Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-16
PRISONERS At SEWER
Germans Are Being Held In Stock
ade There.
they BEHAVE THEMSELVES NICELY.
Good Workers All, and They Keep
Themselves Busy SO as to NVo'o
Any Possibility Of Trouble.
upasscd by the Censor.)
The Yorkville Enquirer.

the past few days for the first time
poz.d on citizens OF the empire OF
Hunism and Kultur which nc Will soon
he assisting In subduing. Arrival Oh
these prisoners has naturally created
much interest among the soidiers'
MANY of them have taken q trip over
IN the division stockadc this week IN
order to take look at the fellows
vino are fit representatives both phy-
sically and mentally Of the Boches
who occupy one edge OF NO Man
Land. They are good looking, ~eii
develoIsd physically and apparent!
of fair education. Few Of them speak
English but "spechen Zic Deutsch" as
often as allowed. Some OF them are
wearing the uniforms OF German
sailors, others are in ordinary civilian
clothes, others overalls. and others
various costumes.
They came In about a week ago
from Fort Mcpherson. and they are
1uartcrcd in the camp penitentiary
surrounded by high barf1ed wire ana
American soldiers with Enficlds who
would cut loose Ave times without
batting an eye. And incidentally. II
NAV he said, that most OF the afore-
said guards would be tickled to death
at the chance of justification to cut
loose. For, you know. 1t grows more
or less monotonous after bit. shoot
ing at nothing hut figure targets and
bulls eyes. That kind OF target Is
pretty tame, anyway, for the average
American soldier: even II ne Is young
at the game.
The prisoners. though, are not 60
ing to give any soldier on guard at
the stockade a chance to try his En-
field on a Hun. In the first place.
they know II would he sure death,
and in the second. judging from their
attitude and general manner. they are
well content to be prisoners. They
are getting three good meals every
day here and a covering over their
heads at night. And they are treated
as human beings. though there may
be room for doubt as to whether they
really are or not. "Kultur' isn't hu-
man, you know. At least. the German
idea of 1t Is not.
They evidently reason that being an
American prisoner of war Is much
smoother sailing than being In n ditch
QpRosits an American ssctor -eftching
well. Sherman said 1t. They talk
and they smile. They smoke their
pipes and look at ease. When they
are ordered to do anything, they do
II with alacrity and II they could all
speak English they would say. "Yes.
sir. boss. just tickled to death to do
anything you say"
II they have got worry about the
war they don't show ii In their faces
and something about them seems to-
give out the expression: We'll. dear
Kaiser. we are out of it and are glad
OF II. Ish ki bibblc!" SO far AZ their
personal safety here is concerned.
they know that they should not wor-
ry.
They are hard workers. all right.
Since their arrival here they have
been doing general utilities work-re-
pairing roads and moving lumber and
such jobs. \ sergeant of the quarter
master corps who has had charge of a
number of them for several days was
talking to me about them today:
"They are the first Germans have
ever had anything TO do with" he
said. (He comes from section OF
Moth Caliny where there aren't any,
81 have never handled better work
ers In my life. They don't creep along
with a load: but go in trot. Ard
they keep 1t up all day long. Fact Is.
II looks TO me like they arr afraid OF
their jobs. which | reckon will last
for some time TO come.
II just noticed this morning. as
pointed my finger unthoughtedly in
the direction OF one Fritz who was
standing at leisure because there was
nothing for him to do just at that
moment. As quick as fash he stoop-
ed down and picked up piece Of ma
nure. II was the only thing In that
road he could pick up. and I guess he
was afraid l was going to give him
the dickens for loafing on the job.
II have never seen workmen before
who apparently never tire. Still, !
guess II I were q prisoner in Germany
/ would put out considerably my
self"
Most Of the prisoners are young
Ir,n. some 20 TO 80. and maybe lev
a little over that. They apr'a TO h2
- very much interested in their sur
roundings as well as their work. 4
load of them standing in a big gov
ernment truck and going up the road
n little distance do not miss seeing a
thing.
According to the sergeant quoted
above. they are not satisfied with the
exercise secured through hard days
work: but at the days close on their
return to the stockade. they spend n
couple of hours or so In running and
jumping and playing tag,
This morning they were put to
work building new stockade which
they will occupy exclusively. since 1t
has been considered unwise to keep
them In the same enclosure with gen.
eral prisoners Of the camp. That
they will build for themselves a strong
prison is assured. Camp Sewer mill
tary authorities will see to that. And
no doubt the prisoners themselves
want to build 1t 80 tight that there
will be no chance for them to get
hack to the land Of autocracy and
Kultur.
OF very peculiar interest to the few
negro soldiers here are these Ger
mans,
4 truck load Of them was halted
this morning beneath the warehouse
In which ! have an Office. was
standing on platform interested in
looLtn0 than avar rnvaolf Two mr.