Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-03-31
GUNNER jERyNd N FRAhCt
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SAYS the quarter" got his job because
he was burglar In civil life.
Then spread the waterproof sheet
on the ground. while the quartermas-
ter's batman dumped the ratIcns on II.
The corporal was smoking a fag. I
carried the ratlons back TO the billet.
The corporal was still smoking a fag.
How envied him. But when the Issue
commenced my envy died. and I real
lied that the first requisite OF non
commissioned officer on active service
Is diplomacy. There were 10 men In
our section. and they soon formed a
semicircle around US after the corporal
had called out. "Rations up"
The quartermaster sergeant had
given slip to the corporal on which
was written a list Of the rations. Sit
ting on the floor. using a wooden box
as table. the issue commenced. On
the left Of the corporal the ratlons
were piled. They consisted Of the fol-
lowing:
Six loaves Of fresh bread. each loaf
Of different size. perhaps one out Of
the six being as tiat as pancake. the
result of an army service corps man
placing box OF bully beef on II dur
Ing transportation.
Three tins Of Jam. one apple and the
other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all dif'
ferent sizes
A piece OF cheese In the shape Of u
wedge.
Two one-pound tins OF butter.
A handful Of raisins.
A tin of biscuits. or as Tommy calls
them "jaw breakers"
A bottle OF mustard pickles.
The "bully beef" spuds, condensed
milk, fresh meat, bacon and "Macono-
chile rations" "a can filed with meat.
vegetables and greasy water). had been
turned over to the company cook TO
make stew for next days dinner. He
also received the tea, sugar. salt, pep
per and -four.
Scratching his head, the corporal
studied the slip issued to him by the
quarter. Then In slow, mystified
voice he read out. mo. section. 10
men. Bread, loaves. six He looked
puzzled and soliloquized in a musing
voice:
ask loaves, nineteen men. Let's see,
that's three In loaf for fifteen men
wen, to make II even, four of you'll
have to muck In on one loaf"
The four that got stuck made howl.
but to no avail. The bread was dished
out. Pretty soon from a far corner of
the billet, three indignant Tommies ac-
costed the corporal with:
"what do you call this, loaf Of
bread? Looks more like sniplng
plate"
The corporal answered:
"well, don't blame me, didn't bake
IL: somebody's got to get 1t. SO shut
up until I dish out these blinkin' IA
tions."
Then the corporal started on tho
jam. ttE Ff
.Jam, three tins-apple one, plum
two. Nineteen men, three tins. Six
In tin makes twelve men for two tins,
seven In the remaining tin."
He passed around the jam. and
there was another riot. Some didn't
like apple. while others who received
plum were partial to apple. After a
while differences were adjusted and
the issue went on.
"Bermuda onions. seventeen"
The corporal avoided a row by say
ing that he did not want an onion, and
I said they make your breath smell, SC
I guessed would do without one too
The corporal looked his gratitude.
Cheese. pounds, two"
The corporal borrowed a jackknife
( (corporals are always borrowing), and
sliced the cheese--each slicing bring
ing forth a pert remark from the on.
lockers as to the corporal's eyesight
"Raisins, ounces. eight"
by tIilS time tHt cOfpoIui ucffts
had gone west and In despair he said
that the raisins were to be turned over
to the cook for "duff' (plum pudding)
This decision ELECTED little "grous
Ing" but quiet was finally restored.
biscuits, tins, one.'
With his borrowed jackknlfe, the
corporal opened the fin Of biscuits, and
told everyone to help themselyes--no
body responded to this invitation
Tommy is "fed up" with biscuits.
"Butter, tins, two"
mine In one, ten In the other"
I Another rumpus.
"Pickles, mustard, bottles, 0ne."
Nineteen names were put In a steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only 18 names, as the winner is elimi
mated until every man in the section
has won a bottle,
The rattle is closely watched, because
Tommy is suspicious when 1t comes te
gambling with his rations.