davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

never knew he had and wished he'd
been made without, and "stunts"
planned to test a mans mettle and fl;
him for the rough and tumble service
he is going to sec on the fighting
front
One man, itching 10 get his hands
or the Huns, and aching after a dav
OF vigorous training, burst into verse
with the following
LAMENT
On. we came to join the Tank Corps
And fight the bloody Hun,
But it his is the dog gone Tank Corps
Well, I'm a son Of gun.
It's "ra!l out with your rifles. On TIE
double quick"
And We double time around the lot
until we're fairly s;ch.
then It's Get ready for Inspection
change your clothes and shine
that gun"
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Tank Corps Instructors Hand Pick Their
Men for Physical Powers and Fatigue
Capacity From All Ranks

chuckle at its effect upon the enemy.
And every German bullet that clangs
against rs steel sides is one less
armed at our men. Each sivcry star
splashed on its side is the signature Of
one that has not drilled its way through
the body of an infantry soldier"
The two large American tank camps
are in Pennsylvania preliminary
camp at Gettysburg and a finishing
camp at Tobyhanna-and here the men
are taught something Of almost every
branch of service except flying, for
the tanks are shock troops, cavalry and
artillery combined. The enlisted men
are put through infantry drill, light
artillery practice, master the manual
of arms, learn to handle rifle, ma
chine and rapid fire guns and the re-
volver--the latter, by the way, being
the only personal defensive arms car
rl@d by a tank man in actual combat
All the intricacies, stubbornnesses and
eccentricities Of an engine are studied
and absorbed, and the name of every
part-even the most minute and SEEM
ingly mportant-must be learned.
and learned so we'll that man awak-
ened from his sleep and confronted
With small joint or valve could in
stantly call it by name A man must
know how to take tank apart, guns,
engines and all, and puv it together
again in the dark.
There are long hikes and drills. ex-
ercises that stretch muscles man
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Few Endure
The Physical Test

At the present rating all men who
tween the ages of twenty-one and thi,-
ty-one, registered in the draft, and in
some class other than that is. in a
deferred class. 1t is absolutely essen
tial that they be physically fit. Men
are constantly being weeded frors
BLACK Tom" service and sent to the
ordnance or some other department
which requires less strenuous physical
endurance. There is a tremendous
strain OF M" 9 nerves, his fatigue
capacity ard his energies in one G.
these laundering tanks. whose machir-
cry alone-without taking into account
the rapid fire of its guns under attaci,
produces heat like a boiler room.
and an uproar so great that order
canno. be transmitted verbally. blu
must be conveyed from one man TO an
other through a most carefully workcd
out system of signs and signals.
Although men with mechanical train
ing are wanted this is not essential TO
acceptance in the corps. 1t is neccs-
sary that a man be. first Of all, a sol
dier. or the s.rf OF which soldiers are
made-a man prepared to meet the
roughesl sort o. conditions without so
much as the flicker of an eye. This is
no branch for the scueamish individual
With nerves. The noise, the fumes, the
terrific vibration and the intense ner-
vous strain Of tank fighting arc now
we'll known facts. The jolts and jars
OF subway travel are as nothing com
pared to the irregularities OF travel in
one Of these iron caterpillars. as il tips
across trenches, craters and shell holes
and tears its way through wire entar-
clements, uprooting trees and throwing
Gown the walls Of houses. And vct &C
ore man writes, "in spite Of their Ole
mental strength and apparent clums;-
ness they arc, in the hands OF skilled
drivers. as docilc as trained elanhan+e
under their own mahouts." Grotcsono-
~iy abnormal and ungainlv in appaar-
ance, they appeal TO the humorous IN
an 'nfantryman, and he charges in 4ho
wake Of his numbering guide with ,
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

from the fatcars standing at one side
OF the large training field and Dilinc it
up tor winter use. "But the bovs - he
added, are the best lot ever. and tho
old battlefield & bully place to be in.
Here at Gettysburg, where the Civil
War vets fought such a bully scrap
under these old trees that saw the
thing to a finish, heard Lincoln's ad-
dress and now shake themselves in
Jolly satisfaction over the way the bows
take to their training even the wood
pile~~weli. it's inspiration. And the
tank corps is the place to be in. believe
me. There isn't a thrill going that the
Black Toms aren't going TO have a
share in over there Already we've
had a dispatch saying that several hun
dred men in The American Tank Corns
are at the front with Pcrshing and the
first American army. and from NOW on
the treat en- rough boys are going
to be heard front"
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Back to the
Arts of Peace

