New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-11-10
THE BOYS AT CAMP PIKE.

Little Rock, Ark, Nov. $50
ing over the top Of Flanders MAJ
be different from taking German
trenches in Arkansas, but dollar
to gingercages it can't be NOR
blood STAINED fields of France.
At Camp Pike they have every
thing they encounter in the hrs
blood curdling. theoretically thu
trenches of Europe-except thu
enemy hit oak saplings bags o.
sand and other equally feronlou'
Officers supply an excellent sub
stitate
To make it as realistic as pos
sible. first. second and third lln'
trenches have been constructed a
the eastern edge of this camp O
fen square miles, with road lead
ing directly in front of the mrs.
trench. Communication. trenches
connect the three, zigzagglne
ABOUT over dIl dCic VI ="
ground until a person is almost
div from constant turning, II not
from fright. When the firing line
is reached.
All the perfectly good rattan III
the woods adjoining has been
wrapped about stakes to form the
embankment corners Of the hrSt
trench. A most is on the outside
to keep the enemy from coming
over in a surprise attack. In
front there are all kinds OF wire
acknowledgements, and they are won
derfully and fearlessly made
Across the road lies Germany
The German trenches are protect
ed bv barbed wire entanglements'
traps of every kind and there. is
even mud to be encountered, just
like we read about on thf West
ern front.
Behind the trenches OF the Al
lied army, for that is what the
soldier boys at Camp Pike repre-
sent, hang the legless and head
less trunks of Fritz, Hans, Helnle,
Karl and Emil. but you would
scarcely recognize them in their
mutilated condition. They hang
from long frames, resembling the
taekling dummies of a foot ball
squad. As a matter OF fact, the
offending foreigners are only
sacA, Of saw dust, but how those
bovs do stick them full Of bay
onet holes!
The bayonet used by the Amer
lea is about the same as the hrst
fifteen inches Of the business end
of erandfather's sword. If any
thing it is more terrifying. a
sack Of dust is a hopeless wreck
after Sammie has lunged three
or four times, but any one OF
those thrusts would make short
shift Of an enemy. After the re-
cruit has whetted his appetite to
a sufficient degree of blood thlrt-
mess Of the dummy, he is led
into the trenches, there to wade
through water. crouch along the
shallow places, and finally to face
the enemy a few yards away. He
looks over through periscope,
or from an observation point well
concealed by sacks of sand. He
throws grenades and bombs of
various kinds, for he is genious
at making these things.
But when the order comes for
going over the top Sammie IS
right there with the temperament
to make it realistic. He goes
over as though he were out for
q stroll, and is taking that mns
derons instrument along for fear
there is squirrel in the woods
beyond. The soldier boys are
we'll scattered as they proceed,
quiet and determined looking.
Then comes the big command,
when the wire entanglements
which have previously been soht
away-are reached. and such
bowling mob. as charges the inno-
cent oak saplings was never en-
countered in the land of the Der
wish. or the plains when wild In
dams roamed in the war paint.
And those trenches are taken
many, many times q day. Whe