and glarcd at me, and | think
she went out and reported that | was
delirious again.
Really, I wasn't much impressed by
the English king. He seemed a pleas
ant. tired little man with q great bar
den to bear and not much OF an idea
about how to bear It. He struck me
as an individual who would conscien-
tiously do his best In any situation, but
would never do or say anything with
the slightest suspicion Of punch to 1t.
A few days after his visit to the hos
pital saw In the Offcial London Ga
zette that / had been awarded the dis
tinguished conduct medal Onicial let
ters from the Canadian headquarters
amplified this information, and a no
tlce from the British war Office inform
ed me that the medal awaited me there.
| was told the king knew that the
medal had been awarded to me when
he spoke to me In the hospital. De-
spite glowing reports in tbe Kentucky
press he didn't pin 1t ON me. Probably
he didn't have II with him. or perhaps
he didn't consider 1t good form to hang
d. G. NJ. on suit of striped presenta-
ton pajamas with prevailing tone Of
baby blue.
While was In the King George hos
pital witnessed one of the most Won
derful examples Of courage and pluck
1 have ever seen. A young Scot only
nineteen years old, McAuley by name.
had had the greater part of his face
blown away. The surgeons had patch
ed him up In some fashion, but he was
horribly dlsfigured. He was the bright
est. merrlest man In the ward always
joking and never depressed. His own
terrible misfortune was merely the top
ic for humorous comment with him.
He seemed to get positive amusement
out OF the fact that the surgeons were
always sending for him to do some
thing more with his face. One day he
was going into the operating room and
a fellow patient asked him what the
new operation was 10 be.
"Oh." he said. I'm going TO have
cabbage put ON I'm place of head
TIN grow better than the one have
now"
Once IN fortnight he would man
age to get leave TO absent himself from
the hospital for an hour or two. He
never came back alone. 1t took a
couple OF men TO bring him In. On the
next morning he would say:
"Well. II was my birthday. A man
must have few drinks ON his birth
day"
was discharged from the hospital |
In the middle OF February and sent TO |
a comfortable place at Hastings, Sus-
sex. where | lived until my furlough |
papers came through. | had n fine |
time In London at the theaters and |
clubs pending my departure for home.
When my furlough had arrived l went /
20 Buxton, nerbyshire, where the Ca
madam discharge depot was located. /
and was provided with transportation
TO Montreal came back 10 America
on the Canadian Pacific Royal Mail
steamer Metagama. and the trip was
without incident OF any sort. We lay
for time in the Mersey. awaiting
word that our convoy was ready to sec
us out OF the danger zone, and de-
stroyer escorted MS 400 miles on our
way.
| was Informed before my departure
that a commission as lieutenant In the
Canadian forces awaited my return
from furlough. and ! had every inten-
ton OF going back 10 accept IL. but
since got 60 America things have hap
pened. Now It's the army OF Uncle
Sam for mine. I've written these sto-
ries to show what we are up against.
It's going to be a tough game and a
bloody one and sorrowfui one for
many. but it's up 60 us to save the
Issue where It's mostly right on one
side and all wrong on the cther-and
I'm glad were In. I'm not willing TO
quit soldering now. but will be when
wc get through with this. Because
when we tinish up With all this there
won't be any necessity for soldering.
The world win be free or war for a
long. long time. and Gods mercy
that.
TnE End.
An egg bag OF crocheted cotton Is
useful 20 boil the eggs IN. saves Diff
sulfy In getting them euf Of the water