davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

corted us until we were four hundred
miles of the coast Of, Ireland; then
each ship picked up q destroyer when
had come out to meet her. AT that
time, notice was posted in the purS-
;er's office informing us that we were
in the war zone. and that the ship
would not stop for anything, even for
"a man overheard. That day a SOLDIER
fell of the Metagama with seven hun
dred dollars in his pocket. and the ship
never even hestitated. They left him
where he had no chance to spend his
money.
make d Break"
Through my training in the V. M.
l., was able to read semiphore sig
mails, and l caught the message from
the destroyer which escorted us. 1t
read:
Each ship for herself now. Make a
break"
We beat the other steamers Of our
!conroy eight hours in getting TO the
what seemed TO be the regular system
OF our operations at that time, we
were the last TO diSembark.
The majority Of our. fellows had
never been in England before, and
they looked on our travels at that
time as Il fine lark. Everybody
cheered and laughed when they dust
ed off one of those little toy trains
and brought it up. to take US away
in it. After we were aboard of It, we
proceeded at the dizzy rate OF about
four miles an hour. and our regular
company humoristno company conn
plete without one-suggested tnat
they were afraid, il they. went any
faster, they might run off OF the
island before they could stop. We
were taken to Bramshott camp, In
Hampshire, twelve miles from the
Aldershott School Of Command. The
next day we were given King S
ieave"Eeight days. with free trans
portation, anywhere in the British
Isles. 1t is the iuvariable custom TO
give this sort Of leave TO all colonla!
troops Immediately upon their arrival
| in England However, in our case
ireland was barred. Just at that
time, Ireland was no place for r
! newly arrived Canadian looking for
sport.
make soldiers Of us. We thought our
training in Canada had amounted TO
something We found out that we
might as we'll have been playing GRO
iouet. We learned more the first week
of our actual training in England
than we did from November to April
lin Canada. make this statement
without fear that any officer or man
Of the Canadian forces alive to-day
will disagree with me. and l submit
! it for the thoughtful consideration OF
the gentlemen who believe that our
own armies can be prepared for serv-
| ice here at home.
In this war every man has3got to be
specialist. He's got to. know. one
thing better than anybody else except
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23
Canadian Gren. Guards.

the spot in the most emphatic way
but without ever violating d single
sacred tradition Of the service The
Scrgeants, who took US in charge 10
put on the real polish TO our training.
had all seen from twenty 10 twenty.
five years Of service. They had all
the Marine, and they had all been
wounded. They were perfect exam
plies of Il type. One of them ordered
The colonel down 10 turn out for rifle
drill, one day. and put them through
the manual OF arms while The soldiers
OF the battalion stood around, look
ing on.
Gentlemen" said he, very politely
~ in the midst of the drill. when
see YOU handle your rifles feel like
falling on my knees and thanking
God that we've got a navy"
A Call for Volunteers.
On June End after the third battle
of Ipres, while Mcfarland and were
sitting YEARLY on our hunks during
strange hour In the afternoon when
nobody had thought OF anything Tor
us to do. a soldier came In with a
message from headquarters WnlCh put
Il sudden stop TO the discussion we
were having about the possibility OF
g"ltlng leave 10 30 up 10 London.
The message was that the First, Sec
ond and Third divisions Of the Can
adams had lost forty percent Of their
mon in the third fight at lprcs and
that three hundred volunteers were
wanted from each Of our battallons
TO fill up the gaps.
Forty per cent" said Mcfarland.
getting up quickly. My God. think
Of it.. Well. I'm off TO tell EN- III
60"
told him ! was with him and We
tarlrd for headquarters. expecting to
be received with applause and pointed
out as heroic examples. We couldn't
even get up 10 give in our names. The
whole battalion had gone about it first.
That was the spirit OF the Canadians.
1t was about this time that story
went round concerning an English
colonel who had been called up to fur
nish volunteers from his outfit to re-
place casualties. He backed his regi-
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23
By JOHN L. w. BIRKINBIl

