Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-01-25
SOLDIER LIFE At SEWER.
The Company Clerk Gets Into Siren
uous Training.
Pissed BY the Censor.O

Corr. spohdenee The Yorkvil- Enauirsr
Passed by the Censor)
Camp Sewer. Greenrille. ). G. jan
uary 19-I did my first real soldier
ing this morning. BY soldering l
mean had Springfield on my shoul-
der Tor the first time and TO say that l
felt awkward and embarrassed. doesn't
begin to express II. But | got along
first rate-at least the top sergeant
who was detailed 10 give me special
instruction, said: and he was also
kind enough 10 encourage me by say
ing that with several months OF prac-
tice | might develop into a pretty
fair soldier" II might not appear 50
to a civilian: but that is quite COM
pliment TO come TO an insignincant
atom in this mans army from such
a parsonage as top sergeant, and
am quite proud Of IL: because when l
went on the field this morning | fully
expected to be "balled" out at every
turn.
"suuad right" during my three months
and sixteen days in the army untii
this morning might sound rather
strange and absurd: but it can be ex-
planned easily. In every company or
other organization OF this army there
is need for a bookkceper and orderly
and major -domo and general roust-
about and stcnographcr and handy
man to the captain. lieutenant and
others higher up: / have been all OF
that since | enlisted and there has
been so much of il to do that | have
not had an opportunity TO squad
right" and right about face" and left
about face" Il think those are the
movements in which "the top" in
structed me this morning) until today.
Orders came down the line a day or
two ago TO the effect that |. and every
other Soldier" who had been engaged
otherwise. must from henccforth learn
La little practical military every day.
You see the authorities are quite con-
sidcrate and thoughtful and they want
we office men to be able to take care
OF ourselves when VIC come In contact
with Fritz. II We ever do. And II IL q
good idea. for II is barely possible that
Fritz might sometime become so in
uuisitivc that he will want TO look at
our company records and see who got
paid last month and all OF that, and
the company clerk must be trained 10
take care OF the records should such
In contingency arise. Understand. no.
body believes he will ever get that
close: but in this great army we are
training. every possibility Is consid-
cred.
My follow soldiers had considerable
fun AT my expense this morning be-
cause of my maiden effort on the field.
was glad they did have something
to laugh ut and something 10 bring n
smile on their faces for once. Those
smiles were a welcome change to the
Ia,
Christmas because Of the weather
They were quite complimentary. For
instance, one big husky came up to me
this afternoon and slapping me on the
back said: "Wcll clerk. I seen you
squad rightin' this mornin' an you
wuz about as awkward as COW. II
you keep II up couple o years you
might git to he fust class private
You WIZ n holdin' yorc gun on yore
shoulder like you wuZ n goin' rabbit
hunting instead of soldering. Wouldn't
you he in n hell Of fix II YOU wuz in
one of these bitches an Fritz was In
another" grinncd and looked kind
of shccpish. and then the big North
Carolinian said in an apologize way:
mo buddy. ! wuZ just kiddin' with
YOU You didn't act near as much ike
n rocky as did the first day or two
I went out And as for holding your
gun like you wuZ rabbit huntin'.
still hold mine that way more or less
and git balled out about II pretty
often yet don't know why II Is: but
somehow my Springfield puts me In
the mind Of my old single barrel
used to shoot rabbits with up In Moth
Calina, and I can't clar. my head o
the fact that 1t hain't." But ! will
learn in due time. guess.
Each soldier has been issued blue
overall suit. Fatigue uniforms" they
are called and they are worn by the
men when they are detailed to dig
trenches or cut wood o. move 4 house
or do one OF a hundred other things
that they have to do occasionally. TIC
see n squad or plantoon OF soldiers
dressed in these fatigue uniforms re-
minds one Of a gang OF carpenters OF
DAY laborcrs. Unless you know II be-
forehand you could not tell that they
were soldiers. The men like these
fatigue clothes and wear them at every
opportunity because they prevent their
uniforms from being soiled and when
the uniforms are not soilcd they don't
have to be washed and there Is not a
single soldier in this division who likes
to wash-clothes. ] mean. AS matter
OF fact, very few are keen about wash
ing their faces when the thermometer
is around 10 or l. In the morning as
| IL has been most Of the time during
the past few weeks.
Men who have families dependent
upon them are beginning to receive
the allotmcnts made them by the gov
ernmnet for the support Of such fam
lilies. and II Is easy to see that they are
much easier and more satisfied since
n 0kA hnt hnnn n
ceived by their wives or other de-
pendents a private soldier who
draws $50 a month and who has wife
and child dependent upon him for sup
port must allot half Of his pay or SIS
per month for the support OF such
family. The government supplements
this sum by an addition OF $50. making
S35 that the wife and child Will re-
ceive. That leaves him SIS for cur
rent expenses and no married man
has any business spending that much
money on himsclf-cspecially a mar
ricd soldier. There are hundreds and
thousands of married men In the army
since the draft law became effective
and naturally II has taken time and
lot Of work TO straighten out all the
kinks. The wonder Is that the allot-
mcnts have been received so early.
The average soldier. however, having
no realization of the mass OF detail In
connection with this government as
sistance, has been very impatient
about II and now that his family has
received the first check and Is abso-
Iutcly certain of receiving II regular
ly each month hereafter. load Is on
his mind. Still the more thoughtful
freely concede that Uncle Sam is TAX
ing great care OF his army, consider
ing the short time he has had for pro-
vision.
There is no dope" afloat as to when
we are going over. Really the subject
does not concern US and 1t Is the
rarest thing in the world that one runs
up against soldier who Is the least
bit interested In a discussion about It..
WHY should we care about II or why
should we speculate on II? We are
soldiers Of the United States govern
mcnt and we will so any place at any
time the government says go. II we
20 tomorrow, 1t is well. II we never
20. It is well. II the war Is still In