The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-09-08
When Word Comes Men Behind
Lines Work With Desperate
Speed. >
DELAY may MEAN DEFEAT
Road Builders Who Follow Fighting
Ranks Taxed to the utmost-Mo-
tor Eorries Play an important
Part 10 the Work. =
BY r. w. WARD.
In the New York Tribune

LOndOn.-IO render an advance pos
sible and. to insure that everythin;
shall be kept up TO date behind the lin,
is no small order. There is no time fol
sitting down ana thinking things over
If anything has to be done it has to be
done at once. A few hours delay
might be very convenient to the organ
izer, but such delay would probably
vitiate any plans he might make. That
is why, when anything has to be done
in the matter of repairs and rearrange-
ments behind tie line it has to he done
at top speed. There are no "hours" in
the army. If a job has to be rushed
then everybody buckles to the task and
keeps on slOgging until the job is fin
lshed. Tommy may grouse-he wouldn't
be much good if he didn't-but he
gets away with the job when he knows
1t is important.
Once job had to be done at a spot
where the Huns had been Smelling for
three solid days. 1t was just the re-
moval of stores, and all the spare II. A.
Nj. c. and A. S. c. men had been
pressed into the service on this par.
ucular occasion. 1t was carried through
at night, naturally, and there were no
hghts to be shown. The party would
have been blown out of the earth If
there had been any indication of their
presence.
IL wasn't an easy job. In fact, it
was real hard work, the loading up of
lorries, wagons, anything that could
be got in the way of wheeled transport.
Now, then, you chaps" said the Off
Ger in charge, II don't know who you
are or where you come from. But
we've got to get this job done in about.
three hours. If we don't we shall be
shelled to h at daylight" There
was some cheerful growing, Sut the
job was done well under the time. and
a dixie of tea at the finish put every
one In a thoroughly good humor..
Motor Lorries Used.
This was only a small job, "some-
where In France" but 1t was TYPICAL
of an infinite number. As things are
now, there are plenty of stores and
material to do practically any Job, but |
or necessity they are not as a rule on |
the spot, where they are actually re-
luired. Rail heads and engineer
Jumps cannot be carried forward on
the very heels Of the advance. That
,an be easily understood. But when
something has to be done In a hurry.
-hese materials can be brought up BY
means of motor lOrries, with an A. =.
:. driver at the wheel and an engineer
'fficer in charge.
Ammunition dumps. with their mil
ions OF shells, have to be built SO as
o be within easy reach of the trans
BORT. But other roads have to be
made, leading through the dump from
ne main route. This is necessary I'm
rider that lorry may be brought in
no loaded or unloaded from either
ide. These roads are of the corduroy
ariety, floor of pit props being laid
nd made secure, for the time. being.
nut when 1t does rain In France-well.. ,
GU Know all about Ii. It isn't long
efore the logs begin to sag. as the !
'ater gets into the ground beneath.
nd the first thing you know is that a I
'rry dips down at an awkward angle. 9
ne Of the wheels disappears I'D to the ;
xle, and the logs splay out in all +
lrections.
THAT'S where the rush begins. A
rong pull and long pull gets the =
try out Of the way, up come the :,
ose logs. the ground beneath is made a
with brushwOOd or short lengths of q
mber, well pegged down. the surface
relaid. and a couple of hours later n
ings are going on well again. Y
Perhaps. though, there are nor
Tough pit props available. Round
shes an officer, gets a chit from the
ice Of the chief engineer of the arinv
rps operating there. hops on lorry.
"a away he pelts to the nearest rail nj
ad or dump. The chit is handed in h,
the officer in charge there. the nec. n
sary material is issued and loaded Il
OK goes the lorry again, and the lob h,
DONE. -
ferhaps road is under wafer az
ELL iron pipes are necessary to take c,