davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01

friendly with the men, and while I
think they liked him they were 30
tough they would never admit II, and
some of them claimed he was a Jonah,
or jlnx. or bad luck of some kind. But
they all told him their vows as soon
as they made them and he was sup
posed to be a sort of referee as to
whether they kept them or not.
During my second stunt In the front
lines things got pretty bad. The Ger
mans were five to our one and they
kept pushing back parts of the line
and cleaning out others. And the
weather was as bad as 1t could be
and the food did not always come reg
ularly. Now, before they took their
vows. every last man in the bunch
would have been kicking and growing
all the time. but, as 1t was, the only
time they growled vas when the Ger
mans pushed us back.
Things kept getting worse and you
could see that the men talked to the
chaplain more and quite a few of them
got real chummy with him.
One morning Fritz started In bright
and early to begin his strafe. The
lieutenant was walking up and down
the trench to see that the sentries
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01
CURING hay CROP
IN COCK IS BEST
Method Now Generally Practiced
Where Best Quality Of
Legume Is Desired.
EXTRA LABOR IS REQUIRED
Found Necessary to Get Rid o. Water
In Plant EvenIy-correot Way to
Build Cock When Working
With Green Hay.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of A~griculture.)
One Of the best methods of curing
hay Is to cure In the cock. This method
is MOI generally practiced except in re-
gions where unfavorable weather is
the rule rather than the exception, or
when the best quality of legume hay Is
desired. Throughout the middle West,
where hay leaders are used, hay Is not
cooked because Of the extra labor re-
qulred and the inability to handle
cooked hay with the hay loader.
1t has been shown that 1t is neces-
sary to get rid of the water In the
plant evenly. On a sunshiny day hay
must ne raked after It has been In the
swatb a certain length Of time, or the
leaves will become dried out and lose
color. When it is raked into the
windrow a smaller proportion OF the
hay is exposed to the action of the
suns rays. After remaining In the
windrow, where further curing is
done. the time is reached when it be-
comes necessary to remove the hay in
order to retain a good color and
aroma.
Cure Hay In Cocks.
When this stage is reached the next
thing to do is to put the hay into the
cock, where a still smaller proportion
of the hay will be exposed to the q
The curing process is not stopped
when hay is cooked, but goes on less
rapidly than when in the windrow and
much slowly than when in the
swath. The hay In the cock continues
to lose its moisture slowly until 1t is
cured out sufficiently to be baled or
put into the stack or barn. The time
required for curing will depend upon
the moisture content when cooked, the
amount of hay put into the cock, and
also upon weather conditions.
Under ordinary conditions hay will
cure In the cock In from three days TO
a week. Hay cooked too "green" will
cause heating. The larger the cock
the more danger there Is of heating
when undercured hay is cooked. Hay
Is put into cocks containing from rs
to 100 pounds of cured hay. About
100 pounds is the size most commonly
used in many sections.
Cloudy and rainy weather not only
retards curing but may cause heating
IL the rain enters the cock. When
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01

used, even though the number OF
horses is somewhat reduced, the ma
chine need not be expected to have
employment for as many days annual
ly as did the horses. The horses kept
will do some Of the work, which will,
of course, decrease the amount to be
done by the tractor. A considerable
percentage of the 100 days work done
by horses represents odd Jobs for
which the tractor cannot be used to
advantage. Even If the machine were
to do all the work formerly done by
the horses, it would not normally be
employed 100 days per year, inasmuch
as it does the work more rapidly.
1t should be borne in mind, says the
bulletin, that practically all farm OPP
erations must be carried on within lin
tied periods, and that between these
seasons there will often be no field
work which the tractor can do, either
on the home farm or for neighbors-
The fact that weather and soil condi-
tons are such as to permit field work
with a tractor does not necessarily
mean that there is such work to be
done. Farm management plays an i'm
portant part in organizing the farm
so as to provide profitable employment
for the tractor during as many days
as possible. Such organization In
wolves the planning Of a crop rotation
which will furnish q large amount Of
work which 1t can do, the elimination
or as many horses as desirable, and
the, distribution of the work over a
long period. However, the rotation
should include only such crops as can
be grown proftably In that particular
| section.
The significance Of the fact that a
large percentage Of the Illinois farm
ers who reported enlarged their farms
after buying tractors is readily appar-
ent when the tractors place In farm
management Is thus considered. OBJ
viovsiy these men have learned through
| experience that much more land per
man a be handled when a tractor Is
used than with horses only, and that
to get the most out of their invest
ment they must farm land enough to
keep their tractors busy at profitable
work throughout as much as possible
Of the available working season.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01
TRACTOR WILL LAST
ABOUT EIGHT YEARS
Outfit Enables Owners to Enlarge
Their Farm Operations.
Study Conducted by United States De-
partment Of AoricuIture-Used on
Average Forty-Five Days
Each Year.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture)
The average life Of a farm tractor
is from ~ to 8 years. according to es-
Inmates furnished by over 600 expert
enced tractor owners on representative
corn-belt farms in Illinois. This Is
brought out In a study conducted In
1917 and the spring of 1913 by the
United States department of agricul-
ture, a report of which is published In
Farmers Bulletin 963. The reports OF
the tractor owners show that the out
fits are used on an average of 40 days
per year.
While at first glance this may APP
pear low. when 1t is remembered that
on farms where horses do all the work
they are used on an average OF only
about 100 days annually, 1t will be seen
that where both horses and tractor are
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01

