Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-04
OVER THE TOP
BY
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY,
An American Boy Who Went.
copyright. i:i7. by Arthur Guy Empey.i

Tn" rattle is closely watched because
Tommy is suspiciou' when ii comes -
Gambling with his rations
when the issue is hnished the cor
rotal SITS Gown and writes q letter
home. asking Them II they c2n"Ut get
ONE NJ T. Oncinber of Purlirment)
nave him transferred 10 tn" oval
Flying Corps, where he won't have &C
.Fsu" -at.ons.
~ the dtrrercn, French estamirets
the vii. .e, and a the cautccas.
nd pasir%. Occasionally when he is
i'ush. ne invest. In in OF pears or
apr co.'s His pay is only shilii-. q
nHy-Ii cents, or cent an hour. lust
imagine cent an hoC, for being am
der ii'e-no' much chance OF getting
ich out there
When he goes into tie IRE trench
'ifoni Hncl. Tom" IS menu takes \
uinb!e lie carries in hi havcrsack
what the government calls emergency.
or iron. ra'ions They are not sup
rosed to b. opened unit, Tommy dies
't starvation. Tnvy CONSIST of one tin
f bully beef, four biscuit". Little tin
which contains tea, sugar and Oxo
cubes concentrated beef t. blets) These
arc only to be used when the enemy
establishes a curtain ot SHELL fire on
ne communication trenches, thus pre-
venting the Carrying in Of rations.
or when, in an attack. a body Of troops
has been cut off from It's base Of sup
plies.
The rations arc brought up. at night.
by the company transport. This is IA
'cci!on Of the company in charge OF
he crmastcr-sergean,. composed
ed wagons. which supplies Tommys
wants whilc in tn. front line. They
are constantly undnr she'll ire The
rations arc unloaded AZ the entrance
20 the communi alton trenches and are
carried in" by men detailed for that
nnrpose. The quartcr;nastcr- sergeant
never goes into nc front-liac trench
he doesn't have 20. and have never
heard OF one volunteering 10 10 so
The company experimentation sorts
the rations, and sends them IN
Tcnmy's trench rations consist o.
all the bully beef he IAN eat. biscuits.
cheese, timed butter sometimes SOW
"ntccn men 20 a tin). jam or MARINA
lade. and occasionally fresh bread ,ten
20 a loaD. When it is possible. he
gets tea and stew.
when things are quie' and Fritz
IS behaving like a gentleman. which
seldom happens Tommy has the on
portunity OF making dessert This IS
trench pudding" II is made from
broken biscuits condensed milk inn,
"A little water ADDED, slightly Favored
with mud--put into a canteen and
cooked over a little spirit stove known
IS "Tommy's cooker"
a firm in Elighty widely advertiscs
these cookers as u necessity for tho
men in he trenches. Gull!hle people
buy ihen,-shp them to the Tomn,ias
who mn cdiatelT upon rnceip' of same
throw them over the parapot. some
times 4 Tommy Calls for the al and
Uses The cooker in q dugout TO N. dis
gust aud discomfort OF the other oc-
CUpantS)
This ness is stirred up In n tin and
allowed - simmer over the flames from
the cooker until Tommy decides thar
II has reached sufficient Cgluelik-)
consistency He takes his baYonct and
by means of the handle carries tho
mess up in the front trench to cool
After II has cooled off he tries 10 eat
II. Generally one or two Tomnlics in
a section hay" cast-iron stomachs and
tn" tin is soon cirpticd. Once tasted
trench prdding. but only once.
In addition to the regular ration
issue. Tommy uses another channel to
enlarge his menu.
In the English p'pers n Lonely Sol
dicr' column is run. This is for the
soldiers ut the front who are sup
posed 10 no without friends or relatives
They write to the papers and their
names are published. Girls and WON
en- iii England answer them. and send
out parcels Of foodstuns. cigarettes.
candy. etc. have known Il lonely"
soldier to receive "a many as five par
cells and eleven letters in ono week