Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-09-24
A Clock Tower
In France
How 1t Helped Two Ameri-
can Soldiers to Gain
Promotion
By F. A. mitchell
By F. A. mitchell

years old. He wished to enlist, but his
mother, who was widow, stood in his
way. Russell did not consider himself
forbidden to enlist, but he knew that
his doing so would well night break
the poor woman's heart. The tempta.
ton was too strong for him, and, with.
out saying word to her, he went to a
recruiting station and became sol.
dier. After the deed was done he went
home, and about an hour afterward
mustered up courage to tell his mother
what he had done, blurting it out all of
q sudden:
Mother, I've enlisted"
The response was not what Russell
had expected.
"Well, my boy" she said "since you
have Joined the army there is nothing
for me to debut get you ready to CO."
Russell Andrews passed to a regi.
ment and was sent to a camp, where
he got his first drilling. Then he was
put on a troop steamer and, in COM
pany with other steamers, guarded by
submarine destroyers, departed for
France. Being with the first division
that went abroad, he participated in
the animated reception they received,
and 1t seemed to him to be worth a
whole lifetime to be one Of the Ameri-
can troops on that occasion.
The training camp behind the lines
was nearer the war aud not nearly so
delightful as the reception, especially
that part pertaining to pretty girls
breaking through the lines to bestow
bouquets. But the boys were not sent
for the purpose of receiving flowers,
and those first happy days in France
were soon mere memory.
Russell Andrews was well fitted for
a soldier. Whether cooped up In a
troopship or a box car, or making a
long march, he was always jovial. No
matter how uncomfortable the situa-
tiOn, he was always ready for joke.
When his corps had been sufficiently
trained to face the enemy he proved
himself brave man.
The ordinary routine work Of sol
der even in face of an enemy was too
tame for Private Andrews. Not that
the work was not exciting; indeed, it
was at times too exciting, or, rather,
dreadful, for the young American. Rus
sell was cut out for ingenious devices.
he admired the methods adopted by
the Germans for obtaining information
of what their enemies were doing and
longcd to try his hand at one Of their
games.
One day in hand to hand fight Rus
sell with some thirty of his comrades,
was taken prisoner. A church stood
handy, and since there was no more
convenient place to put the prisoners
they were shut up there. Besides, a
building required less guards than an
open space. Four sentries were con-
sidered quite enough to watch the pris-
oners, and they were stationed about
the church prison.
Now, this church was on an emf
nence and commanded a good view Of
what the Germans were doing in its
vicinity. 1t was constructed like most
old churches. open within from floor to
roof, with gallery on three sides.
From the gallery the prisoners could
see what was going on about them;
but, fearing that If they showed them
selves at the windows a guard would
be introduced to keep them from en-
Joying the view, they took care not to
be seen.
Russell Andrews had no sooner been
hcarcerated than he began an eXplora-
tion of the premises. He found the
passageway into the basement. went
down there and, opening door, found
sort of closet about three feet square.
Looking up, he saw that the roof was
only a few feet above his head, and
around it was frame of light. This
puzzled him till suddenly the roof be-
gan to rise, accompanied by clicking
sound usual to the winding of the
weight of clock.
Andrews saw at once that the closet
was the shaft within which hung the
weight that worked the church clock
above. A vague something came into
his mind that induced him to go up
stairs and look out through window.
He could see the shadow of the spire
of the church and noted where it fell.
This was the time the sexton wound
the clock.
The next evening at the clock wind
ing hour Russell went down into the
shaft, and when the weight reached
its lowest point he stood on a bench
and took firm grip on the weight
In a few minutes the weight began to
rise and carried the soldier up with 1t.
When Russell reached the belfry he
saw a white haired man turning a
crank. Russell stepped off on to the
floor. The old man raised his head
and, seeing the soldier, stood aghast.
"Mon Dieuv' he exclaimed.
"You are French" said Russell. IF |
you had been German you would have
said, 'Gott in himmel.'"
"Yes; | am French. but If the Ger
mans find me speaking with an enemy
they will shoot me. They permit me to
take care of the church as its sexton.
but l have promised not to speak with
one Of the prisoners"
"That you can't help" said Russell,
$50 don't let your conscience trouble
you. Go on attending to your duty as
urual and say nothing about this meet