The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1918-08-15

make back ScratcherS out or certain
weapons that had flexible handles, but
never had time to use them when we
needed them most.
We were given bottles of q liquid
which smelled like lysol and were sup
posed to soak our clothes in it. 1t was
thought that the coolies would object
to the smell and quit work. Well,
cootie that could stand our clothes
without the dope on them would not
be bothered by little thing like this
stuff. Also, our clothes got so sour
and horrible smelling that they hurt
our noses worse than the coolies. They
certainly we're game little devils, and
came right back at us.
SO most of the poilus threw the
hand to hand.
There was plenty of food in the
trenches most Of the time, though once
in while, during q heavy lombard
ment, the fatigue-usually corporal's
guard-would get killed In the COM
munication trenches and we would not
have time to get out to the fatigue and
rescue the grub they were bringing.
Sometimes you could not find either
the fatigue or the grub when you got
to the point where they had been hit.
But, as l say, we were well fed most
Of the time, and got second and third
helpings until we had to open our
belts. But as the Limeys say: "Gaw
blimey, the chuck was rough" They
served thick soup of meat and vege-
tables In bowls the size of wash ba-
sins, black coffee with or without
sugar-mostly without land plenty
of bread
Also, we had preserves in tins, just
like the Limeys. If you send any par
cells over, do not put any apple and
plum jam In them or the man who gets
1t will let Fritz shoot him. Ask any
Limey soldier and he will tell you the
same. l never thought there was so
much jam In the world. No Mans
Land looked like q city dump. Most
of us took 1t, after while, just to
get the bread. Early In the war they
used the tins to make bombs Of, but
that was before Mills came along with
his hand grenade. Later on they fiat
tened out the tins and lined the dug
outs with them.
Each man carried an emergency ra-
ton In his bag. This consisted of bully
beef, biscuits, etc. This ration was
never used except in q real emergency,
because no one could tell when II
might mean the difference between
life and death to him. When daylight
catches man in n shell hole or at q
listening post out In No Mans Land
he does not dare to crawl back to his
trench before nightfall, and then Is the
time that his emergency ration comes
In handy. Also, the stores failed to
reach us sometimes, as ! have said
and we had to use the emergency
rations.
Sometimes we received raw meat
and fried 1t in our dugouts. We built
regular clay ovens In the dugouts, with
iron tops for broiling. This, of course
was In the front-line trenches only.
We worked. two hours on the FIRE
step and knocked off for four hours
In which time we cooked and ate and
slept. This routine was kept up night
and day, seven days a week. Some
times the program was changed; fol
instance, when there was to be an at
tack or when Fritz tried to come ovel
| and VISIT but otherwise nothing dis
turbed our routine unless 1t was a gai
, attack.
, The ambition of most privates is Il
become a sniper, as the official sharp
IT,. Id 4.
has been in the trenches for sl1
months or n year and has shown hi
craftsmanship, he becomes the grea
man he has dreamed about. We hat
two snIpers to each company and be
, cause they took more chances Will