Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-04-05

By this time the corporal's nerves
had gone west, and in despair he said
that the raisins we're to be turned over
to the cook for "duff'' Opium pudding).
This decision elected a little "grous
Ing" but quiet was finally restored.
biscuits, tins, one."
With his borrowed jackknife, the |
corporal opened the tin of biscuits, and
told everyone to help themselves-no-
body responded to this invitation.
Tommy is ''fed up with biscuits.
Butter, tins, two"
'Nine in one ten in the other"
Another rumpus.
"Pickles, mustard, bottles, one"
Nineteen names were put in steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only Is 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 it comes to
gambling with his rations.
At the different French estaminets |
| in the village and at the canteens Tom
my buys fresh eggs, milk, bread and
pastry. Occasionally when he is flush,
he invests in tin of pears or april
cots. His pay is only shilling day,
| "a cents, or a cent an hour. Just mag
inc, cent an hour for being under
fire-not much chance of getting rich
out there.
When he goes into the fire trench
| ox,3o fo1
tumble He carries in his haversack
what the government calls emergency
or iron rations. They are not supposed
to be opened until Tommy dies of star
walton. They consist of one tin Of
bully beef, four biscuits, a little tin
which contains tea, sugar and Oxo
cubes concentrated beef tablets).
These are only to be used when the
enemy establishes curtain of shell
, fire on the communication trenches,
2 thus preventing the carrying in" Of
: rations, or when in an attack body
of troops has been cut off from it's base
l Of supplies.
e The rations are brought up at night
d by the company transport. This Is a
Q section of the company in charge of
d the quartermaster sergeant, composed
g of men, mules and limbers 1.-TWO
wheeled wagons), which supplies Tom
2. my's wants while in the front line
- They are constantly under shell fire
II The ratiOns are unlOaded at the en-
trance to the communication trenche:
! and are, carried I'M by men detailed
d for that purpose. The quartermaste
If sergeant never goes into the frOnt-lin
r. trench He doesn't have to, and hav
never heard of one volunteering t.
IF do so.
20 The company sergeant major sort
the rations and sends them in.
Tommy's trench rations consist of al
20 the bully beef he can eat, biscuits
IT cheese, timed butter (sometimes
90 men to a tiny, jam or marmalade, an
occasionally fresh bread (ten to
ho Loaf. When it is possible he gets tie
and stew.
m When things are quiet, and Fritz
,ix behaving like a gentleman, which Sc
80 dom happens, Tommy has the opport'
nifty of making dessert. This
nd trench pudding." 1t is made fro
NJ broken biscuits, condensed milk, jam
od little water added, slightly flavore
q with mud-put into canteen ar
nd cooked over little spirit stove know
as 'Tommy's cooker"
"a firm in Blighty widely advertis
av- these cookers as necessity Tor Il
nd men in the trenches. Gullible Peep
50 buy them-ship them to the Tommie
90. who, Immediately upon receipt of san
throw them over the parapet. Som
times Tommy falls for the ad, al
uses the cooker in a dugout to the q
. gust and discomfort of the other
cupants.)
This mess is stirred up in tin a
allowed to simmer over the liam
from the cooker until Tommy decld
that it has reached sufficient (gluellk
s;sI consistency. He takes his bayonet
$8l by means of the handle carries I
S# mess up in the front trench to CO
ss After it has cooled off he tries to eat
..A Generally one or two Tommies IN
81 section have cast-irOn stomachs a
~ the tin is soon emptied. once taS'
#|$ trench pudding, but only once.
#@l In addition to the regular ration
";" Sue Tommy uses another channel
s. Isl enlarge his menu.
#Nl In the English papers a Lion
&E*I Soldier column is run. This is
S#$&l the soldiers at the front who are
$s$8l posed to be without friends or r.
aSSS tives. They write to the papers
Ssi their names are published. Girls
SMI women in England answer them,
49, send out parcels of foodstuffs, G
- - rettes, candy, etc. I have know
SI lonely soldier to receive as many
:SS#S five parcels and eleven letters in
**x$&I week.
~ Empey realizes for the frs
~ time how death turks in tF
KS :.sa ii trenches when = cOmra0e fail