The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-21
CAPTURING A CAMP ENEMY
A Lesson I'm Conservation ut Right
Time.
BY V. A. LAMBERT.

Once upon a time there was bad
milk bottle. The dairy product might
have been good but that has nothing
to do with the story; all that we are
interested in is the bottle. The rea-
son it was bad bottle iay in the fact
that one day it bounced out of its
container, rolled off the milk truck,
struck the macadam road at a pre-
carious point in camp and broke.
1t vas when the bottle broke that
the milk was split, or figuratively
speaking in army terms, the beans
were split" which resulted in this
story. 1t was worse than a diplo-
matte break. The bottom of the bottle
lay with an upturned sharp, jagged
edge that seemed to defy any and all
forces. 1t was in position to oppose,
being in the middle of a busy road
where all heavy traffic passed. 1t
really yawned with hunger to obstruct
the progress of the thorofare.
1t almost lost its heart when pass
ing soldier gave it a sharp kick, send
ing it to one side, but being an Ameri-
can r..ade bottle it quickly realized
its high morale and rallied for action.
With a couple of short turns it
swirled and stopped in place, glazing
in the sun, it babe defiance to the
owner of the big healthy shoes. How
ever, the husky pair of shoes passed
on without even noticing the challenge
of the rough. sharp, jagged edged
American made bottle.
1t was quivering for action. Even
the mud and water Quivered, rain
having fallen during the night, cover
ing the ground with pools of water and
forming a good, gluey mud to travel
thru. There was an interval of
silence. In the distance could be
heard the regular explosions of the
engine of a truck. Nearer and nearer
1t came.
Boom! Swis-s-s-h"
There was a clamping of brakes, a
grinding of gears followed with a
crashing of glass, the cracking of tim
Der, the rattle of sheet metal, all end
ing with a dull, sickening plump at
one side of the road in a ditch five
feet below.
1t is needless to go into details
about the truck-it was wrecked. 1t
was filled with produce and supplies,
which amounted to quite figure,
sugar, flour and bread. The truck
striking the jagged edged glass bot
tom of the bottle, gashed terrible
hole in the tire on one of the front
wheels. which caused an immediate
strain on the steering gear. The road
being slippery from mud the truck
skidded. and in trying to regain the
center of the road the steering gear
broke, letting the machine take it's
course. Its course ended in a ditch
alongside of the road, turning bottom
side up as it plunged into the ditch,
half filled with water.
Luckily the driver was thrown to
one side uninjured, but the load was
not SO fortunate. The eggs were
broken, cans and bread were strewn
around the broken overturned ma
chine. There was a wreckage and a
loss of valuable foodstuffs.
The broken bottle bottom laughed
with glee over the success in over
throwing it's adversary. It was a
Hunnish chuckle, as it had destroyed
and sunk the foodstuffs, wrecked a
truck which would take time, labor
and money to repair. 1t had also i'm
perilled the life of the driver. 1t was
a complete victory.
Now for the next victim!
But its selfish rejoicing was sud-
denly interrupted. 1t was picked up
bodily and hurled thru the air. land
ing in a box filled with broken bot
ties 1t was a salvage truck and had
deposit for the salvage yard. One
man in the crowd that had gathered
to see the accident saw the glass bot
tom of the bottle in the road, had
picked it up and thrown it into the
salvage truck. 1t was good act to
do even if it was too late as this
should have been done at the time
that husky pair of shoes had first
kicked it.
Now that's all there is to this story
but the lesson to be gained from it is
this: there is no need of negleetins
the conservation of articles especially
when they are in a precarious place
If the big husky shoes had picked UP
the glass bottom instead of giving il
a kick, there would have been a great
er saving not only in glass but in time
labor, material and food.