Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-03-29

obtain sufficient supply. / should judge that
Russian pOnyskin coats, which have often been
SO popular In America, ought to be cheaper than
ever this season If there has been any way Of
curing and transporting the skins Of these glossy
coated animals Of the steppes.
WOmens army kitchens are adequately SUD-
Piled with horse meat, and from ladies Of rank
to serfs the women soldiers have learned how to
prepare palatable food. They have also learned
not only to draw their field pieces, but actually
carry them.
All women are enrolled in the infantry division
OF the army. SO that theirs are machine guns.
which three or four women can carry together.
Some Of these guns are light enough to be borne
on the shoulders Of one woman.
While Russians are not good marksmen they are
expert at bayOnet work, and there is nothing the
Germans fear more than a Russian bayonet en-
counter. when the sturdy dwarf Of the North not
only sticks his enemy through. but has an appal-
ling habit OF lifting him up on the bayOnet. I
saw one victim of this shocking act slide OF the
keen blade, dead.
And II the Germans fear such attacks Of unin-
spIred Russian men. they dread the savage charge
OF fiery Russian women. and when they succeeded
in capturing three In battle they tortured them to
death by way of satisfying spite against those
hundreds Of young women who lay slain-martyrs
to patriotism.
1 watched women soldiers dig out their own
them to fall in; pull around their heavy ammuni-
ton wagons and guns. as well as their field ktch-
ems. and set up their barbed-wire entanglements.
Many Of them were nOblewomen and wealthy men,
bers Of the upper froth" of Russia quite q mum.
Der were wives and mothers whose husbands were
fighting In another sector on the line; and every
one volunteer.
With courage went cheerfulness. In the midst
of the hardships of trench lfe-and they can
scarcely be Observation-Disclosures women sang bal
lads and catchy songs they worked at the bust
Of death. Some played on musical instru-
ments that they had brought into the trenches.
while most of them found time to attend to the
fort Of their pets especially the battalion mascos
"a parrot and cat
All were short of clothing-simple was their
Uniform 1t consisted of grayish khaki colored
material, like washed-Out khaki made in overas
and jumper. with tght-itting high collar and
belt They wore the same boots as were used by
men, and some had their feet encased In shoes and
puttees One Of the chief difficulties in eQuipping
women has been to fit the upper frOth" with
boots and to the rigors Of trench life has been
added the discomfort and. fancy. pain of dainty
feet in coarse. heavy unaccustomed boots, stand
ing often in mire Of mud and water.
Women soldiers had shifts Of ten days in first.
line trenches of the enemy. with four hours and
four hours of duty. At the least unusual noise
or sudden skirmish the whole $500 women were
out and in readiness for battle
Every thirty feet in the womens sector stood a
post" or sentry, who fired without ceasing. It
was her duty to call out, occasion. the soldiers
who rested In their malOdorous dugOuts on shelves
that protruded from the walls along each side
Mere children were many Of these modern ANA
IONS, for their ages vary from fifteen to thirty-ve
years, and for ten days on a stretch they had no