Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1918-03-07
also toId me 70 take my waterproot.

Every evening, from each platoon o
machlne-gun section, lance corpora
and private 90 to the quartermaste
sergeant At the company stores an,
draw ratlons for the following day.
The quarter as the quartermaste
sergeant Is called, receives daily iron
the orderly room Captains ofIicel
slip showing the number Of men en-
titled TO ratlons. so there is no chanc,
Of putting anything over on him. Many
arguments take place between tho
quarter" and the platoon noncom, bu
the former always wins out. Tommy
says the quarter got his Job because
he was burglar In civil life.
Then | spread the waterproof sheet
on the ground, while the quartermas.
ter's batman dumped the ratlons ON It.
The corporal was smoking d fag.
carried the rations back to the billet.
The corporal was still smoking Il flag.
How | enyed him. But when the issue
commenced my envy died and | real
lied that the first requisite Of non
commissioned officer on active service
Is diplomacy. There were 10 men In
our section, and they soon formed a
semicircle around us after the corporal
had called out "Rations up
The duartermaster sergeant had
given slip 70 the corporal on which
was written list of the rations. Sit
ting on the floor, using d wooden box
ms table, the issue commenced ON
the left Of the corporal the rations
were piled They consisted Of the fol-
lowing:
Six loayes Of fresh bread. each loaf
Of a different size, perhaps one out of
the six being as flat as Il pancake the
result Of an army service corps man
placing a box Of bully beef on 1t dur
Ing transportation.
Three tins Of jam, one apple and the
other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all diff
ferent sizes.
A piece Of cheese in the shape of a
wedge.
Two one-pound tins of butter.
A handful of raisins.
tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls
them Jaw breakers"
A bottle of mustard pickles.
The bully beef" spuds, condensed
milk. fresh meat. bacon and 'Macono-
chic rations' Ga can filled with meat,
vegetables and greasy water), had been
turned over to the company cook to |
make stew for next days dinner. He |
also received the tea, sugar, salt, pep
per and -four.
Scratching his head, the corporal !
studied the slip issued to him by the
quarter. Then in slow, mystified
voice he read out, mo. section, 10
men. Bread, loaves, six" He looked
puzzled and soliloquized in a musing
yoice:
"Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see,
hats three in loaf for fifteen mem
veil, to make it even, four of you'll
ave to muck in on one loaf"
The four that got stuck made howl
tut to no avail. The bread was dished
ut. Pretty soon from a far corner of
he billet three indignant Tommies ac-
osted the corporal with:
"What do you call this, a loaf of
read2 Looks more like a sniping
late"
The corporal answered:
"Well, don't blame me, didn't bake
!; somebody's got to get it, so shut n
p until l dish out these blinkin' ra- :
ons." I
Then the corporal started on the !
I'm.
Jam, three tlns-apple one, plum
70. Nineteen men, three tins. Six :
tin makes twelve men for two tins,
ven in the remaining TIM"
He passed around the jam, and
ere was another riot Some didn't
se apple, while others who received
nm were partial to apple. After a
nile differences were adjusted and n
G issue went on.
Bermuda onions. seventeen" y
The corporal avoided row by say SC
: that he did not want an onion, and al
aid they make your breath smell, so
yuessed would do without one too.
e corporal looked his gratitude.
Cheese pounds, two"
The corporal borrowed jackknife "
are always borrowing), and
,ed the cheese-each slicing bring
!. forth pert remark from the on
kers as to the corporals eyesight
Raisins, ounces, eight" VIZ
BY this time the eorporal's nerves SIN
gone west, and in despair he said ma
t the raisins were to be turned over we
the cook for duff Opium pudding). Old
Is decision elected a little "grous- ba,
J" but quiet was finally restored.
Biscuits, tins, one"
With his borrowed jackknife, the
poral opened the tin of biscuits, and
everyone to help themselves-no-
y responded to this invitation. ,
nmy is "fed up with biscuits.
Butter, tins, two" syn
Nine in one, ten in the other" TO"
mother rumpus. goo
Pickles, mustard, bottles, one" Dee