mines will be there-diminished,' bug
amply productive nevertheless. =
The dread is for what the Germans
may do when they are forced to WITH
draw. The world has not yet. recovS
cred from the shock Of the butcheTe9
trees Of France; il looks for no merc%
to Belgium's coal mines. Certain 1t Is
that the German armies in retreaE
could inflict material damage, possibly
such rs would make the entire areS
unavoidable for couple OF years.
that is, for a period long enough. t0
prevent Belgium ano its allies from,
ing the period OF hostilities. 1t ID
feasible. probably, for pitiless malice
to set fire to the mines, which WOULD
mean something very close to perma
nent ruin. We in the United States
know what burning. mine can be.
But either Of these malefc courseAe
can and will be adopted by Germany9
only in the last extremity OF despair:
Coal, whether it be located IN Belgium5
or in France, Is infinitely more value
able to Germany than to either OF hers
II the mines should be deT
stroyed, Germany herself 10 cr1ppleds
after the war is over. SO long as tn%
most slender expectation remains that
the territories from which she % drivers
can be regainSd, Germany's armies viii
retreat under orders TO spare tnd
mines.
So IL The realm Of German higAs
strategy, the coal mines of BelgiunS
and of France now present sure inA
dex of the invaders confidence in theitS
prowess. Secretly certain Of ulumata1
defeat, Germany's retreating armiea
may seek to wreak havoc on the mines
of the regions they abandon. Hoping
10 return in the varying fortunes OF
the war, they will selfishly leave them
intact.
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

of these later recorders puts the loss
of the invaders in dead at Tours at
375,000. He adds that the number OF
Christians killed was but 1,O07. For
this disparity in losses he gives credit
to direct interposiion Of Providence
The Count Eudo tried battle with
Abderrahman at the river Garonne,
but the Moslem shattered EudoS ar
my, held a high carnival Of slaughter
among the prisoners and swept on.
It was then that Charles Martel raj
lied every available man. His first
fortunes were like those Of Eudo. Abb
derrahman drove him back, taking
large numbers Of prisoners and ad-
vancing through the country like
desolating storm. The Arab writer's
set it down that "the men Of Adder
rahmon were puffed up in spirit by
their repeated successes and they
were full of trust In the valor and
war practice Of their smir " Charles
Martel had every reason TO believe
that the death which had been melted
out to Eudo would soon be his own
portion. All the Franks were trenh-
ling at the terrible army Of swarthy
men which deVoured all that faced
it.
Presently Charles. taking stand
along the Loire, felt strong enough to
risk q mighty cast Of the dice. He
had gained important reinforcements
and In spite of the general terroriZa-
ton he had stiffened the spirit Of his
men. Abderrahman's success in enter
ing Tours. with the resultant demorali-
cation Of his troops, gave the Franllish
leader the opportunity for which he
waited. Once. it came he pressed It
to the full limit Of success. Abderrah-
man stormed Tours almost before the
eyes Of the army which came TO save
it. The fury and cruelty Of the sue
cessful Moslems against the iuckless
inhabitants Of the fallen town has
been likened to that Of raging tigers.
Each man Of the invaders loaded him
self with loot. The sword and torch
were everywhere at work. ia was
manifest" says the Arab historian.
that Gods chastlScment was sure 10
follow such excuses" and proceeds
to lament the loss Of discipline which
came upon the Saracen army.
Abderrahman was keenl alive to
tho danger in the disorder which re-
suited In the possession of so much
spoil by each soldier. yet he dared not
venture the displeasure OF his men by
ordering them to abandon everything
except their arms and war horses.
Fearful though he was. eh yet trusted
TO the military skill Of his tested fight.
ers and to the good luck which had at
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23
@A1ER xer>-'

campaign caused outside the taber-
nacle. and to remind the trail hitters
Of their sawdust journey when they
show signs Of straying.
Mr.. Rockefeller told IN, an Inter.
view yesterday what he thought Billy
Sunday had accomplished IN New
York The young tinancier Was one
of those most influential in getting
the evangelist 10 come 10 New York.
and has been active in the work or
the supporting committee. In giving
his resume of Billy Sundays effort
10 Save New York." MIR. Rockefeller
revealed that his decision 10 support
Sunday was not headlong step. he
sent an agent 10 the cities where
Sunday had worked; had study
made of Sunday. as man and as a
preacher: found out what Sunday dld
with the money he received, how
much he got and how he got 1t; had
an expert report made on Sundays
sincerity. After he had received his
reports Mr.. Rockefeller decided that
Sunday was all right.
Calls Sunday "AII Right"
Mr.. Rockefeller still retains that es-
innate, accentuated by what the evan
geliSt has done here. Mr. kOckelel-
Ter seldom gives interviews. and GER
tainly he has never been charged with
having an excess Of verbally eH-
pressed enthusiasm on any subject.
But, seated at table OF the Standard
OIL Building at &c Broadway, he
talked for an hour and a half about
the evangelist. He was full Of the
subject OF Billy Sunday. He admitted
that Sunday did not make the same
dent in New York as he had made in
other places, but reminded his inter
viewer that New York was a large
place.
Billy Sunday did New York lot
of good" he said. He brought the
Gospel home 10 men MOI reached by
ordinary ministers. He made religion
Il subject OF conversation among PEG
pie who never talked OF it before. He
made il possible to talk religion 10
people who would not listen before
he came 10 New York. As far as he
is personally concerned. the Sunday
campaign is done; actually it has only
begun. His good work will live after
him "
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23
Continued Prom Page one.)

