Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-06
WORK OF A PRESS AGENT
Damaged Stock Worked Off by Ad.
Vertislnq.
NUMEROUS INCIDENTAL EXPERIENCES

Description Of a Long Trip by Motor
cycle on a Somewhat Peculiar Err.
rand, With a Record Of Some Of the
Incidents that BefelI.
Correspondence The Yorkville Enquirer.
Camp Sewer. July 31.-Fve got n
tinct contrast to the jobs OF more
than million soldiers here and over
there. I'm a press agent. like my
job and wouldn't swap places with any
The reason. perhaps. Is because
know a little, maybe, about running
the job | have. So far as running a
major or a colonel's work. I know as
little about il as know why elders
and deacons fall out over South Caro-
lima politics. As press agent it's my
job principally to preach the principle
of economies among my fellow SOL
diers. more especially to guard against
waste: because the side that has the
most food is going to pretty nearly
win this war. or course It's going TO
he the Allics-I mean the United
States.
My job. though. covers more ter
ritory than merely preaching econo-
mics through newspaper articles,
moving picture SLIDES, placards and
posters. It's my duty to promote
good feeling among soldiers and to
try to make them glad they serve In
such n cause. The great majority
were glad when they came in the SER
wee. 1t Is true that thought or a
word or deed here and there helps.
In n word. publicity. all kinds of pub
licity that's how | help fight the
Hun. They who "cuss" newspapers
must admit that publicity is one Of
the greatest weapons being used in
this war.
| All this Is by way of introduction to
a story ! am going to write. different
from most Of the camp stuff | have
been writing during the past ten
months or so. My commanding Of
ficer ordered me on the carpet the
other day and informed me that Camp
Sewer had $50 tons OF hay and rs
tons of oat straw it wanted to sell.
This hay and straw has been DAM
aged by rain and while the great ma
jority of 1t Is perfectly good for feed.
the outer layers Of the bales aren't.
Uncle Sam demands that the hny his
horses and mules eat be good In ev-
cry particular. It's good thing 9TH
or folks aren't so particular. other
wise we couldn't sell this hay.
| The c. o. said he wanted to sell
this provender for what he could. He's
the head of the division OF this. camp
that watches against waste and quite
naturally he .calcuiates that q faaI
tfdrs d ton Tor II fs FAR better than
having It go up in smoke. He told
me he wanted me to advertise this
hay and oats for sale. not only in
Grcenvillc but throughout this section.
| I'm doing, 1t, and If folks don't como
after that stun 1t won't bc my fault.
In company with another publicity
man I went to Anderson yesterday
advertising that hay sale. We advcr-
tiscd among some "hay-sccds" along
with good farmers and merchants
and people generally. The trip was
made on n motorcycle with me driv-
ing. If the lad with me had known
| | was never on motorcycle in my
life prior to n month ago, he would
have been more frightened than he
was ut times because occasionally
let that bike out at 40 or so. He told
me that several times he heard the
refrain of Lead Kindly Light" and
saw the tips of white wings and 9TH
or things. He also told me nc had
considered entering a theological
seminary before entering the army.
| There are some twenty stores. coun-
try stores. between Grecnville and
Anderson. and we placarded them
thoroughly along with the several
villages through which we passed. Al
Piedmont. a thriving little town some
twelve miles out OF Greenville. two
soldiers on n motorcycle tacking ad-
vertiEing posters proved a little of a
novelty. The barber and the drug
clerk and the pool room loafer and
several farmers (the kind that don't
like to cut grass) came out and gave
one or two Of them thought right of
the reel that we were deserters. II
did look suspicious.
| One chap winked at companion
and remarked to my comrade after he
had read the placard he had just
posted:
"Gointer sell hay. eh?"
Yep"
why, don't soldiers eat hay?"
mot unless it's soaked in whisky"
coolly returned my fellow publicity
man without cracking a smile.
If the josher had been a COW or q
horse or a dog he would have tucked
his tail between his legs and beat It.
Not having any tail. he beat It any
how.
It's no easy job driving a motor
cycle thirty miles along muddy roads
and stopping every few minutes to
tack up a sign. Having my hands
full managing the bike, my mate did
most OF the tacking. He qualified as
a Camp Sewer carpenter or a bill
poster for Ringing Brothers circus.
Folks down that way know all about
the hay that Camp Sewer wants to
sell.
Coming back by the town of Bolton.
bad roads were encountered for sew
eral miles. One great big mud hole
had been crossed safely when we
passed a negro funeral party
That's a sign Of bad luck" COM
mented my passenger In the motor
cycle side car. as he wiped a dash Of
muddy water from his eyes.
He had hardly gotten the words
out of his mouth when biff-the mo-
torcycle hit another creek In the