Curing Hay In the Cock Under Caps
When Weather Conditions Make II
Necessary 70 Cure Hay In The Geek
II 10 Advisable to Use Hay Caps.
cooked hay shows danger Of becoming
too hot 1t will be necessary to open
the cock and scatter the hay out until
1t has lost enough moisture to be re-
cooked.
Hay can be put In small cocks green
err than In large ones. Some farmers
take hay from the windrow and make
very small lunches. each containing
about three forkfuls OF hay, before the
hay is in condition to be put into a
regular sized cock.
How to Cock Hay.
There are two ways to make a hay
cock. One Is to roll up the hay in the
windrow into a rather loose cock or
bunch. OF to round up (cock) punches
Of hay that have been punched with a
sulky or push rake. after the hay is al
most cured. The bulk Of the hay In
this kind of a cock is not handled, be-
ing left rolled up and tangled from
the action Of the rake. The edges are
pulled out with q pitchfork and put
on top of the cock. Such cocks are
subject 10 considerable settling, and
fiatten out and do not shed rain. This
practice Is suitable for curing IN good
weather. rs q man can handle more
than fWico aa much shnv M vhou
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01

were properly posted and were or the
job. A shell whizzed over his head
and landed just behind the parados
and the dirt spouted up like / imagine
a Yellowstone geyser looks.
Another officer came up to the lieu
tenant-a new one who had only
joined the company about a week be-
fore. They had walked about ten
yards when another shell whizzed over
them. They laid TO and a third one
came. There were three in less than
five minutes. directly over their heads.
Then a shell landed on the left side
Of the trench and a poilu yelled that
four men had got 1t. They were all
wounded and three died later. The
lieutenant went over to them and just
after he passed me a lad got 1t square
not far from me and was knocked
over to where I was lying.
The lieutenant came back and
helped me with the first-aid roll and
then the Germans began using shrap-
Iss. The lieutenant was swearing
nUf0 unOQt tltC rniuiitCl uuu Tic NCI-
mans and everything else.
Farther to the right a shell had just
struck lei the parados and made a
big crater and across from it, against
the parapet, was a young chap with
a deep cash in his head, sitting on
the fire step and next to him a fellow
nursing the place where his arm had
been blown or Our bread ration lay
all about the trench and some of the
poilus were Ashing 1t out Of the mud
and water and wipipg the biscuits of
on their sleeves or eating as fast as
they could. Only some Of the biscuits
had fallen In bloody water and they
| did not eat these.
A young fellow. hardly more than a
boy. stumbled over the parados and
fell into the trench right near the
lieutenant and the lieutenant dressed
his wounds himself. I think he was
some relation Of the boy.
The lieutenant asked him how hs
felt. but the boy only asked for water
and smiled. But you could see he was
In great pain. Then the boy said
"Oh, the pain IL awful. I am going
to die"
"You are all right. old man." the
lieutenant said. You will be home
soon. The stretcher bearers are com.
Ing" So we passed the word for the
etretcher bearers.
Then he took the water bottle from
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01

