The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-10-17
American Youths Soon Fall Into
Free and Easy Life Of
the Soldier.
SHAVE IN PUBLIC SQUARE
,loht Is So Commonplace That None
Of TownspeopIe Stop to Look on,
Even When They Take to
Reading" Shirts.

with the American Army.-It hasn't
nken long for American youths to be-
ome acclmated to the free-and-easy
ives Of soldiers. They are as frank
and as open and as shameless as their
french brothers In arms, and n good
deal more so than their British com
ndes.
A convoy Of American troops halts
for few hours rest In some French
town, not too far from the front but
that the distant rumble Of the inces-
ant cannOnade can be heard, with oc-
caslonally the alternating buzz-buzz
Of BOche alrplane and the dull boom
Of the arches hurled skyward at 1t.
After "chowing" at the rolling kltch-
ems that accompany them and washing
90 their mess kits, the doughboys usu-
ally turn to their toilets. Even though
they are parked I'm the shade under the
lall trees around the public square OF
the town, that doesn't feaze them a
SIt. They unpack their safety razors,
their shaving soap and brushes and
proceed to shave then and there. But
Il Is such commonplace sight that
uOne Of the townspeople stop to look
sn. The French chlldren-"les gosses,"
Is the Yanks have already learned to
call them In true French argot-gather
iOund but that Is all.
"Read" Their Shirts.
Then one doughboy who thinks he Is
barber enters the nearest house and
bOrrOws chair. He places It on a
box and administers halrcuts to such
subjects as will take a chance on his
handlwOrk with the scissors. These
amateur BARRIERS are not so bad, ell
lher, clipping Off the hair close, 50 the
dOughbOys stand less chance of hav.
Ing gas stick In their hair.
Often the doughboys strip to the
waist and engage In the pleasing pas
tme OF reading their shirts" as
American hoboes term 1t. For, no
matter where number sf men are
COngregated without women to tidy
Up after them, they are bound to have
yermln.
Coolies" the doughboys call neas
and body lice and other forms OF an
Imal life that inhablt their garments.
Whenever they catch particularly
large specimen they examine II close
g and announce that II Is of German
origin has escaped from the BOche
trenches and has the Iron Cross stamp
ed on It's buck.
II the Yanks bivouac near n stream
everybody takes dip right away.
Their officers always insist that the
men wear some sort Of breech clOut
IN swimming, so the doughbOys usu-
ally keep on the drawers OF their B.
'. D's and then stand naked on the
bank Of the stream waiting for them
to dry In the sun.
In the line the men shave every
day when II is possible, because they
have learned from the French that a
gas mask fits tighter If there is no
stubble Of beard on the chin to let
the deadly fumes seep in and burn
them They have become used to their
fesprators very quickly and wear
them "a hours at stretch without
It bOtherlng them.
Adopt British Custom.
They have also adopted the British
custom Of merely nlpplng the nose
clutch on their nostrlls and placing
the breathing plug In their mouths
without strapping the headgear over
thelr cranlums every time gus alert
Is sounded.
II gas really materlallzes they pro-
ceed to adjust the mask according to
regulations, otherwise they unsnlp the
hoSepIece and spit out the mouth plug
and go on about their affairs. Any
ume dud shell handsome that falls