The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-09-08
CAMP SHELBY
S|DEL|GHTS
By CARL LEATHERwooD.

WITH THE QUARTERMASTER
CORPS. CAMP SHELBY. HATTlES-
BURG, Miss, Sept. about once
each month a soldier gets ambitious.
That period with a soldier comes
around just as often as an installment
house collector. The only difference
between the two is that the soldler
is ambitious about the last OF the
while the collector is usually afflicted
with the alment, if such it may be
called, the first. The collector, now
ever, is sometimes last, especially II
the soldier sees him first. A soldier
is ambitious about the last OF the
month because of his pay day coming
about the first. | say he is ambitious,
because be has so many good inten-
tons concerning the expenditure OF
his monthly stipend. His stomach,
think, furnishes his primary ambition
and the payment of debts Is secon.
Diary. Sometimes It's difficult to sat
isfy' both, especially if the soldier has
been "out of luck" as they put 1t IN
the army.
Ask any soldier in any of the train
ing camps and he'll tell you the first
thing he intends to do when he gets
paid Is to get good square meal. He
doesn't say this because he doesn't
get all he needs and desires at his
daily mess. It's just the desire to sit
down to a covered table, with neatly
pressed napkin, bright silve7ware, an
! individual glass Of water with ice and
other necessary utensils for Furnishing
feed. Who doesn't like TO be served
by an attractive little waitress Of
southern parentage. once month? In
addition to all these reasons, there Is
also great satisfaction in ordering just
what you want and getting 1t prepared
as you like it. So much for the eats
end Of the soldiers ambition.
No matter what reputation soldier
had in his civilian life in regard to the
payment Of his debts, he has only one
in the service. Some have this repu-
Itation through principle, while others
acquire it through necessity. All SOL
diers pay their debts to each other
If they don't they face a court mar
tial. There is a certain amount Of
honor attached TO loans among SOL
diers that Is upheld universally. A
soldier who has the reputation OF for
getting his creditors on pay day Is
soon spotted. Modern day Shylocks
are found in many army organizations.
They are men who loan out money
during the month 70 for l" or IS for
g." These sharks sometimes get 81.
SO and 81 for a dollar loaned between
pay days. Some men make hundreds
Of dollars each month through this
practice: As usual thing such men
are despised.
became curious today and asked
each member of the QuaTtermaster
corps of West Virginia just what he
intended to do with his money pay
day, and give the answers as I re-
ceived them:
play stud poker and double IT,
Sergeant Littrell.
BUY series Of plank steaks smotn-
cred in onions" -Sergeant Carey.
Going to Hattiesburg two or three
times a day and buy three or four
square meals, each time."-Sergeant
Luckey.
buy a coke, pay my debts and then
III be broke"-TrotteF.
Buy a shirt, pay my laundry bill
and then worry for another month. -
Fleming.
tits no use figuring. it don't belong
to me."-Thomas.
81 don't know. ask my creditors
what they are going to do with it,
Polling.
God only knows, owe it ALL
| Saunders.
Get my watch out Of hook and buy
a couple of liberty bonds. Kerr
Look after my margins on the
stock market" -Carpenter.
Make application to have my name
changed to Abraham. | come TOO far
down on the pay roll."-Young.
I'm not going to decide until | get
lit. You know it's long time before
another pay day."-Rodgers.
Buy some postage stamps and
write myself some letters. mccoy.
| Ac for vourc firmly its 1Ooks foolish