The Tomahawk., 1918-06-20

front line. where they stick to the end Of theh
wires under terrific shell fire until ordered to re-
Join their commands If they can get through alive.
IAN experience of this kind happened to me &
short time ago in lonely chateau OF the 1pres-
Menin road," an English officer wrote home. "Ths
chateau was the center of perfect hell OF Ger
man shrapnel for nearly week, until It became
almost untenable and was abandoned by the head
quarters staff.
1.-The general gave Instructions that q telegraph
ist was to remain behind to transmit important
messages from the brigades and was left In
charge of the instruments in this shell-swept
chateau for day and a night
d ION the second day the Germans broke through
our trenches and the wires were cut by the shell
fire. 1 was given orders to evacuate the building
and smash up my instruments. These4 saved by
burying in a shellproof trench and then had TO
escape between our own fire and that OF the
enemy's across field under terrible tornado OF
shrapnel.
ION the early morning of the same day one of
our cable detachments was cut up and another
captured by the Germans, only to be retaken by
our sappers and drivers after a desperate and
glorious fight"
The linemen also have regular patrols, stretches
of line which have to be constantly examined not
only for breaks but also to make sure that they
have not been tapped by enemy spies in such
way that every bit of information sent over theys
finds it's way to the Germans. In the Aisne once
where the hill country offered good cover to speA
the wires were constantly being tapped. --.
One day a lineman passing along the road no
ticed a lot Of cable lying at side. He started
to coil it up and found that a piece of wire had
been tied to the main line When he traced 1t he
found that it ran to haystack. He went on
tapped the line and sent in word to headquarters
and an armed escort found a spy hidden in the hay
with several days supply of food. r..
They are autocrats in their way, these wire re
pairmen and no one Is permitted to interfere with
the swift execution Of their work. Word coming
over the line that the wire to battery was re-
naired is often the sweetest sound in the world to
an observation officer up 'front.' even if it comes ID
a rough brogue which French weather has not i'm
proved
On when anybody else breaks in on the line and
,nterferes with the repairman he gets rolled es.
rcally II he has been sitting for several hours In
shell hole with an icy rain dripping down his
hack An English officer told of what happened
to general who broke in once.
"A general came in the hut and told me i rang
nm the telephone just now and said, Give me the
- BRIGADE, please" but some one with loud
voice replied deliberately and distinctly: Get OF
the blinking line." I got OF remarking that as
.oon as convenient should like to speak !
.no,oeized and explained that the line had beeR
down and was being repaired He went OF with
a merry twinkle in his eye" 49,
Az the number Of men In the American army
.hrcad grows with the weeks, the number Of line
men those who make possible all that the ardlh
,prv and infantry together accomplish Will steaek
ily increase until they are a small army In then-
.e,vea And probably 1t will not be long before alt
nounceuent will be made that socae plain Bpl
smith. wire repairman. has been givsA . medal fos
hr,very under fire. which attracted attention sve.
.mous the hundreds of brave acts WbSch thess
men perform every day.