The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-06
The
RedCrOSS Man
-w-
BY ROY PERRING.



"Who wuz the bird, Hal? Looked
like a six-cylinder officer. but they
don't ride In no flivver."
you are guessin' close, Ireland
Didn't you see the Red Cross on his
jitney? That's the Red Cross Man.
He's got a real handle but few know
what it's like. Every jack from the
c. 0. to the ducks in the guardhouse
call him the Red Cross Man. Got 'em
in all the camps"
Il didn't see none at Wheeler's field.
Is he what you call-not a preacher
but "a"
mo, Mike, he amt no chaplain, if
that's the handle you wuZ huntin' for.
The cross is big red one, an the A
r. c. on his jacket don't stand for
aero reserve corps, but the American
Red Cross. l heard him the other
morning when he tried to start his
flivver after the rain. Captain Welsch
said his language was Biblical, but it
wuZn't orthodox, whatever that means.
1t sounded like good cid United States
to me. No, he amt no preacher, but /
reckon he knows how to talk turkey to
the boys ali right. Corporal Murphy
hadn't been giving his folks a square
deal; never sent any money home,
a-sOakin' his pay shoOtin' craps two
hours after gettin' it. The corp. tole
me the Red Cross Man talked to i'm
like Dutch uncle, an when he got
through, the corp. had signed paper
teliin' Uncle Sam to take a strange
hold on half his pay, an slip it to his
mother. Take it from me, Uncle Sam
ME likes to hear them sort of orders,
an to show how happy he wuz to get
the corps message, he chucked in
twenty more pl'lnkers to the corps If
teen an the 1.-thers gettin' thirty-five
per. Sure she amt happy less she's
with dashboard every day,
but the corp. tOle me she wuz only
a-takin' in five family washes now, an
the kids wuz goin to school again.
When the Red Cross Man had toe
hold on the corp, he persuaded him to
take out insurance, same as the rest of
us boys, an then he tole him he could |
gamble his bloomin' block off with the |
rest Of his pay. The corp. gets good |
nights sleep now on pay day, cause !
what's left Of his pay only lasts till |
about ten thirty"
us this here Red Cross Man q real ,
fOr-sure officer, Haly
Rank Of Officer. i
well, dino. He ought to be. We
all him captain, or lieutenant and
say sir to i'm. He says he's an off,
,er without rank. Says the leather J
quits and green pants show that he's
part officer and the rests Irish. The
new fellers don't know whether to
flute or not. He says we can s'lute
he cross If we feel like it, but he don't
are a tinker's hammer whether we
flute him or not. We old vets know
i'm an S'lute the cross an the man
hats benin it. But officers and pri-
'ateS are all the same to him. l seen
ina talkin' to the &. .. the other day,
n he wuzn't actin as Though he was
my scared of him. They seemed to
re real friendly-like. But he don't
eem to care whether he's talkin' to
he G. o. or a n. c. They all look
like to him. He takes chow at our
ness sometimes, an tin dishes don't
pset his stulnik any. The boys like
0 have him, cause he jOsheS EN- along
nd they forget they'r still in the
states stead in France where they all
want to be. He can deliver the mer-
handise too. Last winter when Tom
iason's wife and four kids Come down
ere from Detroit an got sick, the Red
ross Man got Tom a leave an took
IN to the burg In his fiivver. Then he
ent Toms wife doc. an some coal,
n some eats. Reckon he must a.
elped Tom get a discharge 80 he
ould support his family, though no
ody knows nothin' for sure. Slim
lawson thought he did. though, an
sked the Red Cross Man to help him
ct OF Uncle Sans pay roll. The
led Cross Man wrote some letters up
, Sims home town, an when they
ONE back, he tole Slim his wife and
ids wuz a-drawin' forty-seven fifty
er and they wuz better OF with him
'orkin' for Uncle Sam. an he'd better !.
tick aroun' and help make Germany ]
afe for democracy"
"Must have the spondulix an some
ull, II he's SO free with the cash an
nows SO many people everywhere"
He Amt No "PIut."
mo, he amt no 'plut.' They say he
ont draw no pay, an he polishes his
wn shoes, an in a pinch washes his =
wn shirt. But you see, Mike. this
ed Cross Man business is all over the 7
tates. When a soldier from Millers- ,
lie gets word his folks is in bed, he :
pes nlOpin' aroun' like dog was met
p with q skunk. He's sOured on the
hole show, an all the sugar this man =
covers saved couldn't sweeten him
D none. His or see he's punk an 9
ley try to work it outer him, but it
lily makes i'm punker. They look for y
m to 60 over the hill next Then the y
ed Cross Man hears about il. He r