davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-07-05
Terrific r,iauuhter marks the
opening Of the battle Of the

Marine, when the German hordes,
rushing forward so rapidly that
their supply lines are broken, are
caught In q French trap. Tho
next instaliment contains q vivid
story OF the opening Of this his
toric battle.
The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-07-05
(To BE CoNTINUED.)


Cause for Anger.
Reporter-Major Ball Is outside with
a gun
Editor--What's the mattefI
Reporter--In the story about him
we printed that his life w. fun q
bottles instead Of battles.
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06

tumbled off the step, fell into the mud at the bottom of the trench, and lay still in huddled heap with a bullet hole in his forehead.
 At about the time he expected to ar rive at Waterloo station he was laid to rest in little cemetery behind the lines. He had gone to Blighty.
 In the trenches one can never tell it Is not safe to plan very far ahead
 After stand down" the men sit on the fire step or repair to their respec- live dugouts and wait for the rum is- sue" to materialize. Immediately fol- lowing the rum comes breakfast, brought up from the rear Sleeping is then in order unless some special work turns mp.
 Around 12 80 dinner shows up. When this is eaten the men try to amuse themselves until "tea" appears at about four o'clock, then stand to- and they carry on as before.
 While in rest billets Tommy gets up about six in the morning. washes up, answers roll call, is inspected by his Itutool Olittt1, dilu lldS DTtdh1dSt. AL s :45 he parades (drills) with his con- pany or goes on fatigue according to the orders which have been read out by the orderly sergeant the night pre- vious.
 Between II 80 and noon he is dis missed. has his dinner and is lon his own" for the remainder of the day unless he has clicked for digging or working party, and so 1t goes on from day to day, always looping the loop'' and looking forward to peace and Blighty.
 Sometimes. while engaged in a ''cootie" hunt. you think. Strange to say, but 1t is fact, while Tommy is searching his shirt serious thoughts come to him. Many time, when per forming this operation, I have tried to figure out the outcome of the war and what will happen to me.
 My thoughts generally ran in this channel:
 Will I emerge safely from the next attack? If do will I skin through the following one. and so on? While your mind is wandering into the future It Is likely to be rudely brought to earth by a Tommy interrupting with, What's
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06
(Continued Next Week.l.
sEE5 IN BRITAIN.

Since tbe war began beef has risen In price 112 per cent, eggs 7s per cent, fish 138 per cent and milk only 6S per cent, according to report just published by the special war committee on the production and distribution of milk of Great Brit ain, of which Maj. Waldorf Astor, M. F., is chairman.
 The committee says it is bound to take cognizance of the fact that, be- fore the war, the imports of milk products, including butter, cheese, margarine, condensed milk, etc., into the United Kingdom had been in- creasing year by year, rising to a total value in 1914 of some 1884, 000,0O0.
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06
MACHINE GUNNER SERVING IN FRANCE

relax his watch for a second. If he Is questioned from the trench or asked his orders, he replies without turning around or taking his eyes from the ex- panse of dirt in front of him. The re- mainder of the occupants of his trav- erse either sit on the fire step with bayonets fixed, ready for any emer- gency, or if lucky and a dugout hap pens to be in the near vicinity of the traverse, and if the night is quiet, they are permitted to go to same and try and snatch few winks of sleep. Little sleeping Is done generally the men sit around smoking flags and seeing who can tell the biggest lie. Some of them, perhaps with their feet in water, would write home sympathizing with the governor" because he was laid up with a cold, contracted by getting his feet wet on his way to work In Wool wfch arsenal. If man should manage to doze off, likely as not he would wake with start as the clammy, cold feet of a rat passed over his face, or the next relief stepped on his stomach while stumbling on their way to relieve the sentries in the trench.
 Just try to sleep with belt full of ammunition around you, your rifle bolt biting Into your ribs, intrenching tool handle sticking into the small of your pack, with a tin hat for a pillow and Feeling very damp and cold, with "cooties" boring for oil in your arm pits, the air foul from the stench of grimy human bodies and smoke from Juicy pipe being whiffed into your nos Tommy occasionally takes turn in the trench for rest.
 While in a front-line trench orders forbid Tommy from removing his boots, puttees, clothing or equipment The "coOties" take advantage of this order and mobilize their forces, and Tommy swears vengeance on them and nutters to himself, Just wait until nit rest billets and am able to get my own back"
 Just before daylight the men turn to" and tumble out of the dugouts, man the fire step until 1t gets light. or the welcome order stand down. Is given. Sometimes before "stand down" is or lered, the command five rounds rap d' Is passed along the trench. This means that each man must rest his fife on the top and fire as rapidly as possible five shots aimed toward the German trenches, and then duck (with he emphasis on the "duck"). There is great rivalry between the opposing orces to get their rapid fire all off irst, because the early bird, in this in- stance, catches the worm-sort of gets he jump on the other fellow, catching Jim unawares.
 We had sergeant in our battalion iamed Warren. He was on duty with lis platoon in the fire trench one after
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06
,- .ttlst [ ls CHAPTER 'x'
r~T%
 w wYrF
Suicide Annex.