We found out eventually that mere
r,e reason for the SlackneSs OF dis
cinIinc The trouble was that men
would enlist to get Sl.l0 Il day WIN
out working for it. and would oeselI
as soon as anyone made II unpisas-
ant for them. Our officers knew "nai
they were about. Conditions changed
instantly We went on shlpooard. D:a-
cipline frightened up on Us Ike tle-
rope on Il colt. ,o,
We trained in sort of casual
easy way in Canada from November
nth to the following April. we nau
l good deal Of trouble keeping our
battalion up TO strength. and vas
sent out several times with otneE
non CONS" on a recruiting detail.
While we were in the training camp
At St. JOHNS made the acquaintance
u a Young Canadian who became my
pal" lie was Campbell McFarland'
nephew Of George Mcfarland, the
actor who is so well known on the
American musical stage. He was q
sergeant. When | first knew him ne
was one Of the most delightful and
amusing young fellows you could IN
agine. ~,
The war changed him entirely. He
became extremely quiet, and seemed
20 be borne down with the sense or
he terrible things which he saw. He
aeyer lost The good-tellowship which
vas inherent in him. and was always
ready TO do anything to oblige me,
out he formed the habit Of sitting,
alone and silent. for hours at Il time,
lust thinking. It seemed as if he had
I premonition about himself. though
he never showed fear and never spoke
IF the dangers we were going into. as
he other fellows did. He WAS killed
IN the Somme action in which | was
! aI.n had been made a sergeant on
account Vi the fact that had been at
school in the Virginia military insti'
tute. That is. | was an acting ser
seant. II was explained to me that
ny appointment would have TO be con-
srmed in England, and then recon
irmed after three months service IN
France Under the regulations Of the
Canadian forces, oncommissioned
;fficer, after final confirmation IN his
trade, can be reduced to the ranks
,nly BY a general court-martlal, though
se can escape a court-martlal, when
confronted with charges, by reFertlng
% the ranks at his own request.
Forty-two hundred Of us sailed TO!
England on the Empress OF Britain
lister ship TO the Empress OF ireland
Ehich was sunk in the St. Lawrence
liver. The steamer was Of course very
crowded and uncomfortable. and tAe
,ight-day trip across was most un
pleasant We had tripe to eat until
re were sick Of the sight OF It., A
ergeant reported one morning, eight
nen and twenty-five breakfasts alb,
tent" There were two other troop
hips In our convoy. the Baltic and
he Metagama A British cruiser es'
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

tended him since the start Of his e1-
petition.
Determined to have the advantage OF
being trc assailant instead Of the de-
fender. he attacked Charles furiously
as soon as he discovered the Frankish
army In position. His Berber horse
charged agai nand again. the front line
Frank battalions resisting subbornly
and dying in their tracks. Nightfall
found the two armies still writing in
deadly grip: but the rest brought by
darkness was only brief. At dawn the
SaraCens attacked again. some squad
rons Of the Berbers hewine their way
into the very heart Of the Christian
host Then 1t was that greed played
its part in the undoing Of what had
every promise of becoming another
Moslem triumph. Some one raised the
cry that a detachment OF inc enemy
was plunderinG the camp wherein was
stored the rich booty taken from luck
less tours and other victims Of the
Mohammedan march.
Instantly large part OF the Berber
horse whirled off 10 the rescue OF its
goods. The infantry thought them fly
ing in defeat. Tumult relgned and Abb
derrahman. striving to rally his force,
was cut off by we'll timed charge
launched by Charles 1t is related that
the number Of spears run through his
body as he fell was not less than
score.
With the death of the emir. the in
vadcrs became completely democrat
lied. They rushed off the field holly
pursued by the victorious Franks who
butchered them by thousands as they
ed. The Turkish host was utterly dis
sipated.
Charles Martel. his son and his
grandson were left ar leisure 10 con-
solidate and extend their power. Eu-
rome was Christian country.
(NcXt Wrdnexday-William the Con-
Cuerer l.
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

