The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-11-29

kicked outf@
/ was getting sore and answered
~Deserted the Twelfth; kicked ous o
The Eleventh"
whats your nams3~
arthur Guy Empey."
you're u German
This was too much even for me
and answered. YOURS n damned
lIas." I saw my chances OF shipping
vanishing In smoke.
| The Jew grinned and rubbed hi
bands and said you're all right
Go Into thar room and get d card mads
Out. aad come back III two O'clock
! received card and went 10 4
beanery across the street and had b
| wonderful meal OF coFned beef hash
muddy coffee and huge slices OF bread
minus butter This cost me fifteen
I ceBte.
AT two o'clock / reported back. and
with seventy-two others was herded
Hike cattle, and IN long. struggling
line. tsankod by three Of the employees
81 the agency. We marched 10 the
ferry and landed somewhere Ia New
Isrsey."
The ship. huge three-stacker. was
I lying aiongaide. We were showed into
single tlle, ready to go up the gang
plank. Then our real examination
took place. Al the foot Of the gang.
plank we're q group OF men around u
long table They certainly put us
through q third degree 10 find out II
there was any German blood Ia as.
Several men were turned down. Luck
lIy. ! got through and signed for the
voyage, and went on board.
AZ the head Of the ganRpiank stood
the toughest specimen of humanity I
have ever seen. He looked like huge
gorilla, end had big, cresccnt,shaped,
iiYid scar running from bis left ear
nnder bis chin up 10 his right eye.
Every time be spoke the edges OF the
scar seemed 20 grow white. His nose
was broken and he had huge, shaggy
eyebrows. IIis hand was resting on
the rail Of the ship. II looked like q
ham. and inwardly l figured out Whit
would happen 10 me IL that ham.ilke
nee ever came In contact with the
point Of my Jaw. AS we pissed him
ha showered us with few conpli-
mentary remarks, such as "Of all the
lousy scum | have seen, this bunch Of
iubbera ~ the worst. and this Is what
they give me 70 take thirteen hundred
horses over % bordeaux" Later on
/ found this Individual was foreman Of
the horse gang.
We we're ordered aft and sat on the
after hatch. The fellow on my right
was huge, blue.gummed negro. He
WIS continually scratching himself.
unconsciausly eused away from him
and bumped into the fellow sitting on
my loft. After good look az him
eANeN back aRakn Ia thn direction aa
the negro, don't think that he had
taken u bath since escaping from the
cradle. Right then my uppermost
thought was how could duck this
trip 20 France. The general CONVERSE
tion among the horse gang was
.When DO we eat7"
We must have sat there about twenty
minutes, when the second foreman
came aft l took fifteen guesses at his
nationality, and al last came TO the
conclusion that no was cross between
4 ehinaman and Mexican. He was
thin, about six feet tall, and wore a
huge soinbrero. His skin was tanned
the color Of leather. Every time he
smiled ! had the Impression that the
next minute he would plant stiletto
Ia my back. His name was pinero.
Ills Introduction 10 as was very brief:
etist IN Oft 81 that hlankely blank
hutch and llue up against the rail-. .
We did as ordered, Then he com
manded; aAil the nlggers line up
alongside II the port rail-" guess
lot OF them did not know what he
meant by the port rasln because they
looked very much hewlldered. with
nm oath he snapped out. 'You blank
ely blank idiots, The port rail- n that
rail over there Como ON. Move or
IN soon move YOU He looked we'll
able 70 DO this and the niggers prompt.
" shuiFled over 70 the place teslgnat.
ga. He quickly divided as into sounds
% twelve men, then ordered; aAll ~
y0n wha are deserters from the army
0r who have seen service tn the cav.
airy step out In front.r -Four others
besides myself stepped out. The first
man he came g. he informed: you're
a straw boss Do you know what
straw boss tsp This man meekly
answered. sNo. SIR" with another
oath, the second foreman said: can
Flsht you're not straw boss; fall
back got the cue immediately.
My turn came next.
DO you know what straw boss
Isr
said; -Sure."
lie said; IAN right. you're straw
boss"
had not the least idea OF what
he was talking about. but made up
my mind that Il would not take me
long to End out Then he passed
down the line. picking out straw
bosses I asked one of the men IN my
gang what weFs the duties u a straw
boss. Tfe bed been over with horses