49,
I never saw a battery better con-
cealed than this one. Up on the ground
you couldn't see the muzzle twenty
yards away-and that was all there
was to see at any distance. There
was a ruined garden Just outside the
gun quarters, and while the gunners
e theirs picking apples there would
be q hiss and an explosion, and yer
would go some OF the trees, or maybe
q man or two, but never a shell struck
nearer the guns than that. The poilus
used to thank Fritz for helping them
pick the apples. because the explosions
would bring them down In great style.
Shells from our heavy artillery passed
Just over the garden. too, making an
awful racket. But they were not In 1t
with the "75's."
They gave me a little practice with
a "75r under the direction Of expert
French gunners before I went to my
z4-siseff tayni gun. and, believe me. It
was a fine little piece. Just picture
to yourself a little beauty that can
send q 38-pound shell every two sec
onds for 1--WE miles and more. II you
want II to. and land on Fritz vest
button every time. There As nothing
like better than a gun. anyway, and
I have never since been entirely salts
fed with anything less than a 10"
As you probably know, the opposing
artillery In this war Is so widely sepa-
rated that the gunners never see their
targets unless these happen to be
buildings. and even then 1t Is rare. SO,
since an artillery offi@cf never sees the
enemy artillery or infantry, he must
depend on others to give him the range
aud direction.
For this purpose there are balloons
and airplanes attached to each artil.
Iery unit. The: airplanes are equipped
with wireless but also signal by
smoke and direction Of digit, while
the balloons use Telephones. The OBJ
servers have maps and powerful
glasses ana calheras. Their Maps are
marked oAf IN zones to correspond with
the maps used by the artillery officers
The observations are signaled to a
receiving station On the ground and
are then telephoned to the batteries
All our troops were equipped with
Telephone sIBuni corps attachments
and this was h very Important arm
OF the service. The enemy position Ii
shelled before an attack. either en-
barrage or otherwise. and communion
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01
cHAprER VI.


Fritz ooss . Little "strafeIno.~
My outfit was one Of those that saw
the Germans place women and chill
dren In front Of them as shields
against our FIRE. More than q third Of
our men. j should say. had been pretty
tough criminals In their own countries.
They always traded their pay against
a handful of cards or 4 roll of the
bones whenever they got q chance.
They had been In most Of the dirty
part5 OF the world. This war was not
such q much to them: just one more
Job In the list. They could call God
and the saints and the human body
more things than any boss stevedore
that ever lived
kYet they were religious In 4 way,
Some Of them were always reading
religious Books or saying prayers ID
different ways and between them they
believed In every religion and super
stition under the sun. I guess Yet
they were the toughest bunch I ever
SAW.
Amer hey saw the Germans usins
he Belei7n women The way they did.
almost every man IA my company took
some Hind a. 4 sow ~ other, and
posk q them kept their voWs. ton. l
believe. Ana those that were religious
eo< moro - after Hal.
on ehepIain had always bs6n W
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01
"SAFE FARMING" IS
FAVORED IN SOUTH

go
prepared by the United States De-
partment OF Agricultural
How the farmers Of the
Southern states are following
the ~safe farming program. ad-
vocating the production on
every farm Of the food for the
family and the feed for the live
stock. is Xhown BY the fact that
In 1917 there was an increase In
production Of all food and feed
crops IN the South except rice
and hay. A slight decrease In
rice from the 1915 production
vas due principally to protract-
ca dry weather and salt water.
~. IN ALA
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01

