Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-12

trained but poorly equipped regi-
ment presented q living wall OF flesh
and blood TO German steel, and how
they were cut down at the rate OF
from to 50 a day. and how on one
day, the regiment. with an original
strength OF only one thousand. lost
two hundred men. He told in q way
| that made his audience absolutely De-
| lieve that the soldiers didn't mind
1 dying-that they gave up their lives
willingly and gladly, only that they
want to make the enemy pay the
highest possible price before they go.
In one o. his personal "reminiscences
OF the early days before ipres. he told
how the Germans, in force OF five or
six - one. lay behind sandbags only
forty yarus away. While he was on
sen,r, duty one morning about dawn.
he saw the shadowy form Of Ger
man stealing out OF NO Mans Land
through a gap in the German line OF
sandbags. He knew that fellow had
been scouting and that he had infor-
nation about the Canadian strength
that would prove disastrous. Because
OF the poor light and the poor mark,
he was afraid TO risk shot: nut
within a few moments he observed
the fellow juking along the trcnches.
going from man 10 man. only MS
| fiat cap would from time 10 time bob
up TO level OF the sandbags us he
moved along. Evidently the German
was telling what he had discovered
preparatory TO raid. Then the Ger
man having passed down one way
from the gap, started back to tell II
TO the men on tie other siUe. IL" had
TO pass by that gap aSain. AM In
| Attempting the passage. hr fainu To
duck low enough. "Somt thing ha open
Ell from our lines and there was anoth-
er German in hell" Here Private
| Pearson digress,d enough 10 explain
that he did not feel called upon TO
apologize for the assertion he mad
made. for the reason that If hell Is
not for these monsters, am unable To
imagine why it should lave ever been
instituted" But the most impressive
part OF Mr.. Pearson's address was
when he described the defenseless
condition Of the soldiers for lack OF
artillery, for lack Of ammunition. for
lack OF entrenching tools. He told
how he had been compelled To dig In
under fire with u pick with one tooth
with one toothpick." Rel, rring
back to the time he marched oGt of
Montreal 10 the plaudits of the popu-
lace, he emphasized the mockrry of
such demonstration when he found
himself opposed to well armed and
we'll equipped enemy while he and
his comrades had little else Ia fight
with than their bare hands. Referring
to the story OF soldiers seeing angels
on the battlefield. he said yes. soldiers
sometimes saw them but they were
not the kind that visionary sentiment
alists had in mind-they were more
| in the shape OF squad OF soldiers
with machine guns. or batteries OF ar
tille-y pouring 15's at the rate OF 81
| a minute The greatest comfort that
can come TO a soldier lying IN
trench 50 narrow that he hardly can
turn over on his side without inviting
a bullet Is to hear big shells from his
own batteries behind ZiZZing over
head at the enemy. Some OF these
shells cost $4,000 cash: but the SOL
dicrs do not count that cost-it only
makes them feel that the shells are
that much better. They tell me that
the.e bonds that are being offered are
COOL. that they are worth 100 cents
on the dollar. | never had any money
and do not know anything about 1t.
/ do not know whether the bonds are
good or not. and about that l am not
| concerned; but even II Il stack OF them
that high are not worth the powder II
would take to blow them up. tell you
to buy them. buy all you can. and
consider them cheap at the price. II
you will do your full duty back here
the man will do their full duty over
yondcr. Loyalty and checrfully. even
to laying down his life without COM
plant: but If you don't do your duty
here you need not expect much OF
him over there. In this war every
man. woman and child is a soldier.
even the man up TO eighty years OF
age and every one is either Tor or
az. inst us. II he is helping all ne
can. by every means in his power he
Is on our side. and II he Is not help
ing, he is on the side of the enemy
| Private Pearson was frequently in
terrupted with laughter and handicap
/ ping, and at times his audience Wa
almost in tears-part OF 1t really was
in tears. After he sat down the au-
dience continued to applaud until he
had made repeated acknowledgment
After the speaking in the auditori-
um, the Catawba Rifles gave most
interesting exhibition In thrust and
parry at the bayonet drill.