Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1918-11-29


Deserted the Twelfth; kicked out
the Eleventh."
whats your nameT
Arthur Guy Empey."
you're German"
This was too much even for m
and answered: You're a damne
liar" saw my chances Of sbippin
vanishing In smoke
The Jew grinned and rubbed hi
hands and said: You're all RICH
Go into that room and get card mad
out and come back at two o'clock
| received card and went to
beanery across the street and had
wonderful meal OF corned beef hash
muddy coffee and huge slices Of bread
minus butter. This cost me fifteel
cents.
AT two o'clock / reported back, an(
with seveniy-two others was herdet
like cattle, and In long, struggling
line. fianked by three Of the employees
or the agency, we marched to the
ferry and landed somewhere In New
Jersey"
The ship. huge three-stacker, was
lying alongside. We were showed into
single file, ready to 30 up the gang
plank. Then our real examination
took place. At the foot of the gang
plank were group of men around a
long table. They certainly put us
through third degree TO find out If
there was any German blood In us.
Several men were turned down. Luck
lily, ! got through and signed for the
voyage. and went on board.
AT the head Of the gangplank stood
the toughest specimen Of humanity |
have ever seen. He looked like a huge
gorilla. and had big. crescent.shaped,
liyld scar running from his left ear
under his chin up to his right eye
Every time he spoke the edges of the
scar seemed TO grow white. His nose
was broken and he had huge. shaggy
eyebrows. His hand was resting on
the rail OF the ship. II looked like
ham, and inwardly | figured out what
would happen TO me II that ham-like
fist ever came In contact with the
point OF my jaw. AS we passed him
he showered us with a few compli-
mcntary remarks. such as "Of all the
lousy scum have seen, this bunch Of
lubbers is the worst, and this Is what
they give me to take thirteen hundred
horses over to Bordeaux" Later on
| found this individual was foreman of
the horse gang
We were ordered aft and sat on the |
after hatch. The fellow on my right |
was huge; blue-gummed negro. He |
was continually scratching himself.
| unconsciously eased away from him
and bumped into the fellow sitting on
my left. After a good look at him I
ensed bnck again In the direction of
The negro. don't think that he had
taken a bath since escaping from the
,rndle. Right then my uppermost
thought was how / could duck this
rip to France. The general conversa-
Ion among the horse gang was:
When do we eat?'
We must have sat there about twenty
when the second foreman
anne aft. took fifteen guesses at his
and at last came to the
chinaman and Mexican. He was
hin. about six feet tail, and wore
uge sombrero. His skin was tanned ,
he color of leather Every time he I
mi1ed | had the impression that the ,
ext minute he would plant n stiletto I
! my back. His name was Pinero. I
lis introduction to us was very brief: [
Get up of Of that blankety blank
atch and line up against the rail" d
'e did as ordered. Then he com =
landed: "All the niggers line up II
ongslde or the port rail" i guess a !,
4 of them did not know what he n
cant by the port rail" because they II
] oath he snapped out. "You blank 7,
v blank idiots. The port rail Is that h
N over there. Come on. Move or n
| soon move you" He looked well o,
he TO do this and the niggers prompt nj
shuilled over to the place designat-
/. He quickly divided us into squads
twelve men. then ordered; "All of
n who are deserters from the army =
who have seen service in the cav \
" step out In front" Four others
sides myself stepped out. The first =
IN he came TO he informed: you're
straw boss. DO you know what
aw boss lsY" This man meekly +
swered mo. sir" With another N
n. the second foreman said: "All y
hi. you're not straw boss: fall
*" l got the cue Immediately.
turn came next.
DO you know what straw boss
said: "Sure."
lie said: "All right. you're a straw =
s." Y
had not the least idea of what =
was talking about. but made up Z
mind that II would not take me S
g to find out. Then he passed =
gn the line. picking out straw -
SEES. asked one of the men In my
q what were the duties of a straw
$. He had been over with horses