have a period of real intensive train
Ing to harden US for actual tiGhtlnE.
They sent us four imperial drill ser
geants from the British Grenadler
Guards, the. senior foot regiment or
the British army, and the one with
which we were a. lated.
II would be quite unavailing for
me- to attempt to describe these drill
serpcants. The British drill sergeant
is an institution which car, De unuer'
stood only through personal and close
contact and is about as cordial as
loose electricity. If he thinks major
general is wrong, he'll tell him so on
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

ment up against barrack wall and
said:
Nov; all who don't want to ,volun-
teer step three PAGES 10 the rear.
In our battalion scrseants, and even
O. GERS volunteered 10 90 as privates.
Mcfarland and ] were not accepted,
our volunteers went at once, and We
were REINFORCED up TO strength by
drafts from the Filth Canadian dlvl-
sion, which was then forming In Eng
land.
In July, when we were being kept
on the rifle ranges most of the time,
all leave was stopped, and we were
ordered to hold ourselves in readl'
ness 10 80 overseas. In the latter part
OF the month we started. We sailed
from Southampton 10 Havre on big
transport, escorted all the way by
dcstrOyers. AS we landed, we got our
first sight OF the harvest Of war. a
big hospital on the quay was filled
with wounded men. We had twenty
four hours in what they called d rest
camp" We slept on cobble stones in
shacks which were SO utterly conf
fortress that it would be an, insult 10
a kentucky thoroughbred to call
them stables. Then we were on the
way to the Belgian town of Pope,
ringhe, which is one hundred and
fifty miles from Havre, and was, at
that time, the rail head of the ipres
salient. We made the trip in box
cars which were marked in French: :
Eight horses or forty men" and
We had to draw strawS TO decide who
should lie down.
IN the Front Trenches.
We got Into Popcringhc az seven 4.
NJ. and the Scouts had led us into the
front trenches at two tho next morn
ing. our position was 10 the left or
ST. Elio and WAS known as The Is
land" because it had no support on
either flank On the left. were the User
Canal and the bluff which forms Its
bank On the right were three hundred
yards of battersd-tiow trenches which
had been rebuilt twice and blown IN
again each time by the German guns.
For some reason. which l never quite
understood. the Germans were able 10
drop what seemed L t0lcrably large pro-
portion Of the output or the krupp
works OH this particular spot whenever
they wanted to. our high command mad
concluded that II WAS uni enH blt and SO
VIC. on one side Of II. and the British.
on the other, had 10 just keep it secuted
and protect our separate flapks. An
other name they had for that position
was The Bird Cage" That WAS because
the first fellows who moved into II
made themselves nice and comfy and
put up wire MEETINGS TO prevent anyone
from tossing bombs IN on them. Thus.
when the Germans stirred up the spot
with Al accurate shower OF "whiz--
bangs" and "coAl-boXcs." the same he
ing thjrtecn-poundcrs and six-inch shells
that wire netting presented Il spectacle
OF utter inadc1uacy which hasn't been
cQuallcd in this war.
They called the position which we
were assigned to defend Tho Graveyard
Of Canada" That WIS because of the
fearful losses OF the Canadians here In
the second battle Of Yprcs. from April
81 to June ]. 1915, when the first gas
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23
HOW SARACENS'
CONQUEST Of
EUROPE WAS
GIVEN FINS

