The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-07
TQSTEY TELLS
HOW B0YSWENT
into TRENCHES
Mandan Boy Writes Interesting
ly Of Flickertails' Bap.
tiSm of Fire f's'
CHUNK HE'LL
Front Really Not So Bad as Ma.
sonic Temple Fire at
F .a-,
Grand Forks in 1911

Somewhere in France, April 10
Last evening was standing in thu
Care du EST when one of the
smooth running little Franch loco
motives snaked a song string or dlnhy
"Hommey' cars into the, depot. The
train debauched hundreds OF American
soldiers, it seemed. arf.t 49,.
They were bound for the British
front to stand shoulder with the Can
adams, the French, the Britishers,
Australians, New Zealanders, kilties.
They were the first men to be move:
directly into action, not over IS hours
after General Pershing made his fam.
ous offer of the American available
forces to be used, at the direction OF
the allies. ',.
These boys were largely regulars
who had been in France for some
time, but there. was a goodly percent.
age of them from other regiments, in.
GLIDING North Dakota. stood there
with a friend observing them. Moth
ing sullen or laggard about that out.
fit, but the very embodiment Of alert
physical perfection. 3D.
Hello Tosty," shouted someone
and half turned to see who was cali
ing.
.Hello, Jim!".I shouted back and
he thurtled out of box car door and
pushed his way through the crowd to
where was standing. 1t was Grand
Forks boy who had been transferred
from the old 1G4th. Cant tell you his
last name. ii 49,
''..Hows things coming?" he queried,
and then piled be with a rapid. strine
of questions concerning the old First
North Dakota and the changes which,
have been made. answered as best
could, wondering what made his
voice so husky. And then came my
turn.
His story was something like this:
well, you see, we got into the new
outfit and saw considerable duty up.
front. The damned Dutch let drive a
lot of gas at us; killed some of them
and put a devil of lot of US in the
hospital. That's what's the matter
with my voice. But we know better
now. We had to have our lesson.
4. Chunk Hacked out Of He'll.
LET me give it to you straight:
he, said. You know lot of us
that that the front and the firine
line was little chunk hacked out. OF
hell and set down in France. That's
the way 1t always looked to use when
de- pictured it after reading war de-
scriptions. Remembers the Masonic
temple fire in Grand Forks back in
1911? Well, that's an example. We
thought the country would be torn
to, pieces just like that building was
by fire. Course, any fire would serve
as an example-but. you get the idea.
r1'We got up to the trout and found
q lot of trenches sure enough. There
were a lot Of buildings, wrecked Blu,
the grass was just as green and the
mud just the same, and the sky
overhead was just as blue or just
as, cloudy as any place else in France.
It was not such great change after
all and we got over the shakes and
nerves and didn't take it half seri-
ously enough. That's how we got
caught by gas. But, believe ME, we're
going to get them. Wish that the
United States had million more men
over here. Why say, 1t seems that the
boys from the states have not got
any fear at all. Probably because
they're fresh at the game and don't
know the nasty work"
The Foghorn Voice.
."Hey. Foghorn! C'mere!' he yelled
at a passing soldier.
iS"Now listen to him. he cautioned
me. -.
The chan came owe rto where we
were standing. sg t. ,s,.
s''Whadaya want?" he croaked.
want to hear you talk said jim.
Jaw tie q gas mask over your jaw.
I'll do my talking wit hmy gum and
hes walked away.
.Eut Jim has succeeded in what he
called FOghorn for, to. demonstrate
what gas had done to him:
FOghorn was a name well applied,
for the soldier had voice way down
into the lowest octave.
wait till we get up there. The