was in my first dugout and looked same was little sign reading "Sui- eide Annex" One of the boys told me that this particular front trench was called Suicide Ditch" Later on learned that machine gunners and bombers are known as the Suicide Club"
 That dugout was muddy. The men slept in mud. washed in mud, ate mud, and dreamed mud. had never before realized that so much discomfort and misery could be contained In those three little letters, M U D. The floor of the dugout was an inch deep in water. Outside it was raining cats and dogs, and thin rivulets were trickling down the steps. From the air shaft Immediately above me came a drip, drip. drip. Suicide Annex was hole eight feet wide. ten feet long and six feet high. It was about twenty feet below the fire trench; at least there were twenty steps leading down to 1t. These steps were cut into the earth,
  pery. A man had to be very careful or else he would "shoot the chutes." The air was foul, and you could cut the smoke from Tommy's flags with a knife. It was cold. The walls and roof were supported with heavy square cut timbers. while the entrance was strengthened with sandbags. Nails had been driven Into these timbers. On each nall hung miscellaneous assort- ment of equipment. The lighting ar engagements were superb-one candle h q reflector made from an ammuni- ton tin. My teeth were chattering from the cold. and the drip from the airshaft did not help matters much. While I was sitting bemoaning my fate and wishing for the freside at home, the fellow next to me. who was writing letter, looked up and inno- gently asked. Say, Tank, how do you spell 'contlagration
 looked at him in contempt and an swered that did not know.
 From the darkness in one of the cor aers came thin, piping voice singing tae Of the popular trench ditties en- h56d:
 Pack up your Troubles in your old RI.
 Bag. and Smile. Smile, Smile" Every now and then the singer would stop to cough. cough, cough. but 1t was a good illustration of Tommy's cheerfulness under such conditions.
 A machlne-gun officer entered the dugout and gave me hard look. sneaked past him, sliding and slippins and reached my section of the front line trench, where I was greeted by the sergeant, who asked me, Where In - ave you beenw
 made no answer, but sat on the muddy fire step, shlvering with the cold and with the Faia beating In my face. About half aa hour later teamed up with another fellow ane went on guard with my head sticking over the top. At ten o'clock l wal relieved and resumed my sitting posi- ton on the fire step. The rain sud denly stopped and we all breathed sigh of relief We prayed for the morn Ing and the rum Issue.
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06

noon when orders came up from the rear that he had been granted seven days leave for Blighty, and would be relieved at five o'clock to proceed ta England.
 He was tickled to death at these welcome tidings and regaled his more or less envious mates beside him on the Are step with the good times in store for him. He figured 1t out that in two days time he would arrive at Waterloo station, London, and then seven days' b,tss
 At about five minutes to five he started to fidget with his rifle, and then suddenly springing up on the fire step with a muttered, "Fll send over a couple of souvenirs to Fritz so that he'll miss me when l leave he stuck his rife over the top and fired two shots
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06
CHAPTER x.
"The cayts Werk.3