That, of course, is when you treat
him right.
The tank is qlite the same. 1t is
great friend Of mankind. Take away
the steel armor and You have simple
tractor. Attach ploughs and other liz
piements for tilling the soil and you
have one of the best friends the farmer
has known.
'Nou will agree that both tomcat and
tractor are peaceful
Take that same peaceful tomcat and
beat him or kick him, and you will nave
a enawing. clawing, splitting, snarlins
thing with his fighting clothes.
That same peaceful tractor responds
to the call of Mars in much the same
way. Called on to don its armor and
defend the country that gave it birth,
the tank becomes the most fearful OF
our engines of war. 1t charges into the
Huns without thought of consequence
~ ltsell, tearing down enemy defence:
scattering machine gun nests, tearing
up his barbcd wire entanglements and
spreading Generalization in the ranks
CT those it opposes. And as the really
pcace-loving tomcat is turned into
thing of fury, the caterpillar tank in
action embodies the very spirit of mot
ern war. Its capacity for destruction
is without limit. It's remarkable cf-
fectiveness in offensive tactics has come
INTO first hand notice.
"This tomcat. Hun crushing fortress
is calling for men TO drive and man Ii
II needs men with nerve and the kind
of CUTS of which kipling sang. Climb
aboard if you feel you have them. II
you are yellow. stay az home
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

woman who has one OF these little hn.
tons will probably want to put halo
around it. II any one happens to wan.
to become an honorary member bo y.
she can do 50 for So. ard Lieu.o,on.
Gardner, at tank headquarters. Room
1908, 10 to 25 West Forty fourth Stree,
is there FOR the express purno,s =.
sending q membership application an,
time person signifies he wants to No.
come a member Of the Tank Corn,
League, whether hos a civilian or ~.
of the enlisted.
Incidentally Sergeant Jimmie Shea
who stepped out of vaudeville into tbs
tank corps at Camp Colt, has written a
song for the treat 'em rough bows
the words of which follow:
The Yanks and their tanks will 20
through the Boche's ranks
And roll righ: to Berlin.
They are ready to fight any time, dav
or night,
And whera the battles thickes. thsvp
so in.
But when our captains give the com.
mand.
Come on! Treat 'em rough," gee I
think it's grand
Then the fanks and their tanks will 90
through the Boche's ranks
And roll RIGHT to Berlin.
This same sergeant, when asked why
the boys happened 70 be called BLACK
Ioms,' and why that particular animal
was chosen IS the tank symbol, Offered
this explanations:
you sec,' he said "the tank and The
toEcat resemble each other in disposi
ton. The big black tomcat is nice
chummy animal when YOU trea. hin
right. Just pet him and rub his baci
and you VIII find him l.ind and eea,,s
lie will rub his nose agaius. your leg
and purr happily. climb ~ Into your
lap, cuddie close to you ard go 10 sleep.
because you are his friend.
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

corps because of his fitness, not only
physical but from the standpoint OF
general worth. The men are splcn-
didly developed lot, daring, energetic
and initiative. They are prepared to
meet the most dangerous conditions in
cumbent upon a soldier. and they know
this before they enlist In this branch
Of the service a man gets killed all
over or he comes through o. K There
are no halfway measures, no wounds or
manning. He either escapes I'M
harmed or he dics with his surs.
There are many divisions to tank
service, and some are more hazardous
than others. The salvage corps has,
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
They Allow
Civilians to Help

The organization has two classes of
memoership-D officers and enlisted
men and go civilians The enlisted
men pay fee OF 80 cents and the Of
ticers 81. Any civilian is eligible upon
payment Of 81. and receives a jollv
little button besides The comfortable
feeling that he is helping one OF the
most important branches of the service
and doing his bit toward crushing the
Hun. And on that day when our
"black Toms roll into Berlin and Law
the offending Boche out like one of
mothers gingerbread men the man or
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

