The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-01
WAR SOUVENIRS.
The Collection aHd Making of souve-
Mrs by Soldiers.

4
vember 20 Correspondence of The
Associated Press) i'm every battalion
at the front there are a number of
confirmed souvenir hunters, and
sometimes their influence is so potent
that an epidemic craze for collecting
spreads through all ranks, and the
main topic of conversation is souve-
Mrs in all their varieties.
| In every walk Of trench life one
meets the man with strong acquisi-
tive habits; in civilian life he might
develop his bent into either finance,
art, stamp collecting or possibly bur-
glary. In the trenches the fully de-
veloped passion for collecting sOuve-
Mrs is often trial for the collector,
for collection of any kind sooner or
later demands a place to put it in,
and there is no place in knapsack and
dugout life for a store of gathered
treasures.
dom of much value, but there is a
considerable variety Of things to
choose from in most battle areas. In
the early days Of the war, the German
helmets were valued souvenirs, for
the old-style German helmet was sub
stantial and picturesque. brilliant with
heavy metal garniture. There were
also unusual variations, like the
quaint Bavarian shakos, while one or
two cavalry regiments provided a
rare variety of headgear which has
not been seen on the Western front
since the first year of war.
The German helmet of today has
deprecated even more than the Ger
man mark. 1t is no longer even Ieath-
er, but a kind of light paper-felt. The
metal spike has given place to one of
wood or composition. The solid brass
regimental badge is now a thin tinsel
plaque. The true collector cares lit
tie for the modern helmet and has
no interest at all in the little round
convict cap which so many German
prisoners wear. If the German only
knew it, sure passport to warm and
instant favor on surrender is a decent
helmet. 1t attracts immediate atten-
ton and the,fortunate owner is CIV
en- cigarettes and other marks of IA
vor by his delighted captor, instead of
being merely herded to the rear with
out ceremony.
The supply of helmets is seldom
adequate to the demand; indeed the
market is only glutted on occasions
Of a big push or large scale raid.
Among lesser trophies, the ambitious
collector finds great scope for his ac-
tWities i'm the shells sent over by the
hostile artillery. Fuses and nose caps
in wonderful variation are to be OBJ
tanned with little pains, and the col
lection Of these is encouraged by the
general staff, because the setting of
The fuse may give the correct range
OF a suspected battery and there is
other information Of useful charac-
ter to be gained from the study of
these trophies.
The French soldiers have specializ-
ed in aluminium rings and jewelry
made from the nosecaps Of hostile
shells. and quite an ambitious indus
try has been developed in this way.
The British prefer to work in brass.
usually the brass Of empty cartridges
and shell cases. With infinite patience
and few tools they produce what the
Frenchman calls peculiar objects for
the mantelpiece" Little model
coal-scuttles with legs made of bull
let's. tiny coal shovel worked up
from German rife cartridge; vases
OF curious surface nothing made by
identing the brass of a field-gun case;
well known heroes. made from ration
cases OF brass-these are only a few
Of the things which the collector is
offered by his own comrades. There
is no end to the ingenuity and variety
CT the work of the soldier crafts
man. but his most familiar work is in
inkpots, candlesticks and decorative
pdperweights made from hand gre
nades or the interior of shraUncl
shallS