The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1918-11-06
Our Doughboys Mean Business
When They Take the First
Line Trenches.
THEIR EFFICIENCY EVIDENT
Veterans Before They Enter the
Trenches, by First.Rate Military
Training II Not by Experience
Every Man In Line Has
Personal GrudVe to
Settle With Huns.


LOrraine.--By the dim light Of the
moon you could barely see the stream
of doughboys pouring out of the shell
tering woods and scraping over the
dusty French road toward the trenches.
They said very little and trudged along
with that measured swinging tread
which enables Europe's veterans to
carry their heavy packs almost un-
heard-of distances.
The stream seemed unending, as the
United Press staff car picked its way
from squad to squad without using
lights, without falling In bitches and
without touching n single doughhcy.
Finally one section of the human
stream halted in ruined village. The
press car stopped, too. for beyond this
point everything except ammunition
and food goes on foot.
The officers gave the order to rest
and lot Of packs dropped to the
ground, followed by doughboys. Their
rifles they never dropped. In the moon
light you could see the ground covered
with resting soldiers, mostly string
There was a clicking of rifles and
sounds of tightening packs, and bits Of
gossip which could come "1ly from o
group heading for it's first night in the
trenches.
Indifferent to Danger.
These were Uncle Sans citizen sol
dicrs. new men just over from 1.-THE
states" as they have habit Of calling
home when over here. A few ques
tons revealed the fact that a year agt
these boys were clerks. carpenters
students and whatnot. In civilian
clothes. Six months ago they were II
a training camp. Now they were sol
d'ers in France. and tonight they were
making their genuine debut into TIL
war for civilization.
There was no wild enthusiasm no
any evidence Of fear or even appre
hens'on among those citize,,so,dier
as they rested before making the lns
Lap into the trenches. There WAS ,
nar,er-cf-fact sort of confidence prev
alent. and every man was making III
NOR Of the breathing spell 20 see tn.
he was 100 per cent ready for bal1le
Interest and talk conferred around tn
clicking rifles and other equipment.
"1'his old guns sure going to d
some work from now on" said on
doughboy to his pal, as he played wit
the rifle fondly. ITS the best gun i
this army"
"Say, you never shot this gum" RI
piled the other. "Nobody ever did, an
nobody will but me. It's some Bocht
getter, 1t was made for me Special.
b."
Officers went through the crowd. gi'
ing final warning about use Of GO
masks. and attention conferred aroun
masks for moment. A lot of chal
tried them on again. Then packs agai
were adjusted. and the group of doug
boys streamed slowly on.
: Ready for Business.
AS they got nearer the front trench'
the word was passed to walk MOI
dertones stopped. and they descend'
F.; into trenches. All you heard was Il
> steady knock of hObnailed shoes I
the trench duckbOards, as these .e
arrivals were quietly initiated to Il
trenches in France. Quietly and wit
out commotiOn the OfficerS station
their men, with lookOuts watchil
across moonlit No Mans Land, t
former occupants Of the trenches lie
and the relief was completed.
There Is something about the fe,
less quiet way these new dOugbho
take the trenches that makes Y
feel they know a lot about warfa
They are veterans before they emf
the trenches. by first-rate militia
training If not experience. Their d
cipline Is fine, and their efficiency te
you they are ready for business
meaning whipping Germans.
swell. you can tell Kaiser Bill we
here to fight" said one doughboy.
he took his station. "Hear the G
mans say we're just crowd Of
trained boys. Wen soon show tn
we're soldiers"
1t happens this doughboy's plate
.. did it very soon. The next night