"Ht, news of the "tank" victories
Of the last six weeks and the Of
fetal assurance that the tank,
oncc somewhat discredited, is sudden
ly raised to high place in the order
OF Hun killers was nowhere received
with more JOY than among the few
thousand treat 'em rough" boys in
the American tank camps. Visions of
themselves gathering ahead Of the
doughboys and scattering Hun regi-
ments over the landscape became very
real Those already in training see
themselves as the vanguard of thou
sands of American tanks leading tri-
umphant, if bloody, procession to Ber-
lin
"Give US tanks enough, only give US
tanks enough, and then -oh boy!"
said one of the officers.
And they all feel that way. For the
tank corps is the native home Of en-
thusiasm. No man is in it who could
be scared out by stories of privation,
mutilation or sudden death. All are
volunteers, and many, very many, are
men who have given up big jobs, and
even commissions in other branches, to
get inside the Gathering monsters.
Many men now in the tank corps have
actually refused commissions in the
corps itself. for the tank officer seldom
rides in the tank, and many of those
who enlist are men whose supreme am
bition is to see German machine gun
nest through the sights of their own
Brownings.
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
And if this is the bally Tank Corps,
Why, I'm son of a gun

When we've settled on the bunk,
After mess is put away;
Then it's "Gct those full packs ready,
Well hike the rest Of the day"
And we sweat and swear in the broil-
ing, blisterng sun.
And if this is the whooping Tank
Corps,
Well, Pm son OF a gun,
Another man. caught after the frs.
week Of training and asked what he
thought Of it, grinned and lowed as
how 1t was great, though most Of his
time had been spent in unloading wood
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
F ind the Goat
Second Best

Black Tom,' the ferocious mascot Of
the tank boys, the daredevil bristlng
feline that sDits from the tank turret
and forebodcs i'll for any Fritz who
gets within the range of his eye, roams
about the camps in a multiplicity of
persons. Any cat that looks fierce
enough and black enough is apt to get
kidnapped and adopted by some battal-
ion. If there aren't cats enough to 90
round. well--one battalion has a black
goat, and woe be. unto the haplcss indi-
vidual who is moved to criticise or
question the substitution. Il just isn't
done. that's all.
eve couldn't find cat that suited
u.s. the sergeant explained, $50 we
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

took the goat. l,ecause-well because
he's just as tough"
He is, and the tank that takes him
along has an adequate battery attach
ment. Company C of the 304th Battal
ion boasts Of having the biggest black
tomcat in history, and it is getting q
course Of training that, added to it's in
hcrited and instructive combativenesa
VIII guarantee a rough time for the
Germans who happen to meet his par
lar arm ored rendezvous
Little Round Top, made famous b.
INC battle of Gettysburg. is now place
of tryst and the abode of romance. A
restaurant and dancing pavilion lend
tAclr touch of modernity, and many a
man. lingering over difficult farewell.
has been forced to make mad dash
back to camp in time for taps or suffer
disgrace equivalent to that Of A. w. O.
L. (absent without lcave)
Hand-Picked Ones
Can Entertain
Aside from the usua! entertainments
DroEl&ed for the men III camp, Gettvs-
burg has natural open air theatre
back CT Company c, 3O4th Battalion
where something happens every Tues
day night. Usually it's a wrestling or
boxing match and no amateur stun,
at That. The seats are always crowded
not only by the men of the corps, but
by visiting civilians. There is a TAM;
orchestra and fund of home talent
that rounds up into vaudeville enter
.ainment that some Of the broadway
hanSers-on would gladly pay a war tu::
to see
Another mascot Of the human variety
Is the ten-ycar- son of Mrs. Nc
C!ary. whose stories of the Black Toms
are familiar Master McClary, the
youngest member Of the Gettysburg
camp. has been commissioned a first
lieutenant, ard. armed with pass. i'm
pcriously demands admittance to any
part Of the camp that houses "his pals"
Private "Pop' Harris, whose son is an
lnfantryran in France and who is
himself member Of the 30Oth Battal-
ion OF the Black Toms. is the Oldest
gettysburg member, and refuses to ac-
ccpt commission, preferrng to act as
general dad" to the boys, keeping
their money for them. patheticalIy
listening to their woes or JOYS and
profterlng advice when advice is sought.
There is diversion and plenty Of
1t IN camp, but the good work must
be continued when the boys get "over
there and for this purpose, and tc in
sure we'll organized plan for caring
Tor our "Black Toms" a civilian tank
corps league is being formed, with off
GERS chosen from among prominent men
and women Of the country, MANY of
whom have sons in the "treat 'er,
rough ranks. The American tankers
represent a most extraordinary organ-
lzatlon from the personnel standpoin,
and are proud OF that fact. Every man
Is hand picked and accepted in the ta,x
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

from deiay in receiving government
help. That is, the league would,
through its local secretary, render
financial aid or assistance as far as it
could
New-York tribune., 1918-08-25

