The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-03-07
VETERAN IN AMAZE
ATANN|STONCAMP
Private Snow Sees Wonders of
Modern Army Life at
Mcclellan.
WATCHES BAyONET DRILLS
Relic Of Confederate Days In Open
Mouthed AstonIshment Watches
Irish instruetor-says Conditions
Are Not as They Were In eos.


Are Not as They Were In eos.
Camp Mcclellan, Admission, Ala
Private Clark Snow, he of the Ala
bama "Yellow Hammers" who fought
for the ~Confederacy back In the COS,
llmped into Camp Mcclellan to give
the boys of the Blue and Gray a few
pointers on how to lick the Huns.
Il have had no experience with Mr..
Kaiser, but / reckon what Colonel
Johnston and I went through d few
years back was a fair sample OF what
you youngsters are due to stack up
against over yonder," declared the
grizzled veteran of the struggle be-
tween the North and the South, as he
introduced himself to the students Of
modern warfare.
1--WE didn't have those new-fangled
gases, but we had a battle against the
effects of some of the rottenest corn
whisky that ever came from "a still,
and l reckon that's just as bad. Take
1t from me, youngsters, it's a good thing
for Uncle Sam that these moonshiners
have been scared into burying them
selves away for the winter"
Private Clark Snow, with his chest
puffed out to fill up a spick and span
of the n In which he fought for the
Confederacy, was standing In the cen
ter of a modern soldier city Of 10000
men and nearly as many canvas N
pies. He was escorted by a bunch of
soldier enthusiasts who were proud TO
be a part of the Twenty-ninth division
and wanted to show the gray-haired
"yet" all the mysteries Of present-day
lighting.
Shown Bayonet School.
The first thing the s~ightseers tumr
bied into was the bayonet school. Here
Sergeant "Bill" Madden, the fiery little
Irishman delegated to Camp Mcclellan
as a part Of the British wal mission,
was trying to make a group Of pink
checked ex-office clerks look blood
thirsty. A dozen or more bayonet
blades glistened In the sunlight. and
there was "Peppery Bill" Madden
standing at the head of the class Jug
Cling a formidable-looking overgrown
jackknife.
"Ataboy: put some beef behind that
jabl If you don't get him he'll get
your shouted Bill.
The embryo fighters were being
taught to slice imaginary Germans to
ribbons.
"Cut that sentiment stuff out !"
bawled Bill to a b~aby-featured private
whose face had been introduced
to a razor. 'That's not a knitting
needle you have in your hand. Poke
1t right through that guys ribs and
yank IL out again before he's had a
chance to realize that he's dead.
Steady now. Rottenl That one went
between his legs. You're as good as
dead already. Carry your corpse over
there and watch me do It."
With teeth gritted, face drawn into
q million or more wrinkles and every
muscle of his body at high tension, the
spirited product Of the Emerald Isle
went through the love. II he didn't
kill a German 1t was because there
wasn't one around.
Could Lick Whole Army.
81 thought / knew a thing or two
about using those hedge trimmers,"
gasped Private Clark Snow at the con-
clusion of the exhibition. "but that
Irishman could lick a whole German
army all by himself. II you young
sters ever get worked up to the same
state of mind he's in there'l be a lot
of the kaiser's gang snoozing with
their toes to the sky this time next
year"
In open-mouthed wonderment the
relic of Confederate days watched the
little foreign instructor disappear In
the distance. 1t was mess time and
the yellow Hammer" didn't have to
be coaxed to eat with a company of
the Blue and Gray.
Soup, roast beef, mashed potatoes,
vegetables, coffee and rice pudding dis
appeared before the veterans assault
He didn't have the heart to tell the
boys of 1918 what he thought of the
soldier meal until 1t al ended.
Too full for lengthy expression,
Snow remarked: "And Us fellers used
to think we were kings when we had
bread pudding m a week."
On all parts of the reservation the
visitor found eyeopeners galore. Giant
motor trucks hummed In and out OF
the well-laid winding camp streets In
place Of the old-time army mule. The
whole camp was as spick and span as
the best cared for front lawn. On
every side there were evidences OF
"pep" and enthusiasm. And the pecu'
liar part of the whole thing to Snow
appeared the fact that everybody
seemed busy performing some impor
tant task.
After paying his respects to the
Stars and Stripes at retreat the vet
eran summarized his impressions Of
the inspection tour with tear-dimmet