The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-02-05

sion?
1t is south OF the SLOT In San
Francisco and reported to be the
toughest part of that tough city
outside OF the Barbary Coast.
Its Inhabitants are men who
work with their muscles. They
weld steel and cast iron and II
Is their hammers that fashion
that metal fabrics Of great yes
sells.
Like the stuff they work in
they are hard and unyielding,
firm friends and unchangeful en-
emies.
Spirit OF Democracy.
A few months ago young men,
fresh from colleges and homes
OF culture toiled at the Preside
to prepare themselves to teach
a vast army how to fight.
Day by day it was pounded in
to them by their instructors that
this new army would be hard to
handle. Its members would be
unwilling servitors of the country
and 1t would require stern dis
cipline to make them amenable
to commands and orders.
Now, take heed, IL you would
know something of the spirit that
animates the greatest army ever
assembled in defense OF a great
principle.
Cooks Fighters"
At Camp Lewis there is a bat
terry Of field artillery known pop
ularly as "Cox's Fighters" On
the books 1t shows as Battery B,
346th Field Artillery, and after
the name Of every man is an ad-
dress in San Franchises Mission
district.
A call for men with high school
training produced four from bat
terry B.
A call for plumbers or steam
filters or structural steel work.
ers would bring almost every man
to the front and a call for help
from one battery b soldier would
rally 249 double-handed scrap
peTs.
II right FOR Fun OF IL.
They fight for the sheer joy
of the fight. When possible they
fight in the canvas covered
square, but IL the occasion occurs
when no canvas is in sight and no
gloves available hard turf and
hard knuckles do very well.
II During the snow storm of a
few weeks ago they fought each
other and for diversion put to
rout a company of Montana cow
boys, with snowballs pounded
hard and icy.
Two Of them, it is said, invad-
ed Tacoma on the night of their
arrival in camp and the next day
Tac0ma's police force was shy a
man and there was a new full
bed in the General hospital.
That's the kind of men they
are.
All Wanted Out.
This is the kind of soldiers
they are.
On the day they stepped from
the train at this camp and march
ed in their greasy overalls and
Mission district Sunday clothing
to the barracks on the hill, Capt
E. M. Cox, known to every sport
fan in Oakland as the fairest
third man who ever threw q
leg over the ropes or lifted a con-
queror's mitted hand, asked how
many men wanted exemption.
On the instant every man con-
tracted flat feet, sore eyes and
bad hearts. There was confirma-
tion of the things taught at the
Preside.
But Capt. Cox had seen real
men before and he didn't "bat
an eye."
No Teas For b.
Other companies organized de-
batting clubs and held dances, but
company B didn't have time for
these things. 1t held smokers
and boxing matches and it also
took a short course in the science
OF dislike"
You men are fighters the
captain IOlu Lnem. you are
here to learn how to fight. The
more you practice with your fists
the better you will be with a
bayonet. THIS is now and its 60
ing to keep ON being the best out
fit on the lot and so you are go
ing to learn how to fight with
field guns as we'll as with your
dukes.
! What's more you're going to
know what your fighting about"
Get Uniforms First.
There were some Irishmen in
the battery and also some whose
near relatives came from Medit-
erranean countries. Ergo there
were impromptu, not to say pitch
ed, battles in the barracks and
since, whatever may happen out
side the squad room, there must
be peace within, an unspoken or
der went the rounds that knives
and 0,,nc xunvlI MT ~ ,.c.l l..