Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-02
nine -fnonrhs neWerU

escSe nine months ana loOklnB-Cls.3f i
now through eyes that have had nine
months training in looking and learn
ing, It Is hard to see the army nine
months ago and to realize what II
was like as compared with 1t now.
Drafted men going into the game
three quarters of a year ago had no
more idea of what 1t was all like
than q mosquito has of heaven. Most
OF them, myself included, had never
fired rifle of larger than % calibrc
in their lives and so far as fixed rules
of training and living and general de-
velopmcnt was concerned, they knew
as much about 1t as the average sol-
dier knows today about the last sum-
mcr fashions in young mems clothes.
They knew that there was a Ger
many-that is. most Of them did, and
an Austria and Turkey and Greece
and all of that. They knew that these
were on the other side OF q great big
ocean and so far as they were per-
sonally concerned, many Of them Oft
en- wondered what was the use In
knowing that much.
But now. the same man after nine
months of strenuous work can tell you
more about the aforesaid countries,
their social. commercial and Industrial
lives, their military strength, the
names Of their most touted military
leaders. their main towns, ETC.. than
the average geography teacher can
do. Such knowledge does not include
part of their military training on
this side Mt least; but they are so alb
sorbed in their interest to learn all
about the game in which they are en-
gagged. that they take great pleasure
in digging up this stun on their own
| account.
The average drafted man now COM
ing into Camp Sewer knows all these
things to start with, whereas the fels
low who came last fall didn't. The
rookie" just getting in hasn't been
doing much during the past nine
months except reading the newspa-
pers, studying history and geography,
works of a military nature and wind
ing up his little ball of yarn with q
view to being ready to get into the
game when his turn came. The
rockies" father hasn't done much
during the past nine months except
talk about war-that is. unless he
lived in n camp town where he was
engaged in the profitable occupation
of relieving soldiers of their respect
i've thirties per. by selling them ham
and eggs and buns and brains and
all kinds of truck at all kinds Of ex-
orbitant prices. The rockies mother
has been talking war and all about
the starving Belgians and discussing
the plight Of the Armenians. etc.. and
his sweetheart hasn't said thing to
him since last fall except, "Oh, John.
l wish this cruel war was over; I
don't see how can let you CO."
And John has been telling her all
the time that he was a goin' cause
he had to go on account OF the draft
law and that he wanted to go and
have a hand in the game along with
his pal, Bill Bowen or Bill Mulready
or some other Bill who had been In
for the longest and who wrote to him
every once in a while telling him all
the young fellows most was in Il, and
how he would enjoy being in It too.
So the rookie today Is coming In
with a pretty fair smattering knowl-
edge Of what he is getting into. As
likely as not he has already visited
a military camp and Bill Smith and
Bill Mulready and that other Bill has
taken pains and pleasure in showing
him all around-where he sleeps, the
color Of the water in which he washes
his mess kit after each chow call. the