his enthusiasm was contagious, and
several of the men at camp who have
actually been in service in the fight
ing line had graphic stories to tell Of
the work done by these uncannily hu-
man machines, which worm through
any obstacle and create such havoc
among the German army. In one in
stance tho men Of a tank found them
selves cut off from the artillery and
their machine disabled. Temporary re-
pairs, however. sent it srasping toward
tho foe, nose down and oblivious to the
shells raining about it. The men inside
stuck to their guns and spit lead bullets
at the opposing Germans, who soon
broke into confusion and took to flight.
Fifty of them, however, were captured
by the tank, unaided and handicapped
by engine trouble. The corps, hot. be-
glimed and almost exhausted by the
strain Of .icrai hours intense fight
ing. rounded their fifty prisoners to-
,cthcr, stare them ahead of the tank
ard proceeded 70 the rear, the tank
behaving more or less like q lame duck.
hut clatteringly trium2hant
At another time a tank and it's crew
found themselves in a stormy position
inside the enemy lines. with no way Of
escape. Shut up in their movable fort
ress the men kept the tank advancing,
backing up and turning about for all
the world like cat with it's back up,
all the while shooting fire at the Ger
mans who surrounded it and were
trying to pierce the armor and get at
the men inside. This kept up for five
hours. until the infantry arrived and
rescued the outfit Stories such as
these are innumcrable. and the man
wi,o has known the inimitablc zcst Of
waiting for the signal to advance,
knowing it was UP 20 kim to get the
ugc bulk OF his machine over the
enemy entanglements and clear, the
ground for the advancing infantry
knowing that the success of an attack
depends largely upon him and the thor
oughness with which he and his ma
chine wipe away obstructions-such a
man has a CLEAN in his eye that BODIES
no good for the Rocic
Imperial Valley press., 1918-08-30
LW. W. LEADERS GET PRISON TERMS
Bees Work Net
Large Profits

Just another instance of the won
derful PROSPERITY that reigns in the
Imperial Valley came to light ut a
local bank today when a rancher, who
heretofore had been skating on thin
financial ic", deposited Il check for
1900.
The banker, who knew Of the mans
past struggles to get ahead and who
also knew that he owned but forty
acres of land, inquired the reason for
such sudden and great prosperity.
"Oh, just sold a bit Of honey" the
rancher answered.
Then he told Of how he had plant
ed the ma ajoiity Of his acreage in al
falfa and bought many stands of bees.
While Nature and the wonderful soil
fertility brought III his crop. his bees
worked for him and the result was 81,
600--an average of $102 an acre.
Imperial Valley press., 1918-08-30
CLERK MAKES
CITY REL PORT
IN BUSINESS
u LAST YEAR
Annual Report Showing
Transactions Up to June
30, Last, Shown in Com
prehensive Audit.

When the city books were closed on
June 30 last, teh end Of the fiscal
year, the municipality had balance
Of more than $4,000 in the treasury,
according to the annual report Of
Clerk Van Way, made public today
The abalances were as follows: Gen
eral fund, $T,482.21; street fund, $10,-
6O3.12; sewer fund, $2.l50.62; fire
fund 81, 1,587.93; library fund, $2.482.64; !;
water fund, $5.77O.95; park fund. ST.
2l6.35; unappropriated delinquent
tax, $8,47899; sewer bonds, 1908, $3,-
324 54, and other bonds q total Of SAT-,
780.49.
The receipts Tor the fiscal year
amounted to $288. .52o.38. including a
balance for the previous year Of $l09,'
87295. The disbursements totaled
$l97.64436 The disbursement items
follow:
General fund. $2O,2O4,94; street
fund. $ll, 1896; sewer fund, 81, AGA 98;
fire fund, $4,325.70; library fund. SIS,
94S.l6; water fund, $27,6l9.67; parI
fund. $1,204.25, and other items total
ing $125,000. including the sum Of
$4,000 for bonds.
The city receipts were obtained from
the following sources: City taxes, cur
rent, $60,567.07; personal, $5,145,37
penalties, $25O.33; delinquent, $4,-
$50. .58; operative, $412.75.
Licenses - Occupation, $6,055.G0
stage, $2,926.66, and dog, $223.S0.
Building, .$l44; electric
$lO1.S5; sewer, $239; plumbing
$l8l.25; street, $13.
Water department-Ra water
4,787.l0; metered water, $12,425.O9;
time and material, $843.O1; service
connections, 1851.
Police court fines, $3,30S.50; IL
brary fines, $113.16; refunds on sew
er connections, $18S24; interest on
deposits. $513.S3; interest on Liberty
bonds, S465.49; bond sale, SO, 1856; TAX
deeds, $164.34; refunds, $34710; mis-
cellaneous, $313S6.
The departmental costs follow:
General fund.-Administra 81
555.83; office expenses, $1,64875; po-
lice department, $6,28733; health and
sanitation and other expense bringing
the total to $20,20494.
Water Administration. $2,-
87460; pumping plant, $tl ,996.37; ba-
sin, 81, ,243 AS, and maintenance of ex-
tension and mains, $996.05, a total
cost of $33, ,390.63.
Street fund-$22, ,362.48; park fund,
$l204.25; fine fund, $6,9l3.63; library
fund, $5,948.16; sewer fund, $1,1SO37;
filter, 4,552.67.
Imperial Valley press., 1918-08-30
COUNTY DRAF 7
.CALLRE[)I)CE|::[|.)| /: /
.bYNE:W ORDER
FROM CAPITAL
Ell Centre Exemption Board
Gets Notification From
Adjutant General B0rree
for Only 81 Men.