: Ine Odpb WVfhp
 I was fast learning that there IS regular routine about the work of the trenches, although 1t Is badly upset at times by the Germans.
 The real work in the fire trench commences at sundown. Tommy is like 4 bprglGr, he works at night.
 Just as t .sgtRs to get dark the word stand 10" Is passed tFaH trays erse to traverse, and the men get busy. The first relief, consisting of two men to traverse, mount the fire step, one man looking over the top, while the other sits at his feet, ready to carry messages or to inform the platoon offi- esr of any report made by the sentry as t9 his observations in No Mans Land. Tas seRtfy Is not allowed to
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER Fired by the news of the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine. Arthur Guy Empey. an Ameri- can. leaves his office in Jersey City and goes to England where he eniists in the British army.
 CHAPTER II-After a period of train Ing Empey volunteers for immediate serv- ice and soon finds himself in rest billets somewhere in France" where he first makes the acquaintance of the ever-pres- ent "cooties."
 CHAPTER 9II-Empey attends his first church services at the front while a Ger man Fokker circles over the congregation.
 CHAPTER Iv-Empey's command goes Into the front-line trenches and Is under fire for the first time.
 CHAPTER V-Empey learns to adopt the motto of the British Tommy, "If you are going to get 1t, you'll get 1t, SO never worry"
 CHAPTER VI-Back in rest billets, Em- pey gets his first experience as mess orderly.
 CHAPTER vII-Empey learns how the British soldiers are fed.
 CHAPTER vIII-Back in the front-line trench. Empey sees his first friend of the trenches "go West"
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06
Farmsrs' Work Cut Out.

Uncle Sam has never calleds upon the American farmer in vain. 4Tae Third Liberty Loan will start April 6 This spring and summer the support of the war is up to the farmers We must lick Germany. Unless We do our place in the world is lost We are xiv ins our sons. we arc giving our food supplies, and now let's not fail to back up the treasury with our dollars. Buy . Liberty Bond and help to keep the Kaiser out of the United States.
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06

good for rheumatism
 Then you have something else to think of Will yon come aat af this war crippled ana tied into knots with rheumatism, caused by the wet and mud of trenches and dugouts? You give it up as a bad job and generally saunter over to the nearest estaminet to drown your moody forebodings in glass of siekening French beer or to try your luck at the always present game of house" Y4p eaa near the slag-song voice Of Tommy droning out the numbers as he extracts the little squares of cardboard from the bag between his feet.
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06

Remsmhsr the Tuscania. Buy . Lih- srty Bond and help build warshIps ts protect American s<sdisrs upon the
The Huttig news., 1918-04-06
CHAPTER xl.

Over the Top On my second tsElp tae me trenches
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
CLEVENSTINE TELLS HOW COUNTY BOARD
ON FUEL ESTABLISHED MAXIMUM PRICES
TO BE CHARGED BY FUEL DEALERS HERE

Maximum prices sxed on coal must
be lived up to.
The Rock Island county fuel board
plans to see to it that the figures set
Friday at its meeting in Moline be
adhered to by dealers. The prices,
H. A. Clevenstine, chairman of the
Rock Island county fuel board, ex-
planned today, were established by the
board after having heard J. W. Ad-
ans, an expert of the fuel administra-
ton, on the matter of determining
costs.
The figures set by the board are
only tentative and probably will last
only during the present crisis, when
they will be reduced.
An idea was given today BY Mr.
Clevenstine on how the prices were
established. Considering the Frank
lin county coal, the cost at the mine
is $3.50 per ton. Freight amounts to
$1.45. War tax is cents, making a
total cost of getting the coal in the
local yards $3.50. To this there is a
maximum margin price of 1925 to de-
liver the coal to the consumer This
margin price is supposed to carry the
dealers profit as well as the expenses
OF delivering the coal. This makes
the price $685. per ton. However, the
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22

tobaccos to the letter and spirit, and
the clerks were compelled repeatedly
to refuse customers desiring smoke.
Not desiring to inconvenience the pub
lie any more than necessary the state
food administrator amended the order
in the afternoon when the matter was
called to his attention that as long as
hotels, clubs and restaurants were
open, cigars might as we'll be sold as
there were constant demands for
them.
1t was candyless day in Rock Is
land, too. With confectionery stores
closed, the few drug stores that were
open had numerous calls for candy.
They refused to sell inasmuch as
candy is not considered a food.
Although peanuts is considered a
food and could have been sold, none of
the dealers cared to take chance OF
violating the law.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22