drawn back and forth Sn the track by
little Belgian engines.
After I had been at my gun for sew
ernl days | was ordered back to my
regiment, which was again In the
front-lIne trenches. My course was
past both the British ard French lines
but quite q distance behind the front
lines.
Everywhere there were ambulances
and wagons going backward and for
ward. 1 met one French ambulance
that was a long WACO full Of poilus
from a field hospital near the firing
line and was driven by a man whose
left arm ~-"s bendaged to the Shout
der. Two poilus who sat In the real
on guard had each been wounded In
the leg and one had had a big strip Of
his scalp torn off. There was not a
sound man In the bunch. You can
imagine what their cargo was like. If
the convoy was as used up as these
chaps. But all who could were sing
Ing and talking and full Of pep. That
Is the French for you: they used no
more men than they could possibly
spare to take care of the wounded. but
they were all cheerful about it.
always.
Just after I passed this ambulance
the Germans began Smelling a section
Of the road too near me to be comfort
able, so / beat 1t to a shell crater
about twenty yards Off the road, to the
rear. A shrapnel shell exploded pretty
near me Just as / jumped into this
hole--I did not look around to see how
close 1t was-and 1 remember now
how the old minstrel joke I had heard
on board ship came to my mind at the
time--something about a fellow feel
ing so small he climbed into a hole
and pulled 1t after him-and / wished
/ might do the same. i flattened my
self as close against the wall of the
crater as I could and then / noticed
that somebody had made a dugout In
the other wall Of the crater and
started for 1t.
The shells were exploding 10 fast
by that time that you could not listen
for each explosion separately. and just
as I jumped Into the dugout a regular
hail of shrapnel fell on the spot ! had
just passed. 1t was pretty dark In
the dugout and the first move / made
: I hnmpea tnte somebody else mud ms
let out a yell that you could have
heard a mile. II was a Tommy who
had been wounded In the hand and
between curses he told me l had SAT
right on his wound when / moved.
asked hirn why he did not yell sooner
but he only swore more. He surely
was a great cusser.
ri,e bombarument slackened up .
bit. about this time. and / thought
would, have q look around. ] did moi
|. get ont OF the crater entirely. but
moved around out Of the dugout until
I'll could see the road / had been on
The FIRST thing I saw was a broken
down wagon that had just been hit
An fact, 1t was toppling 0ver when m,
5ye SauEht It. The driver jumpet
from his seat and while he vas In thu
mir his head was torn completely from
his shoulders by another shell-I d.
mot know what kind. This was enough
for me. so back to the dugout.
How the Germans did II I do no.
know, but they Ind found out aboul
that road and opened fire at exactf,
fhe moment when the road was Gov
cred with wagons and men, Yet their
had not been q balloon or airplane II
the sky for some time.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-08-01
DICTIONARIES VOW VENGEANCE WHEN GERMANS HIDE
BEHIND BELGIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

synopsis--Albert n. Depew author of the story. tells Of his service
In the United States navy. during which he attained the rank Of chief
petty officer, nrstclass gunner The world war starts soon after be
receives his honorable discharge from the navy, and he leaves for
France with a determination to enlist. He joins the Foreign Legion and
is assigned to the dreadnaught Cassard, where his craftsmanship wins
him high honors. Later he is transferred to the land forces and sent to
the Flanders front He gets his first experience In a front line trench at
Dixmude.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-06-14
FRANK HOPKINS DEAD.

Hon. Frank Hopkins, distinguish
ed citizen Of Kentucky, formerly of
Tazewell county, died at his home in
Prestonsburg, KY, Wednesday, June
5th, after an illness of several weeks
of Bright's disease. The funeral and
burial took place at Prestonsburg. He
is survived by his wife and three chill
dren.
Deceased is also survived by a
brother and three sisters, viz, o. E.
Hopkins, Mrs. Matte Thompson, and
Mrs. Grace Crockett, of Tazewell and
Mrs. C. A. Worsham, of Glen White
w. Va. Mr.. o. E. Hopkins, Mrs
Thompson, and Mr.. R. o. Crockett, OF
this town, were present at the funeral
and burial in Kentucky.
Mr.. Hopkins left Tazewell many
years ago, snd took up his residence
in Kentucky. Some years ago he was
elected to the Congress of the United
States, where he served two terms
with honor and distinction.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-06-14
GAS MASKS FOR HORSES BEING
SENT TO FRANCE,

The Gas Defense Servce is now
manufacturing about 5000 horse gas
masks per day. These are being sent
to France, and it is expected that
within short time every horse con-
nected with the American Expedition
airy Forces will be equipped with the
the new masks.
The Gas Defense Service has a
completely equipped factory for the
manufacture OF the masks. In less
than three weeks building was re-
lccted and the factory was producing
masks. The introduction of riveting
machinery has done away with the
heavy hand sewing of the frame which
supports the masks on the faces OF
the horses The masks are SO con-
structcd that no metal or chemically
imprcgnated parts can chafe the an
imal.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-06-14
"HlDlNG BEHIND CORNSTALKS S
AND WOMENS SKIRTS.

