The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-08
Soldiers In Camps All Through the
United States and over There
Have Their Own Words
For Music.
EVERY ONE DIFFERENT
Mess Call IL Popular and Sick Call
Ia Not Despised, While Taps
Is Requiem for Day and
Life as Well.

Inc DuSl6 DldS u IlASS ILL oNeA
camp at night. and the wild notes are
taken U, from one building to anoth-
err. It Is the fire alarm. Nothing can
supplant this simple little musfcal
instrument as a means Of conveying
messages quickly in an army camp.
The bugle still holds Its own, al
though the whistle Is now used IN
No Mans Land and for obvious rea-
sons mechanical noise producers
something like motor horns, are oe-
pended upon to give the warning
when gas waves are approaching.
The bugler, who figured in so mucn
Of the literature produced after the
civil war. has to keep out OF the "Ar
of gas. No bugling can be done When
one wears q muzzle.
But at camp Dodge from hour
to hour through the day and often
at night the bugles are to be heard
The soldier is awakened by the bugle
called to assembly by the bugle, call
ed to breakfast by the bugle. called
to work by it, called to sick report
by it, his days work is ended by IT,
and he is put to bed by It.
Sounds Last Call.
After he has fought his last battle,
his little service record has been lin
ished. his life's work is done and the
soldier Is being lowered into his rest
ing place in little pine box. the
bugle plays the last call, the most
beautiful OF all calls. the same that
every night serves as lullaby-taps
The regulations give no words TOT
the calls, but the army has It's own
verses, passed on like great master
mouth to mouth. The tunes and the
verses come from time immemor1al
There are variations Of the words
PAROLES that have limited populai'
ity. The first call in the morning
reveille, always suggests these words:
l can't get 'em up. can't get 'em up
/ I cant get en- up in the morning
l can't get 'em up, can't get EN- up
I can't get 'em up at ALL
Corp'rals worse than the pr1vates,
Sergeants worse than the corp'rals;
Lieutenants worse than the sergeants
And the captains worst Of all.
After that comes the chorus. / can
get EN- up, ETC., etc.
Mess Call Popular.
The mess call Is one OF the mos
popular Of all The first note serve:
as a summons. No hungry soldle.
ever forgets it. There are words t
this as to the many other calls
Here's the favorite verse:
Soup-y, soup-y, soup,
Without single bean;
Perky, pork-y, pork,
Without a streak OF lean;
.. Coffee, coffee, coffee,
Without any cream.
This call seldom has to be repeated
When by any chance it Is repeated tn
men usually have some second vers
that includes a few knocks for thing
culinary, sometimes flippancies aDou
Conservation, and once In a while hon
eyed phrases about a cook who ha
; won the hearts OF the men by tn
proverbial route.
For the sick call there Is a verse a
for the others. The oldest verse
, still hold popularity In spite OF var1a
lions that include slurs about vac
cination and germs Here are tn
words the men hum when this cal
sounds:
Get Your Qulnine.
Come and get your quinine, come
and get your pills;
Oh, come and get your quintne,
come and get your pills.
This call has welcome and sooth
ing sound to the fellow who has hat