Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-02-14

None of the officers are very pro
ficient in drill, since they are all new
in the service, but every one OF then
is right up to the minute on technica
and practical automobile work
Thanks to my training at Shepherd
College, | can show up all right wher
it comes to drilling, so that have no
thing to fear on that score. Well,
must close and get to bed, as it i:
go. Love to all the folks,
Thursday February Sth.
| don't think that | will have time
for a long letter, but I'll start a let
ter now, and if have TO stop will fin
ish later. Things are moving along
smoothly and am beginning to like
the new company fine. Captain Ed
wards is a fine man, and also a mill
tary man, having been in the Span
ish-American war, and what he does
not know about drill and company ad'
ministration is not worth knowing
To have an officer who is able &c
make the men step about is certainly
a splendid thing. Nothing of i'm
portance has happened since | last
wrote TO you.
Last night went over TO the I
NJ. C. A. and heard a speech by Judge
Speer, of the Federal Court, who gave
a lecture on the life of Robert E. Lee
The Judge is a Confederate veteran
and a typical old Rebel. enjoyed
his lecture very much. Just before
the lecture we sang trench songs fol
a half hour. The onethat caught me
was called, Good Morning, Mr.. Zir
Zip"
Is your hair cut just as short as
mine
Good morning, Mr.. Up, Zip, Zip
You sure are looking fine.
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust,
If Camels don't get you Fatimas
must,
Good morning, Mr.. Zip, Zip, Zip,
Is your hair cut just as short as
mine
You should hear five or six hun
dred men singing these snappy songs
They certainly do make good music
and il is a lot of fun singing in. big
crowd like that. Had letter from
C. K. Stribling from Washington yes
terday, and he wants me to look uE
his son, who is here, and as soon as
can get to headquarters | will flnc
out where he is and look him up. Il
will be some job to locate him at head
quarters, for there are so many who
are looking for some one.
Have just finished mess, and an
feeling fine. We had particularly
good dinner today Roast beef, rice
prunes, roast potatoes, bread and cot
fee. Not so bad at that, ! guess. A
a rule we have good meals, but once
in a while we slip up and then we how
and the howl is always heard by th'
Captain, and again we have good meal:
for a while.
When you want something there
are lust two or three ways to get /
in the army. The first way, and TIT
man who follows this seldom get
anything, is to ask for it and then 81
down and wait for it until it comes Il
YOU and stops. Then another way i
to ask and camp right on the trail o
the objective until reached. Thi
method is effective only in certain in
stances, and the man who uses it get
about a fifty-fifty deal. The best wa,
to get anything in this outfit is Il
grab ii the first chance you get, ant
usually the openings are frequent
and it is comparatively easy TO ge
away with almost anything. The maj
who has the initiative and nerve t
grab at the opportunities is the on
who will get somewhere. Many fin
men who could make marks are no
getting anywhere because when an op
opportunity presents itself they fail :
grab it and hang on. But these meth
DDS are applicable not only in the ar
my, but in civil life, too, and hayin
had some practice in the last fey
months in looking for real opportuni
ties, | can recall good many rea
ones that let slip before was $
keenly on the trail of them. The NOR
practice get in locating and takin
advantages and opportunities now, tn
better off am going to be when tn
war is over. The last opportunity
grabbed was when Captain Edward
asked me yesterday noon if coul
drill the company in calisthenic,
Well, had had the company out j
the morning TO drill them in the ia
cings, marchings, ETC., and while ! ma
never drilled them in physical drill
and had never had a whole lot Of it m!
self, felt that could get away wit
it, and when he asked me said Eyes
before he had finished his question
!. Had | hesitated he probably woul
have gone out himself. But he hs
other things to do, so ! took them ol
and drilled them for over an hour ar
, got away with il.
If you say and think you can do
! thing the only way to let them kno
you can't do il is to fall down, ar
then you are out of luck, but il yc
get away with il there is one MOI
mark to your credit Being in ws
; drill master, don't have much hea
, ier work to do, but by the time Il
, drills are over am about all in, fl
il is hard work and awfully firing, e
pecially since the men are nearly q
, green. They are beginning 10 get
: shape though, and in few days th'
will begin to look as though they a
regular soldiers. They are beginnir
to get the snappy step, and shoulde
r are back and heads are up, and Il
, small amount Of training they a
, getting is already working a big di