Oxford eagle., 1918-12-12
The
edCrOSS Man
@
BY ROY PERRIN0
BY ROY PERRlN0.


don't ride in no fiivyer."
you are guc in close, ireland.
Didn't you see the Red Cross on his
jitney? That's the Red Cross Man.
He's got a real handle but few know
what its like Every Jack from the
G. o. to the ducks in the guardhouse
call him the Red Cross Man. Got 'em
In all the camps"
81 didn't see none at Wheeler's field.
Is he what you call-not IA preaclNr-
but a"
''No, Mike, he amt no chaplain, II
that's the handle you wuz huntin' for.
The cross is big red one, an the A.
X. G. ON his jacket don't stand for
aero reserve corps, but the American
Red Cross. / heard him the other
morning when he tried TO start his
fiivver after the rain. Captain Welseh
said his language was Biblical, but IL
wuzn't orthodox, whatever that means.
1t sounded like good old United States
10 me. No, he amt no preacher but
reckon he knows how 10 talk turkey to
the boys all right Corporal Murphy
hadn't been giving his folks a square
deal; never sent any money home,
a-soakin' his pay shoOtin' craps two
hours after gettin' 1t. The corp. tole
me the Red Cross Man talked To lin
like Dutch uncle. an when he got
through, the corp. had signed a paper
tellin' Uncle Sam 10 take a strangle
hold ON half his pay. an slip ii 10 his
mother. Take il from me, Uncle Sam
ME likes TO hear them sort of orders.
an To show how happy he wuz TO get
the corps message, he ehucked in |
twenty more plunkers to the corps fif- /
teen an the mothers gettin' thirty-five !
per. Sure she amt happy less she's I
wraslin' with washboard every day, |
but the corp. tole me she Wuz only /
a-takin' In fiyo 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 TO /
take. out Insurance, same a> the rest Of /
us boys. an then he tule him he could .
gamble his bloomin' block OF with the
rest of his pay. The corp. gets good
nights sleep now ON pay day, cause
what's left of his pay only lasts till
about ten thirty"
rs this here Red Cross Man - real
fOr-sure officer, HALF"
Rank of ofiieer. 4
well, dino. lie ought to be. We
call him captain, or lieutenant. and
say sir To i'm. lie says he's an oni-
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
slute or not He says We can s'lute F
the cross If We feel like it. but he dout
care tinker's hammer whether we
s'lute him or not. We old vets know
i'm an slute the cross an the man
that's benin it. But officers and pri- T
Yates are all the same TO him. 1 seen
i'm talkin' TO the &. .. the other dav.
an he wuzn't actin as though he was I
any scared Of him. They seemed 10
be real friendly-like. But he don't I
seem To care whether he's talkin' 10
the {. q. or a \. &. They all look
alike To him. lie takes chow al our
mess sometimes, an tin dishes don't !
upset his stunik any. The boys like
10 have him, cause he iOshcs 'em along
and they forge. they'r stiu in the
States stead in France whore they all /
want to be. He can deliver the mer-
chandi>e too. Last winter when Tom
Mason's wife and four kids come down .
here from Detroit an got sick. the Red
Cross Man got Tom leave AN took .
i'm TO the burg in his fllyVer. Then he
sent Toms wife 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. am I.
asked the Red Cross Man 10 help him
get on Uncle Sans pay roll. The
Red Cross Man wrote some letters up 4
10 Sims home town. an when they +
come back, he tole Slim his wife ana /
kids wuz a-drawin' forty-seyen fifty
per and they wuz better of with him /
workin' for Uncle Sam, an he'd better /
stick aroun' and help make Germany
safe for democracy"
Must have the Spondullx an some !
pull, If he's so free with the cash an /
knows so many people everywhere"
He Amt No "Plut."
mo, he aln't no 'plut' They say he |
don't draw no pay. an he polshes his |
own shoes, an in a pinch washes his /
own shirt. But you see, Mike, this |
Red Cross Man business is all over the |
States. When soldier from AIillers- |
vile gets word his folks is in bed. he /
goes mopin' aroun' like dog was met
up with "A skunk. He's soured on the
whole show. an all the sugar this man
Hoover's saved couldn't sweeten him
up none. His or see he's punk an
they try to work 1t outer him, but It
only makes i'm punker. They look for
him to go over the hill next. Then the
Red Cross Man hears about II. He
gets him In his Office, or in his jitney,
an, believe me. he knows how to find