Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-07

1
drink with the lunch the government had
provided. They began telling him how
they felt about things.
"War? Hell? 1t amt war mind; it's
goin' away and leavin the kids and my
woman to look out for themselves" said
one.
IF we could play the game on our home
field, with our own bunch around to root
for us, it wouldn't be half bad" summed
UP a young college fellow.
Bandages Injured Hand.
On another train one of the men ap.
peared to have been fighting his first bat
tie already. He was holding one arm
stiffly, a soiled and blood stained hand
kerchief around the hand.
did it leaning out of the window. to
wave to my girl" he explained. An
other train came along and bit me
1t was really rather badly bruised, and
the 'Y man helped him wash it, and
bind it up in a clean covering. Word
went through the car that THAT Z. M
c. A. chap is as good as a DOCTOR" and
two other men with ailments sent for
him.
Got anything for the toothache?" an
other Sammy wanted to know. TITS that
darn candy the girls threw after us the
last station back"
LoneSoInenesS doesn't always break out
| the same way; it has as many symptoms
as measles. Early evening on one train
found three bruised heads, several smash
ed windows, several dents in races, made
by tin cups, and various minor injuries
The train had been stopped twice because
some Sammy with small boy heart had
pulled the emergency cord and once had
been broken in two when someone at
tackled the coupling lever, The Seefe-
tary passed around song books at last.
Men Enjoy Singing.
"Fine" said a recruit. "Ge gotta do
something" So they sang all their
bTavado and animal spirits away as it
grew dusk in the car, and it was a husky
chorus that finally took UP the words
| of old Folks at Home"
Got any Testaments?" asked one of
the men at last
The secretary had. They were for the
men who wanted them partcularly-wh
did? Every man on the car except one
Russian Jew pressed forward to ask for
one of the little books; the Russian jew
explained with great politeness his rea-
son for not wanting one. and then began
to talk in Russian.
Can she come bacS?" he said. "She
sure can. Amt | got all my money in
vested in Russian bonds?"
sad News in Telegram.
On another train fine young college
chap who had just left home got a teIe-
gram that his mother had died The sec
Rotary tried to comfort him.
your mother would want you to keep
up your courage and fight the best you
cam" he suggested.
Il know she would" said the boy "she
was sick and dependent on me, but she
the kind of mother she was. Wanted me
to be good soldier. Well I'm
ayr Sends Clothes Home.
After the men receive their uniforms,
they send home their civilian clothes;
wardrobe room is an unknown quantity
that they hadn't any home to send things
| to. But the secretaries announced that
these men could send their clothing to the
Y. NJ G. A. of their home town. which
would receipt the express company for
| it, then send the receipt on to the soldier.
If a soldier hadn't the money to pay the
express, he could even send his things
collect. and the ''Y" would take care
who said we hadn't any homer" de-
manded one of the Sammies. We've
Near Admission, Alabama, one of the
trains. broke down. and fifty soldiers rush
[ ed over to the nearest Y. M. Z. A., calling
loudly for for ham e and as eggs 1t was rush
What would we do without the 'Y'?'
they asked with their mouths full as they
rushed back TO the train.
| Whskey Thrown Away
Several of the men on one trian in the
South got on with as many as four quarts
of whisl1ey. The men said that some of
the towns there had been giving the en-
listed men free of charge all the liquor
they asked for, the bill being paid by the
business men Of the town. At first the
secretary couldn't be of much help to
the men who were really durnk, But aft
er a time, when he had gone through the
car with envelopes and paper ito write
the folks at home" he observed men
quietly pouring their whiskey out of the
II don't want the stuff" one said
'Never did want t. It's just this going
away that's got me. But the folks back
home expect me to be decent and I'm
The secretary told him and the other
men about the 'Y" huts in every can
Torment, and at every army and navy
encampment in the United States-those
buildings that help the men "be decent"
that bring home to them as nearly as
possible. that encourage the men and en-
terrain them. and keep their fighting spir-
it up.
"I'll be, there" sad a sammy. IF we
get all tbs for nothing just on a train, |
I'm game to see the inside of those
Three Cheers for Secretary.
Three cheers for the 7. NJ. G. Al"
called another voice. And every car of
the long train shook with those Sammy
cheers. It was the kind of thing to make |
every mother and wife and sister grateful |
for an organization that goes with their !
e