The war has developed lot of
slang phrases and expressions, one Of
which is used above. Another, used
Of old, about picking the mote from
your own eye, is now put back TO
use. Regarding the latter express
sion, it IS now being applied to those
Of our "Jaw-bone Soldiers" who sit
around on other peoples chairs, and
spit on other peoples porches, and
tell other people what they ought to
do. Some of this jaw-bonc crowd even
go so far as ot use the word "slack-
er" in speaking of men who have OBJ
tained exemption on agricultural or
Industrial grounds. Why don't some of
these loafers offer to tax the place
of some man Of draft age, and re-
lease him for war service
Get busy, men, the Hun is knock
ing mt your door!
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-06-14
COUSIN KILLS COUSIN OVER
TEN DOLLARS.

Jim Caudle of Richlands, shot and
killed his second cousin, Melton Cau-
die of the same place last Tuesday
Caudle came to Tazcwcll and surren
dcred to the county authorities md
was lodged in Jail, and will be taken
back to Richlands tomorrow, where
he will be given IL preliminary hoar-
ing. The two men had hcen digging
coal together and had an argument
over settlement, according to re-
ports reaching here Melton Caudill
went TO tho home of hia cousin Tues
day and attempted to make settlement
of an account Of n $1,000 alleged to
be due him. The men are said to
have been partners In digging coal,
and tho difference arose over the pro-
ceeds from the work.
Caudlc claims that he shot in self
defense, but eye witnesses say that
the man who was killed was running
from his nssailnnt when the fatal
shots were fired II is also said that
the coroncr's inquest showed that the
bullet entered Caudlc's back
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-06-14
j. N. HARMAN CHAIRMAN OF
FOUR-MINUTE MEN.

j. N. Harman has been appointed
by the President of the United States
as Chairman of the Four Minute men
for the Ninth Congressional District
of Virginia, to serve during the war
He returned this week from Wash
ington, after comforting with the M
tional director of the Four Minute
Men. This organization has an i'm
portant part of the work under the
public information bureau Mt Wash
ington. The duties of the Four Min
ute Men are to make four minute
speeches at Theatrs, Moving picture
shows and at all kinds of public gath
erings to import information, which is
furnished them direct from Washing
ton upon all subjects pertaining to
the war situation that the people may
be informed Of their duties and obliga-
tions as loyal and patriotic citizens of
the country.
County Chairmen will be appointed
in each county to organize tn local
speaking forces,
w. B. Leslie, of the Clinch Valley
News, has been designated as chair
man for Tazewell county.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-06-14
JOSEPH HOWARD.

Joseph Howard, who il an inmate
of the Sotliers' Home in Richmond,
reached Tazcwell last week for sum
mer vacation. llig Tnny old friends
were glad to see him looking so well,
in his gray uniform. He reports every
thing fine mt the home-gets good
fare, good treatment ard las no kick
coming. 10. Howard is fighting
Kentuckian, He followed the varied
fortunes of Lee and jackson und was
as brave soldier as ever pulled II
trigger. lie is unreconstruclcd, and
expresses n perfect willingness and
even desire TO shoulder rifle and go to
France. The Old Soldiers Home is II
fine place for ilie old heroes of "Thc
Lost Cause" to rest in peace rs tho
sun goes down.
Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-06-14
SHAWVER MILL NEWS.

Shawvers Mill, June 13.-Mrs. Wal
ter Leffcl and baby have just return
ed from North Fork, w. Va, from Wis
iting Mrs. II. j. Giles, Mrs. LeffePs
sister.
Mrs. Clint Kits, of Williamson, w.
Va, and Mrs. Henry Parker, were Wis
iting their sister, Mrs. M. 3. Leffel
at this place.
The ladies of Shawvers Mills are
busy at the Red Cross work room this
week. Let everybody help The Red
Cross met at Mrs. w. G. Leffel's this
week
Miss Josephine Dunigan is at home
from Radford, where she has been q
stduent at the normal school.
Mrs. H. w. Jones has been i'll for
the past few days.
Mustard and Earl Pruett were on a
lark in Burke's Garden Sunday.
Miss Lula Davis was Il visitor at
this place last week from Burke's
Garden.