The Era-leader., 1918-12-12
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BY ROY PERRlNG.
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By ROY PERRiNG.
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don't ride in no 1lIVNer.
..you are guessin' close, Ireiaho'
Didn't YOU see the Red Cross on HIS
iirncy? That's the Red Cross Man
He's got a real handle but few kno"
what it's like. Every jack from the
q O TO the ducks in the guardhouse
call him the Red Cross Man. Got EN-
in all the camps"
81 didn't see none at Wheelers helo'
Is he what you caIl-not a preacher-
but ii"
"No, Mike. he amt no chaplain II
that's the handle you wuz huntln Tor.
The cross is a big red one, an the A.
Z. c. on his jacket don't stand lor
nero reserve corps, but the American
Red Cross. l heard him the olhef
morning when he tried to start Ills
fivver after the rain. Captain Nelscn
said his language was Biblical, but II
Muzn't orthodox, whatever that means.
II sounded like good old United States
TO me. No, he amt no preacher, but
reckon he knows how TO talk turkey 10
the bows all right. Corporal Murphy
hadn't been giving his folks a square
deal; never sent any money home'
a-soakin his pay shootin' craps two
hours after gettin' it. The corp. tole
me the Red Cross Man talked to lin
like q Dutch uncle, an Eltn he got
through, the corp. had signed a paper
tplljp' Uncle Sam to take a strange
hold on half his pay an slip 1t TO Ills
mother. Take it from me, Uncle Sam
mie likes to hear them sort OF orders,
an to show how happy ne wuz to gel
the corps message, he chucked III
twenty more plunkers to the corp III
teen an the mothers gettin' th1rty-nE'
oer. Sure she amt happy less She
wraslin with a Washboard every DAY
but the corp. tole me she Wuz oniS
a-takin' in FIVE family washes now, an
the kids v-uz goin to school asaln
| When the Red Cross Man had toe
hold on the CORP, he persuaded him u
: take out insurance, same as the rest .
MS bows, an then he tole him he coul
' gamble his bloomin block off with tn
rest of his pay. The corp. gets d soo
g nights sleep now On pay day, caus
10 what's left of his pay only lasts I'll
= =. about ten thirty"
LIZ "Is this here Red Cross Man res
for-sure officer, Hal!'
i'd "Well, dino. He ought to be. w
of call him captain, or lieutenant, an
of say sir to i'm. He says he's an Oh
ed Ger without rank. Says the leatht
nd puts and green pants show that he
es mart officer and the rests Irish. IL
th new fellers don't know whether
RS s'lute or not. He says we can stu
IN the cross if we feel like it1but he dor
i'm care a tinker's hammer whether v
he slute him or not. We old vets kno
n. lin an s'lute the cross an the MI
IN that's benin it. But officers and pl
Mt, Yates are all the same to him. l SCI
he i'm talkin' to the G. o. the other Ga
an he wuzn't actin as though he W
INT any scared of him. They seemed
no. be real friendly-like. But he dol
wv, seem to care whether he's taikin'
aLt the c.. o. or N. c. They all 10
ny nike to him. He takes chow at 0
ast mess sometimes, an tin dishes do
the upset his stumik any. The boys IL
TO have him, cause he joshes EN- alo
and they forget they'r still in
ses States stead in France where they
uda want to be. He can deliver the NJ
as chandise too. Last winter when IL
dly Nason's wife and four kids come do
feel here from Detroit an got sick, the /
and Cross Man got Tom leave an tt
ach i'm TO the burg in his fivver. Then
e is sent Toms wife doc, an some ct
eeL sn' some eats. Reckon he must
the helped Tom get discharge SO
and could support his family, though
ON 3ody knows nothin' for sure. 5
ady Dawson thought he did, though,
eX- asked the Red Cross Man to help
] as get off Uncle Sans pay roll.
how Red Cross Man wrote some letters
to Sims home town, an when t.
amp rome back, he tole Slim his wife
kids wuz a-drawin' forty-seven t
is a per and they wuz better off with
eak- korkin' for Uncle Sam, an he'd be
eat stick aroun and help make Germ
etc. safe for democracy
to, "Must have the spondulix an 81
ONE pull, if he's so free with the cash
knows so many people everywhere
iiail He Amt No "PIut."
,uds u5r, "No, he amt no 'plut.' They say
has M don't draw no pay, an he polishes
~ own shoes, an in pinch washes
,,i~i, own shirt. But you see, Mike,
Red Cross Man business is all over
- States. When a soldier from Mill
Wv 49, Vile gets word his folks is in bed
= - goes mopin' aroun' like dog was
Ioe1 I'D with skunk. He's soured on
whole show, an all the sugar this
: 80 Hoover's saved couldn't sweeten
NV up none. His Off see he's punk
,so, they try to work it outer him, bl
- only makes i'm bunker, They lool