figures were established for wagon
load lots, two or more tons. The deal
er is permitted to charge rs cents a
ton more for coal delivered in less
than two-tOn lots. AS all coal being
delivered to the private patron now is
limited to half-ton lots, the cost per
ton, therefore, is $3.50 for Franklin
county coal.
The prices mentioned in the fore
going instance are for coal delivered
to the bin of the consumer. In the
event that the patron desires to haul
his own coal from the yards, he is
! allowed a rebate. Ifihe lives in the
hill section, the rebate is $3.50 per
ton. If he lives on the level part of
the city, the rebate is 81 per ton.
! Therefore. in Franklin county coal, if
the resident hauled it himself to his
home on the hill, he would be compell-
ed to pay only $3.50 ton; or, if he
lived in the level section of the city,
the charge would be $3.50.
Maximum prices fixed by the board
for various grades Of coal are as fol-
lows, per ton:
| Springfield, prepared ............ $3.50
Franklin county, prepared. ...... CSC
! Fulton county, prepared ......... $40
Mercer county, prepared ........ $50
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
BOY SCOUT NEWS

Thirty Boy Scouts enjoyed hike
yesterday to Writer'S crossing on the
Rock Island Southern line. The boys
were accompanied by Scout Execu-
tive W. F. Bacon and Scoutmasters R.
c. Mitchell, Rev. David A. Johnson
and Walter E. Peterson. The mixers
left Milan at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing and returned late in the after
noon. The entire day was spent in the
open and the scouts are enjoying
every hike more = 1t is the intentions
Of the local troops to hold the tramps
more frequently.
ScOutmasters and assistant scout
masters will hold banquet at the
Young Mems Christian assocition to-
night to make plans for organizing a
Scoutmaster's association. At the ses-
sion plans for admitting new scout
masters will be made and the arrange
ments for the coming anniversary
week discussed.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
CHICAGO'S SCHOOLS
ARE ORDERED SHUT

Chicago. Jan. 22.-All parochial and
private schools were closed today I'M
til next Monday while the grade
schools closed for a week and sched-
uled for reopening tomorrow, also will
remain closed until next Monday. This
is the result of an order of County
Fuel Administrator Raymond E. Dur
ham. High schols will continue to OPP
crate The order will keep at home
nearly 100000 pupils who have been
going to parochial schools while the
grade public schools have been closed
Although the five-day order of the fed,
eral fuel administrator was for the
most part generally obeyed Mr.. Dur
ham regards the coal problem of Chi
cago and its surrounding territory as
still serious. Just as the situation be-
gan to clear, so far as the Chicago
district was concerned, several inches
of snow fell in the mining districts Of
Illinois, and the temperature in the
last few days has been almost con.
stantly below zero.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
ALL INDUSTRIES
TOMORROW WILL
Be IN OPERATION
Five.Day Closing Order for Factories
Expires ut Midnight Tonight East
Of Mississippi.
NOT HARD BLOW on ROCK ISLAND
This City Is Not Affected As Badly
As Others Because Of Many tx.
emptions Granted.

Industrial activities in Rock Island.
rapidly being restored to normal un-
der exemptions granted by the govern
ment from the fuel administration
orders, tomorrow will be returned to
their former footing.
The order of the fuel administra-
ton which became effective on Friday
Of last week, suspending Industrial
activity as means OF conserving
coal, will expire at midnight tonight
and tomorrow all plants in Rock Is
land county will be again at work.
A large part Of the men who were
idle on Friday as result OF the or
der, have since returned to their
benches. Fifteen thousand men were
out of work on the first day of the
fuel administration order as re-
suit of the enforced idleness. How
ever, since that time certain exemp-
tons were granted which placed the
majority of these workmen back at
their tasks again. Farm implement
plants and factories making war mu-
nitions, were exempted.
Small Ones Idle.
Still. there are number of smaller
factories in the county which were
still idle today. The men are today
awaiting the blowing of the whistles
tomorrow of these plants which will
start them on their wage earning ac-
tivity again. Many of the factories
are not to pay their men for the period
of enforced idleness.
The effect of the fuel administra-
ton order on Rock Island was not
as severely felt as in other cities. per-
haps. In the first place, the Rock Is
land arsenal. employing thousands OF
men. was exempted from the start.
Then the Rock Island Pillow works, rns
Universal Tractor plant and others
making farm implements in Moline
and East Moline, employing thou
sands of men living in Rock Island,
resumed work yesterday. This light
ened the burden of the order.
Had all of the plants remained
closed for the five-day period there
would have been a loss of $4,000 in
wages to the men alone, hundreds Of
thousands of dollars in money to the
factories. and millions Of dollars
worth of capital would have been idle.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
CITY LIVES UP TO
Letter AND THE
SPIRIT OF ORDER
Public in General Gives Cooperation
on First Fuelless Monday Of
the Series.
MANY GO LIMIT TO OBEY RUIZ
Some Dealers in Foods Close Entire
Day So as to Be Sure They
Are Within Law.

