Iron County register., 1918-05-16

"What am going to tell you Is how
two of US put It over on the old scamp.
and got away with It II was . risky
thing, too, because Old Pepper wouldn't
have been exactly mild with n II he
had got next to the game.
"Me and my mate. lad named Ear
r. Cassell, . bOmbardier In D 23S bat
terry, or lance corporal. as you call II
in the infantry. used to relieve the
telephonists. We would do two hours
on and four OF. I would be on uuty
In the advanced observation post,
while he would be at the other end OF
the wire 10 the battery dugout signal.
ing station. We were supposed to send
through orders for the battery to hre
when ordered to do SO by the Observa' |
ton officer in the advanced post. But
very few messages were sent. 1t was
only in case of an actual attack that
we would get chance to earn our
two and six day. You see, Old Pep
per had issued orders not to fire ex.
cept when the orders came from him.
And with Old Pepper orders Is orders
and made to obey.
"The Germans must have known
about these orders for even In the day
their transports and troops used to
expose themselves as If they were on
parade. This sure got up our nose
sitting there day after day, with fine
. targets In front Of US but unable to
send over a shell. We heartily cussed
Old Pepper, his orders, the govern
e ment the people at home. and every
e thing in general. But the Boches
a didn't mind cussing and got very care
r less. Blime me, they were bally in'
: sulting. Used to. when using certain
= road, throw their caps into the air aa
|. a taunt ut our helplessness.
, "Cassell had been telegrapher u
4, civil life and joined up when war was
declared. As for me, knew Morse
Il learned 1t at the signalers' school bacl
4 In 1910. With an officer in the obser
I. walton post. we could not carry on tn
h. kind of conversation that's usual be
II tween two mates, so we USED Tn
NJ Morse code. To send, one Of US wou!
q tan the transmitter with his nnge
q nails, aud the one on the other en-
a would get it through the receiver
90 Many an hour was whiled away IN tn
~ manner passing compliments back an
sr. forth.
he "In the observation post the Office
ps used to sit for hours with a powerf'
10. pair Of field glasses to his eye
m Through a cleverly concealed loopho
nm he would scan the ground behind II
German trenches, looking for targe
. and finding many. This officer, Ca
~. tain A. by name, had habit
10Y talking out loud to himself. Som
-. times he would vent his opinion, sa'1
Wv NY. as a common private does when nc
su s,S wrought up. Once upon a time Il
e.'' captain had been on Old Peppers sta
' SO he could cuss and blind In the mo
approved style. Got to be sort OF
~. ~, habit with him.
~, "About six thousand yards from
on, @ behind the German lines. was ro
In in plain view Of our post. For the Ia
No three days Fritz had brought comI
q q MES of troops down this road In bro
'r,d daylight. They were never she'll
NO Whenever this happened the capts
,om @ would froth at the mouth and let
hod volume Of Old Peppers reltsl
+ho, @ which used to make me love him.
"Every battery has a range chart
,,,,. which distinctive landmarks are not
~. ' with the range for each. These 10
,eo. ou marks are called targets, and are nj
'ps' lsa bered. On our battery's chart. t
s"a, Wv. road was called Target II. RAJ
~ .h,, 6OOO, 8 degrees 80 minutes left d
,,.s @ battery consisted Of four No ho'
ou,s . zers, and fired q S5.pound H. E. sl
~ As you know, Fl. r. means high
plosiye.' I don't like bumming up
'un, s own battery, but we had record
'eho the division for direct hits, and
a1u boys were Just pinlng away To-
u"se chance 20 exhibit their skill IN
''' eyes Of Fritz. -
"On the afternoon Of the iourth
Of Fritz contemptuous use OF the
mentioned the captain and / wer'
our posts as usual. Fritz was str
Ing us pretty rough, Just like he's d =
now. The shells were playing
frog oil through that orchard.
u was carrying on q conversa
IN our tap code with Cassell at
other end. 1t ran something IKE
assay, Cassell, how would you
10 be In the saloon bar Of the X
Arms down Rye lane with bottl
u... u front NJ verl. and that bl