El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-14
HOT COFFEE IS
IN BIC DEMAND
"Y" Secretaries Are Kept
Busy at Front, Both
Day and Night.
~ NV. Henry D. SMITH,


with the American Army I'm fruncc.D
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-.- - .- $500
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r-ry Held 90 the rest camp Hlele
she r-rrre -. --rs-r z ann rf-reraT
nave rTrer7r- started / went 10 write.
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cannot give the whole story -lf
we must ror let them know any more
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c-auoralr SOY system bll l---A D
can safely write some things that win
be Of interest. things that have
been doing in connection with the
movements Of the allied armies.
vision with which i have been work
iuE was Transferred should 20 with
them il was NOT long before our
foes discovered that some such thing
the steps deemed necessary 10 OBJ
struct our movements All known
points Of eutraiuiuE- and many cross
roads and main roads were subjected
10 continuous b0mhardment
Hot Coffee for Soldiers.
To transfer thousands OF men.
horses. wagons and supplies under
such conditions was no little Job. The
y. H. c. A. secretaries were sent to
various points OF entrainment 10
the men, Some Of them worked con-
tiuu0uslv for two or three DAYS with
scarcely any sleep. and not too much
En- the way OF uOurishment Here
for example. was my program.
Friday morning. after an exciting
ride from the very firing lines the
night before. and a late retiring I'M
der conditions that sent hundreds in
the town to their cellars for the
night. I went 20 the y ". C.. A..
and then pitched in 20 help with the
transfer of goods from the ware
house to the freight cars. 1t was
heavy and rough work The after
with intervals Of serving soldiers who
were in town.
No Coffee for Soldiers
After q half hour rest before din
ner felr ready for the nights work
Trhfcn was thf=-to dixie about five
one Of the entrafrfuE points. and
take charge Of the coffee serving. I
had two men with me One had been
uD the nizhr before and INTENDED 10
sleep in the car. and there was am
other man already on the ground who
also had been no for SIS hours aI-
ready. but who proved 10 be the only
one equal TO the strain Of another
night
DfsDoslue Of ON. goods as quickly
them TO the men as they passed we
started I'm 10 serve the coffee. But
we had hardly BEGUN when the Ia
ulIiar hum Of "B6che" machines in
the sl-v sent the major hurrvire to
our shack 20 command the lire our
at once. There being no water handy
splash went the coffee. and the deed
was done.
Then for an hour. we We're kept
busy telling men who stro1Ied up that
there was NOTHING DOING" and the
major did not want men TO gather
in groups. They must keep scattered.
II was Great Fun.
About o'clock we were allowed 20
rebuild the fire. wish you could
have seen What followed For me.
5t meant tending the fire. smashing
boxes for fuel. pouring COR ladEugl
coffee for about 10000 men. renew
Ing the supply going after water, or
anything that needed 20 be done. AS
i grew colder. we let those who
would or could come in and sit or
stand around the fire. II was the one
swarm spot in all that wide eZpa1se
OF damp and chilly ground.
Ter 4 while they sang and spun
Earns but at last they were too sleepy
and tired 10 do either. and the last
--o hours were Just endured and
lived through by pure grit. HOW
much that hot coffee served 10 keep
I'D the spirits of the men through
that trying night. no one can tell.
pressed I'M many ways. in acts of
helpfulness rather than in words, and
was genuine and deep