Giboon called the battle Of Tours
lone OF tSn events that rescued OCT
ancestors OK Britain and our neigh
boris Of GaI from the civil aud re-
ligious yoke Of the Koran" Fought
In the year 732 it broke the power
OF the Saracen. who was then llke TO
oYerrun all Europe. Had not Cr&rles
Martel then and there won HIS vic
tory, a mosque might stand today
where star3s Westminster ABBEY.
The" discoyerer Of America Eignt
have been a Barbary corsair. CAeck-
ing the Arab conquest OF western
Europe at Tours. Charles Martrl res
cued Christen1om from Islam
The Tours engagement was fouSht
in the same country where RACES the
heavy lighting of today. 1t vas 1857
to the Turkish Arab. coaqueror
largely because his soldiery yielded
to the same greed and passion for
loot ascribed to the German troops
Of the present.
The modern historians have been
forced to obtain their material FOR
discussion OF this battle from the
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23
Battles Which Made the World II ours

manuscripts Of the old Arab writers
and from the Illuminated records or
the monkish chroniclers. The tlgnt
ended strangely. They all agree
upon that. But it is difficult TO OBJ
tain reliable data as what TOOK piace
before the rout.
Charles Martcl. duke of The AUS
trasian Franks. was man OF e1-
ceeding boldncss and resolution. Hai
ram thinks he was rash In disklng Inc
fate of Europe on a single oa'tle'
but Charles was tried ana e1
perienced soldier. whose lmpetuoSlIy
was guided by military brllllancy ana
who doubtless relied in large meas,
ure upon the discipline and military
order with which he had heen apie
to endow his Frankish militia. ne
had no standing army, out ne Knew
strength, Of his enemy. In any case
he won and won convlnclhgly
The Saracens were led by. Aoder.
rahmon, OF whom 1t is recorded lha'
he came out Of Spain win tne
largest army the chroniclers naa
ever seen. all his wives and al lhfe
children, yea even he and all that
we're with him. as II they were.
henceforth ever to dwell in France
The Arab writer's picture Abderrah.
man as a model OF integrity and
Justice. The Christian monks re-
late that he burned and murdered
wherever he went, that he was
given over to all manner of vices.
and that his Berber cavalry, a force
of notable skill and vakor. raTaseo
the country until 1t was mere par
renness. The rival historians agree
upon practically nothing. save that
the Saracens were defeated. Inc
Arabs say that the force Of Adder
rahman numbered $4,000. The monks
do not hesitate to increase this by
several hundreds Of thousands. One
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

Joseph Letter, president OF THAI
Army league, correspondence with
whom caused Colonel Roosevelt to-;
resign from that organization. Mrss
Letter opposed the army bill amends
ment to permit recruiting of thes
Roosevelt volunteer division, \
Mr.. Roosevelt wrote: .
so far as the opposition is not dug
to mere puzzle-headedness, it cam
only be due to politics. You areS
therefore, as it's president, using tho
Army league to the detriment OF they
army" :
Mr.. Letter replied that the communa
ication would be referred to the
leagues executive council 3
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

weeks, twelve hours a day. threw
bombs, | studied bombs. read about
bombs, took bombs to pieces 10 see
what made them tick and put them to-
gether again. and did practically every.
thing else that you could do with a
bomb except eat it.
Then was ordered back along with
the other men who had gained this in
innate acquaintance with the entire
bomb family, and we were put 10 work
teaching the entire battalion what We
had learned. When we were not teach
ing we were under instruction our
selves, but the men who had taken spe-
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23
By serg Alexander McCntock M, S7th Overseas Bait

cial training in other branches. Also,
at certain periods of the day, We had
physical training and rifle practice.
Up TO the time of our arrival in Eng
land, intensive training had been mere
ly a finr phrase with us. During our
stay there it was a definite and over
powering fact. Day and night VIC
trained and day and night it rained.
At 9 o'clock We would fall into our
hunks in huts which held from half to
q whole platoon-frUm 80 10 90 mem
and drop into exhausted sleep, only TO
turn Out AT 5 il. m. 10 give 4 sudden
and exact imitation Of what VIC would
do 10 rhr Germans if they sncakcd up
on us before brcakfanst in six inches
Of mud. Toward tho last, when We
thought We had been driven 10 the
limit. they told us that VIC. were TO
The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-06-23

those who have had intensive training
in. the same branch, and besides that
he's got to have effective general
knowledge Of all the specialties in
which his fellow soldiers have been
particularly trained. can illustrate
this. Immediately upon our return
from first leave in England, We were
divided into sections for training in
eight specialties. They Were: Bomb
ing, sniping, scouting, machine gun
fighting, signalling, trench mortar ,on-
Grafton, bayonet fighting. and stretcherr
bearing. | was selected for special
training in bombing. probably because
| was supposed as All American and a
baseball player, to be expert In throw
ing. With The other men picked for
training in the same specially, ! was
sent TO Aldershott. and there for three