On representations that the quota
could not be met from Class | men un,
iii after the proposed registration Of
the males of the ages Of Is to 40,
the bill for which has just been passed
by Congress, the last draft call from
the Imperial Valley has been reduced
from 90 to 62 men.
Official notice to this effect was
received today by the FL Centre ex-
exemption board from the office OF
Adjutanl General !. j. Borree. The
detachment is to entrain AT s O'Clock
on the morning Of September S to re
port for camp duty.
The board had obtained SO Class !
men toward the quota when the order
Of reduction was received. To obtain
the near threescorc men the first class
lists had been comhed and re-combed
I The remainder Of the men will be Sc
cured from list of % reglstfantS
qualified for military duty, who last
week registered on reaching their ma
jority.
'Thc quota was reduced when tn,
situation was fully explained at Sac
ramento," said an attachc of the board
"Thc reason that this county'S lists
are so low is because we have beer
compelled to constantly send new mer
Ia camp to replace those rejected by
the army examining boards and the
adjutant general had not been notified
Of this drain"
The board has received eight mai
bags containing supplies for the big
registration scheduled Tor early next
month. All males from is TO As viii
be called
Imperial Valley press., 1918-08-30
Systematic Campaign by
Revenue Men Ends in Bat
ties in Which Seven Are
Killed.
tBy Associated Press)

Washington, Aug 30.!Eight weeks
OF systematic campaign by revenue
officers again moonshiners in the
mountains Of Southern prohibition
states, has resulted i'll the capture Of
486 stills, the arrest of 200 persons.
the killing Of five outlaws and two
sheriffs, and the Wounding of a mum
ber OF other government men and Ii
q1or makers Thirty thousand gal
Ions Of moonshine whisky was poured
down mountain streams. The para
phernalia seized is valued at 800. 600.
Most of THE $1,000 pounds of sugar
eonfiseated will be given to the Red
Cross.
Recommendations for 321 prosecu-
tions have been sent to the Depart
ment Of Justice. More than score
OF deserters from the army have been
discovered participating in moonshine
manufacture. Two or three were
killed i'll GEORGIA by armed raiders.
Extraordinary Significance is attached
10 the concerted raids. because Reve-
nue. Commissioner Roper undertook
the en.erpri>c t. demonstrate that
prohibition 60 he manda effective. AN
other purpose was to eliminate sour
css from which moonshine can be fur
nished clandestinely to sosldiers of
Southern training camps.
Imperial Valley press., 1918-08-30
COURT D|SM|SSES
DEADLY ASSAULT
CHARGE ON WEST
Negro Defendant Presents an Alibi
in Answering the Charge That He
Was Guilty of Shooting Mrs. LOttie
Craig.

Presenting perfect alibi, Vester
West. the 55-year-old negro who was
arrested several weeks ago for the
shooting Of Lottie Craig, one of the
bellies of the colored settlement, was
acquitted in preliminary hearing
held before Judge Mayfield yesterday.
West was represented by o. v. Will
son, while Deputy District Attorney
Simon prosecuted the case. West pre-
sented evidence showing that at the
time of the alleged assault he was vis-
iting at the home of family moro
than hundred yeards from the scene
of the shooting.
The assault on Mrs. Craig was from
ambush, her assailant firing a charge
of nail slugs from a shotgun. She
was verely wounded and has just
reached the convalescent stage.