The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-12-24
WAS IN g.
BAIT Ties IN
MALE: At TIRE
Thrilling Experiences In ATgonae
Calls Yank Soldiers Gods
Finest Men.
ESPECIAL To TIE rnxrs.I

III cNAAA IL AEG ILAES.l
HOBART, IND, Dec. 24.-Miss
Sarah Mildred Wilmer of this city
who gave up her work as profes-
sional reader and all comforts to
mother doughboys in the Argonne
is home in a wheel chair.
She is invalided home-a gas
victim, She had three months Of
active work at the front as Y. w.
I. A. entertainer and wandered in
to the front lines. against military
rules, to administer better to the
wants of the boys.
sold chevron on her right sleeve
her wound stripe-and service chcNron
on her left. are her rewards
REMEMBERS YANKg SMILE.
Propped up in bed she portrayed some
Of her experience, saying:
Il landed in France on Sept. ami
went Immediately to the base OF my
region at Bar-le-Duc Twenty minutes
later l was in iitney on my wsy TO the
front.
Right here let me say that God never
made men like the Yankees, bless them
And I've seen them all I once asked
what was this most remarkable thing 7
came in contact with 1T the front and
replied It vas the Yankee smile
In all that misery. amid those ter
rible surroundings and facing the gray
est danger, the Yanks would smile II
was wonderful
How'd l get into the front liner
Well. l heard a young officer say: oh.
it's terrible uT there tonight: a lot or
the boys have been killed and wounded
and there's not nearly enough men 10
care for them.
Can't you take me UP there2
asked him He told me 1 was a woman,
that it would be breaking rules
Well. get me some mans clothes
and I'll be man. 1 replied lie hest
tated and finally gave ME a complete
outfit. brooches. blouse. puttees. hob
nails and all. And 1 went up. That's
all there was to it.
NINE TINES IN FRONT TRENCR.
She was reluctant to go into details
of her experiences. Altogether she went
into the front line trenches nine times.
feat accomplished by no other woman.
it is said.
She continued:
1T was in the Argonne on the 2sth
of October that l went in front of the
barrage. disguised as a doughboy
The barrage was breaking over me
I was walking around when there came
a sudden commotion l didn't know
what had happened looked toward
our boys. They seemed to have been
picked out of the trenches. as if b.
magic. and carried away on wings
"Out Of sight. they continued on and
on. They kept going. II was uncann,.
They had expected to stay there at least
a week And It was all over in two
hours. Even the highest officers
say it was miracle. The boys later
clouds.
OVERCOME Bx Gas.
IT became sick suddenly I smelied
burning cabbage and bad onions and
then I realized il was chlorine Gas
shells were breaking all around me
"And all the time I saw those boys
go ahead in enless streams as if riding
a magic carpet.
I grew fait and stumbled into Ger
man dugout which had been deserted
but a day previously. After five hours
I recollected my thoughts and heard
some voices. / walked out and found
several stretcher bearers with whom l
made the rear"
Miss wilmer was also gassed IN the
Verdun sector on October Is, but st
wasn't serious
ADMITS OFTEN CRYING.
Although she had slept I'm the army
'rollup"-never a cot or a bed-had
lived where coolies abound and vermin
grow to the size of Angoras. had faced
danger and witnessed misery such as
is seldom seen. Miss Wilmer confessed
Continued on page fvey