Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-11-05
Review of Thoughts, Impressions and
Developments Connected With the
Process Of Converting a Rookie Into
Something Like a Man.
(Passed by the Censor.)
of The Yorkyille Enquirer

wonderful year-the most momentous
the most valuable, / think. in my
young life. There have been days OF
hard work. There have been days OF
play and idleness and carelessness, a
good many Of them. There have beer
knocks and bumps and ruts and rum.
puses in that year and twenty-sever
days. There will be more, but not sc
many as there have been. There has
been much to learn through expert
ence. All that has been learned has
been through experience. Fools and
soldiers will learn in no other way. an
both.
On the third Of October last, the an.
niversary Of my first year in the army
game, did lot of thinking and med
itating and retrospecting as 1t were
over the year that had gone. I recall
ed vividly that 3rd Of October yeai
before when seven other lads and
landed at Camp Jackson and ate fol
the first time out Of a tin pan anC
slept for the first time on a rude bee
of straw along with a lot of other fel-
lows from everywhere. I have bet
ter bed now. 1t is as good bed as
ever had in my life. The mattress !:
stuffed with cotton. The bedstead !:
iron with real live springs. There Is
plenty Of cover. II Is better bed thar
some soldiers who have been in the
game sleep on. Uncle Sam furnished
II. So far as / was concerned 1t was
just a matter Of knowing how to gel
it. I always had knack Of getting
the best. Hence the bed. no longer
eat out Of a tin pan. The kit is alum
mum. I shall have regular dishes be.
fore I am done. Watch!
wrote a story that 3rd Of October
a year ago. II recall correctly. 1t had
to do with Impressions and one thinl
and another after few hours In camp
It was a true story. because 1t portray
ed my impressions at the time. There
has been a wonderful change in my
impressions in the last year and TWEEN
ty-seven days, though.
What has this year and twenty-sev-
en- days meant to me? Well,so much
that it is hard to say how much.
think that I said once before I would
refuse $4,000 for my experience Of
the year. I'll now increase my figure
Everything else is advancing in price
you know. l consider that years ex'
perience worth more than 100000 tc
me and I need the money. Yet ir
peace time I would not have spent tht
past year or any other year in thu
army for 10000 times 100000. That!
a lot Of money. But I know a mar
whose favorite expression Is: "Oh
honey. money amt everything"
Thanks to my year and twenty-sev
en- days in the army am better mar
physically than ever was before.
sleep good. eat good, feel good. There
something in the air at 5.45 a. m, tina
makes you feel good and impresses yo'
with the fact that you're glad your
living. I'd never have discovered II 1
1 hadn't been in the army where I an
required to stand "revelry," which
comes at that time Of morning. Out o
the army there is no influence o
pressure on earth that could get m
out at 5.45 in the morning. 1t ha'
been tried time and again.
Mentally. I am better of than
would have been outside the army.
know 1t. have acquired smatterin
knowledge of military matters. / hav
devoted most Of my time to studyin
men. It has been worth while. Their
isn't a man in the army who hasn'
been improved mentally by being Il
the service. There are thousands VIII
couldn't read or write their names un
til they came here. They never woul
have learned II they hadn't come.
have had to use my wits and my nut,
as the soldiers say. many and many
time in order to hold my own durin
the past year and twenty-seven days
Does not constant brain exercise hel
one mentally? I have read a grea
deal, studied a great deal. worked
great deal, and played a great deal.
have worked a good deal to get out Q
work.
Morally. I am no worse on tina
when I came into this mans army.
can't see much improvement alon
that line, either. II there is any salts
faction in the fact that am as goo
as the average and better than a grea
many, have that satisfaction. SO ia
as 1 am personally concerned, l can
saw much about the moral side. III
army understand, tries in a measure I
promote morality It's first job thougf
Is to teach men how to kill Huns an
to keep from getting killed. 1t takes
lot of time and thought and labor I
/ teach that.
have learned in this year and day
that there are men. I have learne
that there are other men. haV
II learned that there are some VII
have names and draw pay and who ca
that are not men and who never wi
be men. 1 have learned that II on
would get along in this army he mus
depend upon his own efforts entirel!
He need not depend upon friend
There are few friends in the army.
I have met many men in this arm
whom 1 like. I have met few whoI
I don't like. When peace Is declare
and I am discharged from service.
may go cunning for one or two
these. 1 haven't exactly made up N
mind about It Then have met hur
dreds whom I neither like nor dislik
Just wasn't interested, that's all.
This year and twenty y-seven days h