Grand Forks herald., 1918-08-28
The First Shot
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on the alert for the treacherous sub
marine, while cruiser and battleship
fleets patrolled wide, watery areas,
effectually bottling up the battle
squadrons Of the kaiser.
was supremely content as hung
over the rail and watched the foam
churn over the bow. About a mile
ahead, a United States cruiser of the
latest model rode the seas majestic
stroyers saucily plowed the waves.
"Uncle Sam is on the job" said
enthusiastically to my buddy, Ser
ligent New York Italian, one of the
best artillerymen in the battery.
."You can bet your bottom dollar
Uncle Sam is on the job, Reddy," he
replied. "Mr. Submarine has about as
much chance Of poking in our game
as Jersey mosquito has of drilling
through one Of the steel plates of this
transport"
was mighty lucky to have the SER
geant for my buddy, for, aside from
being one of the best chaps that ever
rode an artillery caisson, he was a
competent man, and it was largely
through his instruction that I was
promoted to corporal after the regi-
nent lanQeQ IN france.
Our New Americans.
This war has opened my eyes to the
fact that the sons of our immigrants
have the makings of absolutely top
notch Americans.
This is being demonstrated every
day on the western battlefront in
Europe, where they are fighting and
dying in the cause of liberty. And
before this war is over we are going
| to take off our hats many times to the
lads who, in ante-bellum days, we
rather contemporary classed as
foreigners.
Believe me, they are proving them
selves Yanks of the first water, every
one of them. Some of them are
wabbly in their English, but they are
and Lafayette just as if their ances-
tors had played heavy parts in the
American Revolution. When we have
the kaiser interned in Sing Sing prison
and the nations of the world have re.
| turned to peaceful pursuits, we are
going to show our appreciation fol
what these lads have done for theil
adopted country, or I'm a poor
prophet.
There was only one fly in our oint.
f, ment on the trip over, and that wa:
| tAS CuoW, "ulCIi, lOT IHe ITSL lev
days, was about the worst ever ladleo
out of ships kettle. 1t smelled tc
the heavens, did that chow, and be.
fore we were two days out a third OF
the outfit were groaning in theil
hunks with dysentery and other all.
ments of the digestive organs.
We beloved long and loud to the
head chef, big, fat darky, who
didn't know as much about cookery
as a longshoreman.
We might just as we'll have com
planned to the ships anchor or the
keel of the transport. The chow grew
the mat.
| L have stomach as vigorous as {
blast furnace, but it baked at tn,
kind of stuff that was being served VI
in the messroom. l saw I would have
to do something to keep out of tn,
sick bay,so I decided upon a littl,
strategy.
was on pretty good terms with al
undertook by the name of Sam, ant
for two bits a day he supplied m,
with chow from the officers mess.
graft, and a little before mealtim
we would steal away to the boiler
room and eat the food which had beel
cashed there by Sam.
The best in eatables on the shi]
was purloined for us by the ebon,
rascal, and my buddy and I wake,
fat and comfortable while our com
rades howled in increasing volume a
the steady decline of the chow.
OF course the sergeant and I ha
to yelp and complain with the res
so as not to excite suspicion. If tn
bunch had discovered our little gam
they would have mobbed US. We fel
like pair of Judases at first, bu
under the influence of that good foo,
our consciences became covered wit
rawhide. I have always noticed tina
a well-flled stomach is the best con
science soother in the world.
Things came to ripping china
on the third day when the rascal
chef served a concoction which h
labeled Irish Stew The stuff wa
an insult to the Irish race. Several Q
the boys gagged and beat it to tn
deck rail the minute they got whit
Of the steaming. stinking mess, Will
downright murder, and nothing else
cleaned in the eyes Of other artiller
l1uskies.
AS for me, wretch that 1 was,
pounded on the mess table an
yelled:
Boys, this thing has gone IA
enough; I'm willing to die for m
country on the field Of battle. but T.