The public in general in Rock Is
land yesterday not only lived up to the
letter but up to the spirit of the fuel
administration order, suspending prac-
tically all business. az
This was the statement made today
by H. A. Clevenstine, chairman of
the Rock Island county fuel board,
in reviewing the first fuelless Mon
day the city experienced.
THE public showed a wonderful
spirit of cooperation yesterday" Mr.
Clevenstine said. THE spirit of the
fuel administrations order was to save
every ounce of coal possible yester-
day and l believe that every ounce of
fuel possible to save was conserved
in this city.
Many dealers went more than half
way to meet the requirements of the
order. Some who were permitted I'M
der the recent change in the orders
to remain open all day instead of clos
ing at noon, closed at noon in order
to be sure that they were within the
law. Others who were permitted tC
sell certain articles until noon, rather
than take a chance on violating the
fuel administrator orders, decided to
close all day and did so. This was
the case with many grocery stores.
Some Vi0lators.
"Still there were those who misun.
derstood the law, or claimed they did
| When we found violations we took
i immediate steps to see that they were
discontinued. The excuse given usual
! ly was that the owner had not beer
notified. l might say that the govern
| ment, in an order Of this kind, does
F.; not take it upon itself to notify eacr
individual that he is affected under
! the ruling. The statements in the
press are supposed to be sufficient
notification"
Some people in the outlying section:
of the city were placed at consider
able inconvenience as a result of thu
fuel administration orders. Small
grocery stores, not desiring to take I
chance on being open all day or tina
closed at noon, refused to sell tt
prospective customers. Concerning
this, Mr.. Clevenstine said:
by next week we expect to hav,
a complete Interpretation of the Mon
day closing law. The public will
gradually become accustomed to tn
change and will adapt itself to tn
conditions so that there will be les
confusion next week than yesterday.
Pool Rooms Closed.
Practically all of the pool room
and bowling alleys were closed yes
terday as many are operated alon
with cigar stores. A change in tn
orders permitted them to keep opel
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
MANY ROCK ISLAND MEN FEEL LIKE THEY
BELONG TO THE NEW YEARS RESOLUTION
FLOCK ON THE FIRST FUEL-LESS MONDAY

A flock Of Rock Island men yester-
day felt like they had just joined the
New Years resolution crowd.
They were without smokes.
Those who on Sunday failed to pre-
pare for "cigar-store-less" day were
up against it unless they could borrow
a smoke from friend. And usually
the friend appealed to was in the
same boat.
That is-it was smokeless day for
many until after 4 o'clock. Orders
came at that time from State Fuel Ad-
ministrator J. Z. Williams in Chicago,
to the Rock Island county fuel admin
istration board, giving hotel, club and
restaurant cigar stands the permission
to sell tobacco and cigars.
With few exceptions. those places
permitted to be open to sell food or
drugs and which have cigar stands
obeyed the order on selling cigars and
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-22
THEATRES DOING
THEIR BIT AFTER
HEAVY BUSINESS

Theatres in Rock Island did a heavy
business on the first fuelless Monday.
Today they are doing their bit to-
wards fuel conservation by remaining
closed.
Rock Island standing around with
its hands in it's pockets looking for
something to do, found the theatres
the only course of pastime and crowds
even larger than the usual Sunday
houses were reported at the local
movie theatres.
The fact that the canned drama"
houses were the attraction for hun
dreds proved conclusively the wis.,
dom of the change in the order per-
hitting the theatres to remain open
yesterday and closed today. Other
wise the closing of all business would
have been felt more severely by the
public,