Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-02
''Over the Top
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
Machine Cunne, Seroins In France
CHAPTER VII.
Machine Cunne, Seroins In France
(Oo pp,lsht, 1877, By Arthur Guy 1mpsyl

DuLCeu III.
/ In Tommys eyes a lance corporal is
one degree below private. In the
corporals eyes he Is one degree above
general.
4 He ordered me to go with him and
help him draw the next days rations,
also told me to take my waterproof.
\ Every evening, from each platoon or
Machine-gun section, lance corporal
and private go to the quartermaster
sergeant at the company stores and
draw rations for the following day.
The quarter" as the quartermaster
sergeant is called, receives daily from
the orderly room Captains office) a
slip showing the number Of men en-
titled to rations, so there Is no chance
of putting anything over on him. Many
arguments take place between the
quarter" and tie platoon noncsm, but
the former always wins out. Tommy
says the quarter" got his Job because
he was q burglar in civil life.
/ Then spread the waterproof sheet
on the ground, while the quartermas-
lter's batman dumped the rations on 1t.
The corporal was smoking q fag. Il
carried the rations back to the billet.
The corporal was still smoking a flag.
I How envied him. But when the issue
commenced my envy died, and I real
lied that the first requisite of nom
commissioned officer on active service
is diplomacy. There were 10 men in
our section, and they soon formed a
semicircle around US after the corporal
had called out, "Rations up"
I; The quartermaster sergeant had
given slip to the corporal on which
was written list Of the rations. Sit
ting on the floor, using wooden box
as table, the issue commenced. On
the left Of the corporal the rations
were piled. They consisted Of the fol-
lowing:
Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf
of different size, perhaps one out of
the six being as fiat as pancake, the !
result of an army service corps man
,lacing a box of bully beef on it dur. |
Three tins Of jam, one apple and the
other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all diff
ferent sizes.
A piece Of cheese in the shape Of a |
wedge.
Two one-pound tins Of butter. !
A handful Of raisins.
A tin Of biscuits, or as Tommy calls
them "jaw breakers"
A bottle Of mustard pickles.
The "bully beef" spuds, condensed
milk, fresh meat, bacon and "Macono-
chic rations" "a can filed with meat,
vegetables and greasy water), had been
turned over to the company cook to
make stew for next days dinner. BE
also received the tea. sugar, salt, pep
per and flour.
Scratching his head, the corporal
studied the slip issued to him by the !
quarter. Then in slow, mysti6ed
voice he read out, "No. section. 10
men. Bread, loaves, six" He looked |
puzzled and soliloQuized in q muslng |
voice:
"Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see,
that's three in loaf for fifteen men
well, to make it even, four Of you'll |
have to muck in on one loaf"
The four that got stuck made howl,
but to no avail. The bread was dished |
out. Pretty soon from far corner Of |
the billet, three indignant Tommies &C
costed the corporal with:
"What do you call this, loaf Of |
bread7 Looks more like sniping |
plate" -,
The corporal answered:
{ 'Well, don't blame me, didn't bake |
It; somebody's got to get 1t, SO shut
up until I dish out these blinkin' ra>
TONS"
Then the corporal started on the
Jam.
]! "Jam, three tins-apple one, plum
two. Nineteen men, three tins. sir
in tin makes twelve men for two tins,
seven In the remaining tin"
He passed around the jam, and
there was anothee riot. Some didn't |
like apple, while others who received |
plum were partial to apple. After a
While differences were adjusted and
the issue went on.
bermuda onions. seventeen
The corporal avoided row by say
ing that he did not want On onion. and
said they make your breath smell, SO
] guessed I would do without one too.
The corporal looked his gratitude.
Cheese, pounds, two"
The corporal borrowed a jackknife
,(corporals are always borrowing), and
sliced the cheese-each slicing bring
ing forth pert remark from the on
lockers as to the corporal's eyesight,
.Raisins, ounces, eight"
| BY this time the corporal's nerves
had gone west, and in despair he said
that the raisins were to be turned over
to the cook for duff" Opium pudding).
This decision elected a little "grous-
Ing" but quiet was finally restored.
Biscuits, tins, one"
With his borrowed jackknife, the
corporal opened the tin Of biscuits, and
fold everyone to help themselves-no-
body responded to this invitation.
Tommy is FED up" with biscuits.
'tButter, tins, two"
@Nine in one, ten in the other"
Another rumpus.
Pickles, mustard, bottles, one"
Nineteen names were put in steel