The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-27
TASTE OF TRENCH LIFE
They Had to Build Dugouts and Ihen
Defend Them-Iocdi Mans
Company Wins
HonorS.

3
experiences there, and no doubt many
OF his friends would be GLAD Us know
about the work at Fort Smelling. IN
! a letter 10 a friend, Mr. Mckinley
writes as follows:
We'll, we began our second month
this morning, By the institution or
battalion drill. / understand we will
have regimental drill the last OF
the week for the edidcation Of Teddy
R. who is to make the fort visit
1t will be going some TO put on a
respectable regimental review after
four weeks of training, and We will
have 10 improve rapidly in the next
few days.
Everyone was rather stale and
ifeless this morning. Last week was
so strenuous that we didn't want TO
do anything but sleep over Sunday,
and that always makes one groggy.
I'VE sure did some work on those
trenches last week We were on con-
struction work the first four days,
and built and repaired literally miles
of trenches. The system is oyer a
half mile long and is more than that
deep, as there must be six or eight
lines in addition to communicating
I'VE built bomb proofs, machine
gun emplacements, dugouts and all
the incidents of modern trench
system. 1t was all looked over and
aapproved by the French captain who
had two and half years experience
in the trenches.
IT also fell to the Fifth company
to have the honor of capturing this
10,
night He has several times Leen
able to penetrate and explore the
German trenches without being cap
tured and is a wiley scout.
On Guard Duty.
Friday morning with full packs
we marched to the trenches, there
to remain until Saturday noon. For
several days we had been taking our
noon meal in the field. Our battalion
defended the trenches from Friday
noon until midnight. l had to take
the sentinel's post in front line
firing trench from TOO p. m. until
1900 midnight. We were equipped
with full pack and gun with fixed
bayonet and they got bit heavy
after some hours. No talking. no
smoking. no sitting down, but al
ways careful watching for the enemy
TO our front.
The quiet darkness wasn't so bad,
but the cold dampness OF a foggy
night in a wet trench was rather
chilling to the blood when you could
Mt move to warm up. Anyway, our
company came out with the honor of
being the most efficient on the job.
At midnight we were relieved and
were marched silently back through
some half mile of mmunicating
trenches to our pup tents in the
rear, where we turned in for some
sleep.
Even at that, we were tired
enough to sleep until $50. We were
up for an early breakfast Saturday
and resumed our trench maneuvers
for the rest of the morning. Last
week was the hardest wrok I've done
in many a day. 1t rained one day
while we were shoveIing, but we
went right ahead. 1t was hard grind
ing work all the way through, and
not much to be learned until the
last two days of actual work in
trench warfare.
II am getting SO I can consider
myself as one Of the mOpper-up squad
without culver. We are told the
last few days were a fair sample of
what We may expect in actual field
warfare.
81 can relish a meal from a N eat
can and canteen cup now, even with
dressing of bugs, grasshoppers and
sand II doesn't take a soldier in
the field long TO wash his individual
Dishes but they are soon in need
of real washing with soap and hot
water. Our bread line ful1lls all the
conditions of the pictures you see
Of army mess.
81 stood the gaff of last week very
well and am in good shane, all but a
pair OF lame wrists"
Mr.. Mckinley is one of five from
Keokuk In the second officers camp.
Dollar Day, Saturday, Sept. 20
Lied Himself Into jail.
limited Press Leased Wire Service.1
CHICAGO. Sept. 27.-John Bartole
lied himself and two other men into
tail because he feared the truth
would result in his hanging, he ad-
mitted today.
BartoIe entered the house where
he boards and found Stanley Lhoteck,
"A. son Of his landIady, dead with a
bullet hole In his head. Near he
body Law Lhoteck's revolver.
BartoIe hid the revolver and con-
vinced the police he found no re-
voIver in the room. Later, they
searched Bartole's room and found
an exploded cartridge. Then he con
fessed.
The police are still trying to de-
termine whether young Lhoteck shot
himself or was shot by playmate.
Dollar Day. Saturday, Sept. -
Irish coal fields are to be develop
ed.