The Grenada sentinel., 1918-12-13
The. ,.,.
Red dCross Man 4
BY ROY PERRiNo.



like a six-cylinder officer. but they
don't ride in no tiivxcr."
"You are guessin' close, ireland.
Didn't you see the Red Cross on his
jitney? That's the Red jCr.Sss Man:
He's got real. handle but few know
what it's like. Every jack from the
T.. o. TO the ducks in the guardhOuse
call him the Red Gross Man. Got 'em
in all the camps"
81 didn't see none at Wheelcr's fed.
Is nc what you call-not a preacher
hut ID"
"No. Mike, he amt no chaplain, II
that's the handle you WIZ huntin' for.
The cross is big red one, an the A.
R. G. ON his jacket don't stand for
aero reserve corps, but the American
Red Cross. l heard him the other
morning when he tried to start his
tiiyyer after the rain. Captain Welsch
said his language was Biblical, but it
Wuzn't orthodox, whatever that means.
it sounded like good old United States
10 me. No, he amt no preacher, but
reckon he knows how to talk turkey to
the boys all right. Corporal Murphy
hadn't been giving his folks a square
deal; never sent any money home,
s-sOakin' his pay shOOtin' craps two
hours after gettin' it. The corp. tOle
me the Red Cross Man talked to i'm
like a Dutch uncle, an when he got
through, the corp. had signed paper
teltin' Uncle Sam TO take strangle
hold on half his pay, an slip it to his
mother. Take 1t from me, Uncle Sam
mie likes to hear them sort of orders,
an to show how happy he wuz to get
the corps message, he chucked in
twenty more plunkcrs to the corps ff-
teen an the mothers gettin' thirty-five
per. Sure she ain'r happy less she's
wraslin' with washboard every day,
but the corp. tote me she WuZ only
a-l;,kin' in five family washes now, an
the kids wuz goin' to school again,
When the Red Cross Man had toe
hold on the corp, he persuaded him III
take but insurance, same a the rest OF
gamble Ms bloomin' block oil with the
rest Of his pay The corp. gets Il good
nights sleep now on pay day, cause
what's left of his pay only lasts till
about ten t&irty.' a
.'Is This here Red Cross Man Il real
fOr-stlre officer, ilai:"s
Rank of Officer.
"Well, / dno. He ought 10 be. We
call him captain. or lieutenant, and
say sir to i'm He says he's an Off
Ger without rank. Says the leather
puts and green pants show that he's
part officer and the rests Irish. The
new fellers don't know whether to
s'lute or not He says we can sluta
the cross if we feel like il, but he don't
care a tinker'S hammer whether we
s'lute him or not. We old vets Know
i'm an S'lutc the cross an the man
thut's benin it. But officers and pri-
Yates are all the same to him. seen
i'm talkin' to the {. y. the other day,
an he wuzn't actin as though he WAS
any scared of him. They seemed to
be real friendly-like. But he don't
seem to care whether he's talkin to
the G. q. or u n. {. They all look
alike to him. He takes chow ut our
mess sometimes, an tin dishes don't
upset his StuMik any. The boys like
TO have him, cause he jOshes 'cm along
and they forget they'r still in the
States stead in France where they all
want to be. He can deliver the mer-
clautise TOO. Last winter when Tom
Mason's wife and four kids come down
here from Detroit an got SICK, the Ked
Cross Man got Tom leave an took
i'm 10 the burg in his fiiyver. Then he
sent Toms wife IL doc, an some coal,
an some eats. Reckon he must a
helped Tom get discharge so he
could support his family, though no.
body knows nOthin' for sure. Slim
Dawson thought he did, though, an
asked the Red Cross Man to help him
get off Uncle Sans pay roll. The
Red Cross Man wrote some letters up
to Sims home town, an when they
come back, he tOle Slim his wife anu
kids wuz a-drawin' fOrty-seven hfty
per and they wuz better off with him
workin' for Uncle Sam, an he'd better
stick aroun' and help make Germany
safe for democracy.
s'Must have the spOndulix an some
pull, if he's so free with the casn an
knows so many people everywhere"
He Amt No "Plut."
"No, he Amt no 'plut.' They say ne
don't draw no pay, an he pollshes his
own shoes, an in pinch. washes his
own shirt. But you see. Mike, this
Red Cross Man business is all over the
States. When soldier from Millers-
willie gets word his folks Is in bed, he
goes lnopin' aroun' like dog was met
nm with a skunk. He's sOured on the
whole show, an all the sugar this man
8 Hoover's saved couldn't sweeten him
! mn uone. Ills Off see he's punk an
they try to work it outer him. but 1t
only makes i'm punker. They look for
him to go over the hill next. Then the
Man boopS ohnylt II He