The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-05-01
THIS KENTUCKY
|. KID HAD BEEN
!, AROUND bit
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs,
United Press stan Correspondent.

~ WILLIAM PHILIP SIMNIs,
United Press stan Correspondent.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD, May For the first
two minutes my new chauffeur was
mystery TO me. could not quite placs
him. Then I pinned him down and all
was quite plain.
The new driver had been furnished me
by the army. OF course. He was taking
the place OF another who had paraded
sick. I could see that he was a lance
corporal, that he belonged to the army
service corps, that he knew how 10 drive
a car and all that That could see at
a glance.
Then I said something TO him and the
mystery began. He replied to me by say
Yeah"
I've heard most Of the dialects Of Eng
land, Scotland. Ireland. Wales. South
Africa, Australia. New Zealand, New
Foundland. Canada, and Jamaica, and
nobody from any OF those countries. that
had ever heard talk, said, yeah"
-''where'd you come frOm?'' asked the
new Tommy.
I was with the Australians. suh.' he
said.
but before thatg"
Il was driving a Canadian officer"
so you are Canadian
enc. Suh,7 QuOth He.
mo, sub"
How did YOU come to be driving a
Canadian officer them
The English loaned me to the Cana
dams"
did you enlist in Engiand?"
NO. sub. enlisted IN Canada"
But though you said you were not
n CanadianH
"I'm not. sub only enlisted there
you must have been living in Canada"
NO, sub"
Where. then1"
Detroit"
"MichiganT'
yeah"
''English?"
mo, sub American"
you don't talk like a MichIgander."
I'm not AIichiEander."
what part OF the States are you
from?"
"Kentuclxy."
7 used to live close by. Were you
ever in Cinclnnau?"
I should say Do you know Vine
street. Fountain Square. and the old Ar
eadeg7
Like book And Clifton and Avon
dale and Mt. Auburn"
PIneviIle WHAT
"And Coney Island, the Zoo. and
Chester Park. Were you ever in
Pineville?"
sPinevIile what?"
"Pineville, Ky"
mot that remember"
That's where I was born"
"dow in the world did you get from
PineviIle, Ky. to Flanders
well, you see, I got to know some
thing about motor cars and then. after
moving around quite a little-'Frisco.
Seattle, and around hathaway
headed up in Detroit got a Job
in a motor factory there. One day
, a man asked me what about Joining
the British army. II looked pretty
good to me. and to some others. 30
about 4 couple or dozen or so OF us
decided TO have a look The man saiS
TO come over to Windsor-were you
ever in Detroit? Windsor's just
across. you know, from DetroIt-and
he'd FIX US up. This was back IN 1915
well. when we got over into Can
ada everything was all right. We
went TO England and soon had our
uniforms. They didn't make us re-
nounce our nationality. So here l
an"
Had Knocked Bout Some.
what about joining the American
army. now that We are in the night?
Are you thinking about getting trans
fsrred?'
FITS a lot OF trouble to get a trans
FER. Besides we are all right where
we are. II doesn't matter much which
army we are in Just so we are in
one OF 'em. and doin' our little bit.
I'm satisfied"
you've knocked around quite a
BIT"
yeah" ne said.
For a minute he was silent. He
steered with skillful hand past a long
line Of divisional lorries and straight
ened out down the long straight.
paved highway. The sun was bril-
liant and spring was in the air.
"I1l bet the mosquito fleets out
around Seattle today" he said. half
musing.
And when the run was over and we
were all back in our billets. I passed
by the Nissen hut which the orderlies
and chaufeuTs use as a mess and sit
ting room. caught a glimpse OF
the American driver sitting at the
tin-psnny piano they have there. In
= syncopatioR 20 perfect that
thought at first a mechanical piano
was at work. came the strains OF:
They built . garden for rose
"And they called II Dixie Land"
Had 1 heard that FIRST, the yeah
wouldn't have been = mystery, not
even for two minutes.
Sorry I can't give Kentucky's name
But Pinevills folks will probably
know who I'm talking about.