The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-11-15
MARKING GRAVES|S
TASK FOR HEROES
MEN IN REGISTRATION SERVICE
WORK CALMLY UNDER FIRE
ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
COL. PIERCE is THEIR CHIEF
Aviators Driven by Storm Land In
Florida Everglades and Are Rescued
by Seminole indians-Government
Gets Many New Hospitals.

Rrom Committee on Public Information.)
| Washington. - Announcement from
France that all American dead are to
be returned to this country for per-
manent burial adds interest to the
story of how the graves of these heroes
| are marked and recorded. This work
is done by the grave registration serv-
ice, which is cooperating with the Red
| Cross in photographing graves and,
when practicable, in distributing these
| photographs to the families and rela-
tives of the dead.
The graves registration service is q
unit Of the quartermaster corps. Each
unit of this service is composed of one
| captain, one lieutenant and 80 enlisted
| men. There are now IA of these units
with the American eXpeditionary
forces in France, under command of
Lieut.. Col. Charles G. Pierce. Colonel
Pierce is retired chaplain, major
of an Episcopal church in Philadelphia
when the present war began. AS he
had been In charge of similar work in
the Philippines. he volunteered for
| this important task upon the Organiza-
| ton of the graves registration service.
He has been awarded promotion for
his Jealous performance Of the duties
| falling to him.
In letter which Lieutenant Colonel
Pierce has written to Maj. III. r. Lem
ly, chief of the cemeterial branch,
quartermaster corps, and which is
quoted in part here, Is to be had
glimpse of work that blends mercy
and heroism.
"All that the censOrs will pass In
the way, of news concerning this furi-
Gus drive in the vast triangular arena
between scissors, Chateau-Thierry and
Reims has already been given you in
the papers," writes Colonel Pierce.
"But the work that has befallen my
department is one of the unpublished
chapters of history Suffice 1t to say
that my men have displayed splendid
sort of heroism-worthy Of the red
dest blood stock in the woodland
that have had occasion to recommend
a number of them for promotion, and
some of them for the bestowal of the
Distinguished Service cross. :.
"Can you fancy lot Of men going
calmly about their duty under burst
ing shells and bombs that excavate
cellar every time they strike the
ground-going about to minister to the
dead, laying out cemeteries and put
ting up crosses over the graves of their
valorous and fallen comrades as fast
as the grenades of hate tear them
down? Then you will know the place
of these brave lads of mine, who worry
when they see me, lest 1 may have it
in mind to move them to a safer place.
And the men who are going over the
top! All, you will need rapid transit
to keep up with them! For they have
the crusaders spirit and they fill the
gaps of the fallen and move on with
rush that the Hun cannot under
stand. :. They will win and
they have no other thought. Often I
have the privilege of preaching to them
as layman; and l give you my word
that never looked into such faces be-
fore. Perhaps l have seen as comedy
features, but there is fire in all these
eyes and the light Of sublime conse-
Grafton such as the world has never
seen save in the faces of martyrs who
deemed it an honor to die for cause"
The department of agriculture has
lnaugurated campaign to increase
the use of dehydrated fruits and vege-
tables, which compare favorably sfor
ordinary consumption with the fresh
article. AS indicating the need and
value of this campaign, the food adj
ministration calls attention to the fact
that about 100000 pounds of Irish po-
tatoes were thrown to the dump" In
New York city alone last January, af-
ter having been frosted and then per.
mitted to rot in transit.
The war department has already rec
ognized the Importance of dehydrated
produce. The army has purchased ard
used 100000 pounds of dehydrated
foOdstuffs, costing about $3,O00,O00, and
In the last few weeks has placed or
ders with Canadian and American de-
MIGRATING plants for more than 10000
900 pounds to be manufactured and de-
livered between now and July 1, 1919.
These orders represent about $4,000
900, and include principally potatoes
carrots, onions and small supply Of
soup mixtures. There are eight differ
ent vegetables in the soup mixtures,
On single day recently the board
of review in the office of the quarter
master general approved orders and
contracts aggregating $2O,621, 49,
Among the items purchased were crow
bars, axes, trench mirrors. cloth, mo-
tortrucks, motorcycles, ginger, bacon,
ham, cheese, nails, salmon, flour, shov-
els, butter, horseshOes, typewriters,
paint, hay, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg,
sugar, beans, catchup, evaporated
milk, flannel shirts, tomatoes, screw
drivers, wooden wheels. tires, tents,
razors. baking powder, pencils and
meat saws.
Chauffeur r. w. Bottriell of the One
hundred and Forty-fifth air squadrons
ecently made successful leap in a
ta-arhutc from AN airpiane nearly
lille high at Kelly field, San Antonio.
there was strong wind blowing from
thc nth .. ID. i,..s. ,sas
Bottriell judged his distance nicely