The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-06-03
FOREFaTnERS LIVES
AGAIN in DEEDS Of AMERICANS
Yankee Troops in France Laugh at Shell Fire, lest at Shrapnel
Spraying and Take Whatever Comes With Bold, Courageous
Spirit That Makes Them acknowledgement Braves
Death to Save His Horses.


Plunged from their world of sham
battles. training camps and dreams to
maelstrom Of fierce realities, the
American soldiers are proving they are
made of the same stuff which carried
their forefathers through the tests of
the trying periods Of American his
tory. writes Don Martin in the New
York Herald.
! have seen them In action. have
e e them under shell fire which lit
orally sprayed them with flying earth
and ~shrapnel, and their relatives and
friends back In New York, California,
Maine. Florida, Montana or wherever
you please. may take the word of an
eyewitness that they have already
taken their places among the most
valorous and sturdy lighters of this gi-
gantic world war.
Very recently I visited them in a lit
tie village ~ close to the enemy lines
rs units can be CHARTERED. / had gone
to ne the nr~tilierymen at their task
and Instead OF anticipated tranquility
ran intosthe flercest kind Of excitement
the first these particular Yankees
had known. 1t all burst suddenly and
unexpectedly. just as most war devel-
oprnents break.
Shells Break 100 Yards Away.
From the real window Of headquar-
tiers In charge Of an American captain
and 4 French officer shells could be
seen breaking on q sloping hillside.
The nearest one while I was observing
fell perhaps 100 feet away. They
we're aimed at IN American battery.
TITS nothing" said the captain, a
qtalwart. handsome man, who only a
lew years ago was a renowned football
player In a Michigan university. "They
throw over q few shells every day, but
they never hit the town."
With the musical kissing Of the
shells for an accompaniment we n
versed about news In America and had
Iuncheon-a good luncheon, too. There
vas no talk of war. Beside the table
n which we ate was q sagging cot
With wrinkied blankets. The captain
sleeps there.
Sometimes at night" he said, "the
6helling Is pretty heavy and It's hard
u sleep. but I'm getting used to It."
Clerk Indifferent 70 Smelling.
Just beside the open window In the
rear-the window was more like a
barn deor than Z window and had no
elass-a clerk Was pegging away at a
typewriter. The dropping Of the shells
mn1o no impressio1 upon him. AT
homo. ! learned. ne Is a clerk In an
expreun oGloo-a 1.-THE. well groomed
y0nth who has dreams Of future COM
mercial greatness.
these shells come a little too close
tor comfort, don't theyY" l observed.
They won't get any nearer"
10 : war amateur the spectacle of
shells striking 20 near yet coming no
nearer. when Il would have been so
easy to blow the town to bits, was a
matter Of wonder.
Yea. they could hit the town, of
course" was the captains comment,
'but they never have shelled II. Sort
Of N unwritten understanding, ! Ina
gine. They have towns similarly situ-
ated which we could shell. but they
don't want them shelled."
Other understandings were that the
Germans spare some towns because
their own people have property In
them. Whatever may be the reason
for sparing certain towns all reason
ing was wrong with respect to this
part1cular village where / vas having
luncheon. We had just finished when
nOucommissioned of1cer entered the
upstairs room, considerably u of
breath, but In no way excited. and
after saluting said:
Dattsry Connections Broken.
sOur battery Is being shelled with
Gns aud telephone connections have
1een broken"
Hurried orders were issued. 1t vas
III done quickly and quietly. The foot
ball player. now = captain, acted as II
- were coaching an old team at
Dchool. RFesently men were seen scur
Gvtng ~ throueh the fields toward the
Mheltswept zone wherein the batteries
~. They dropped lat two or three
hines but III crossed the danger belt
fnfely and disappeared in the more
Nhick1y spattered region. This acticn
Nd joGtsheen put Into effect when an
Gther tooG1og appeared before the cap
Min and. saInting and standing erect.
Id:
= hoyo "a report. SIR. that the shell
mA L. AAM~&-aA- -~-- - CHIT.