The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-15
COLLECTION OF
SOUVENIRS Is
SOLDIERS HOBBY
Much Ingenuity Displayed
In Work by Soldier
Craftmen at Front

Behind British Lines in France,
Nov. neutrality-suspicious. Of the
Associated Press.)-In every battal-
ion at the front there are number
OF confirmed souvenir hunters. and
sometimes their influence Is so
potent that an epidemic craze for
collecting spreads through all ranks,
and the main topic of conversation is
souvenirs in all their varieties.
In every walk OF trench Life one
meets the man with strong acuuisi-
tive habitss in civilian life he might
develop his bent into either finance,
art, stamp collecting or possibly
burglary. In the trenches the fully
developed passion for collecting SOU
venirs is often a trial for the collec-
tor, for a collection of any kind
sooner or later demands a place to
put it in, and there is no place in
knapsack and dugout life for a store
OF gathered treasures.
The available war souvenirs are
seldom of much value, but there is a
considerable variety Of things to
choose from In most battle areas. In
the early days of the war. the Ger
man helmets were valued souvenirs,
for the old-style German helmet was
substantial and picturesque. bril-
liant with heavy metal garniture.
There were also unusual variations,
like the quaint BaVarian shakos,
while one or two cavalry regiments
provided rare variety OF headgear
which has not been seen on the west
ern front since the first year of war.
The German helmet OF today has
deprecated even more than the Ger
man mark. 1t Is no longer even leath-
err, but a kind Of light paper-felt.
The metal spike has given place to
one Of wood or composition. The
solid brass regimental badge is now
a thin tinsel plaque. The true col
lector cares very little for the mod
ern helmet and has no interest at
all in the little round convict cap
which so many German prisoners
wear. IL the German only knew it,
q sure passport to warm and instant
favor on surrender is decent hell
met. 1t attracts immediate atten-
ton and the fortunate owner is given
cigarettes and other marks Of favor
by his delighted captor, instead OF
being merely herded to the rear
without ceremony.
The supply OF helmets is seldom
adequate to the demand; indeed the
market is only glutted on occasions
Of big push or q large scale raid
Among lesser trophies, the ambitious
collector finds great scope for his
activities in the shells sent over by
the hostile artillery. Fuses and nose
caps in wonderful variation are to
be obtained with a little pains, and
the collection Of these is encouraged
by the general STAFF because the set
ting OF the fuse may give the correct
range OF suspected battery and
there is other Information OF useful
character to be gained from the
study OF these trophies.
The French soldiers have special
lied in aluminium rings and jewelry
made from the nosecaps Of hostile
she'll and quite an ambitious indus
try has been developed in this way.
The British prefer to work in brass,
usually the brass Of empty cartridges
and shell cases. With infinite patti
ence and few tools they produce
what the Frenchman calls peculiar
objects OF the mantelpiece. Little
model coal -scuttles with legs made
Of bullets, a tiny coal shovel worked
up from a German rifle cartridgei
vases OF curious surface nothing
made by indenting the brass of a
Held 4gnn case: ambitious designs Of
allied fiags and well known heroes.
made from ration cases or brass
these are only a few OF the things
which the collector is offered by his
own comrades. There Is no end to
the ingenuity and variety OF the
work Of the soldier craftsman. but
his most familiar work is in inkpots,
candlesticlzs and decorative paper
weights made from hand grenades or
the interior Of shrapnel shells.