The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-04-24
ONLY IN FRANCE
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which. as usual. was the center VT the |
camp. In the big. Imprinted wooden /
shed nifty or sixty Inen were sitting !
around a fire. reading. smoking or talk !
ing. Some were writing letters. Some |
in attitudes If utter WEAKNESS, SprnWlcd |
in their seats fast asleep.
you mustn't blame thcm." said the
7. NJ. &. \. secretary in charge or the |
hut These mon work in twelVe-houT
shifts but sometimes tn" work doubles |
up on them, and then they don't got off
under fourteen and fifteen hours. sun
days and all. mind you.
This bakery never stops work. On
Christmas and THANKSGIVING it did shut
down for four hours, hut ,he boys had
10 mako up this time. Why" Because
the army must have bread. a great deal
Of bread. And all it cats our bakeries
must supply"
Bread Always Baking.
The mon began to gather around.
good-na turcGly willing 10 talk and
learned that this one bakery unit had tn
turn ou, from $4,000 TO 50. 400 pounds
Of bread every day in order To kcrp up
with the demand. The bread had to hG
mixed. baked cooled loaded and shipped
in carl,sLd lots 10 all points within tho
war zone and that means many more
| thousands Of square miles than IS In
cluded in tn" lighting zone.
What ir something happened to pre-
vent" l asked.
| Once something did" replied a young
man with university accent and fin
Ecr-width NJ flour across his forehc;I!.
Not to this bakery. hut to the mex.
on" TO the north. Tho hochcs flew over
and pu, it out Of business for twenty
! four hours. Fortunately, there weren't
| 81 nlany troops here then AS there are
| now and the French were able IN help
us out.
"It would b. moro awkward now. TIL"
French n""d al their bread. and the
army baking business is strictly up |"
III" I. :. A..
"Nrn yon a baker by trade" l in
; our"d. Hc turned 4 little rcd. Not
exactly. Ny father owns a chain If
bakeries in - and know something
OF the business. l enlisted for tn" ar
! ,illrry. but they needed bakers. and 81
; transferred"
! Arc you baker, I asked the man
next to him.
ct tried To conceal it," hr answered
with q grin. IL wanted the cavalry.
Rut they prohcd my past and found
that | had once learned the trade ="
they said TIL" bakery for yours Aw.
we'll it's all part of tho game. The boys
have to have bread. and If we shlrh"d
they might get poor stuff.
Lessons In Patriotism.
! liked ut these men. college Eradu-
atcs both OF them. young adventurous.
vct working twelve hours at manual la
Dor, in spot hundreds Of miles re-
moved from any possible military glory
or any hope Of promotion.
Every man talked Ia in that '. VI.
&c. A. hut that night WAS lesson IN
! practical patriotism. Hardly n man nut
| would have preferred IN" danger ana en-
! citnmrn; Of tho trenches. Hardly on"
| who was not chccrfully doing his bit IN
the hundrum drudScry OF an unromanlc
trade.
All were working longer hours than
fighting soldiers. Like the lighting mon
they slept in tents and harrack sheds.
observed army discipline and lived on
soldiers nay. No bakers arc likely I"
add 10 tina, nay the reward Of crosses
AMI medals nf honor. Yet. without them
tho army could neither fight nor live.
walked through tho bakery sheds.
clean. bare and sweet smelling. Down
ono side of each sized ran a row OF port
able iron moulding tubs, and AT each tub
stood stout soldier kncading great
lumrs OF dough Us big as washtuhs.
Tho muscles in their big arms stood
out like ropes as they punched and rolled
AMI nodded III" swelling mass. More
great trau CHS held tn" rising dough. COW
cred with clean. floury cloths.
Tho last process Was carried on nj 4
big table whore n rhw Of men on one
side cut. weighed ard Tossed four pound
lumps Of dough To the men on III" other
side. WHO moulded III" dough into loavcS
and drnrprl l.,cm into baking pans.
Home Made Loaves.
\ constant lin" Of mon carried tn"
p,u,s tn tho .MtdOor ovens. where the
bread was baked Suckers were busy
feeding tho ri-cbcx"s with faG"ts and
for"m"n walked IN ;fnd DOWN Watching
Tho heat Indicators on ;hc oven doors.
In She winter dark. With IN" sparks flN-
ing inward toward III" cold stars. tho
srrnr was like an old Dutch painting.
where the plenty Of a rrinroly army was
pictured.
Tn" work going on like clnckw"rk.
iwcnl y four hours Il day. seven days n
week. furnishes our m"n in field and
ramr with sweet. nutritious wh"at bread
every hit as good IL tho kind mother
used To make out nf the Old kitchen
stove.
To all ntcn,s anil purposes. it is
homemade bread. Practically every
SCRAP nf matcria! that goes int" tn"
leaves that now feed thousands and VIII
: soon fred millions "t American SOL
. di"rs comes from tho United States.