The Jasper news., 1918-11-21


laughed at us. and pretended that
they were starving and would groan
and rub their stomachs and say
"Nichts zu essen" to each other, and
then grab a big hunk Of bread and
eat It. What we did not say to them
was very little indeed. We were GER
tainly wild If any men ever were.
Then some of us said we were go.
Ing to get some OF that bread II We
went west for 1t. So we started
fight, and while they were attending to
some of us, the others grabbed and hid
all the bread they could. They rousted
us back into the cars and we were
just starting to divide up the bread
when they caught us with 1t and took
1t away. We were wilder than ever
then, but we could not do anything.
1t got colder after we left Witten-
berg. and the snow blew into the cars
through the windows AMI doors until
we were afraid to sleep for fear Of
freezing. 1t was the worst night I
have ever seen, and the coal bunkers
on the Yarrowdale seemed like pal
ace compared to the compartments.
because we could at least move around
In the ship, while In the train we could
not move ut all, and were packed SO
close that we could not even stretch
our legs and arms. Some of the men
did die, but not In my compartment,
though most of us were frost-bitten
about the face.
We thought that night would never
end, but day came finally, and though
1t seemed to get colder and colder, we
did not mind 1t SO much. At about
eleven that morning, we arrived at
place called Minden and saw n prison
camp there-just stockade near the
tracks with the boys out In the OPEN
We waved to them, and they waved
back and gave cheer-oh or two. We
felt sorry for them, because we knew
we were not going to that camp, and
from what little we saw, we knew wa
could not be going to q worse place
than they were In. i shall never for,
get Minden, because 1t was here that ]
received the only cigarette had while
/ was in Germany.
\
guess, and when we pulled into the
depot, we saw many troops going to
the front or coming buck. AS at all
important German railway stations,
there was Red Cross booth on the
platform, with German girls handing
out barley coffee and other things to
the German soldiers. i saw q large
shanty on the platform. with Rec
Cross painted over the door. saw
the girls giving barley coffee to the
soldiers, and l thought wosld have
try at 1t and at least be polite
,, enough to give the girls chance OF
refusing me. / was refused all right,
but they were so nasty about 1t that
put down my head and let something
slip. l do not remember just what II
was, but 1t was not very compliment
airy, guess. Anyhow, ] did not think
anyone near there understood Eng
fish, but evidently some one heard me
who did. for got an awful boot that
landed me ten or twelve feet away.
l fell on my hands and knees, and
about yard away | saw cigarette
stub. dived for 1t like man falling
on a football, and when ! came up
that stub was safely In my pocket.
And 1t stayed there until reached
Dulmen and had chance to light 1t
behind the barracks. If any Of the
other men had smelled real tobacco.
they would probably have murdered
me, and could not have blamed them
+ for It,
That was the first and last cigarette
| got In Germany, and you can be-
lleve- me when ! say that l enjoyed
1t. There was not much to 1t. but
smoked 1t until there was not enough
left to hold in my mouth, and then l
used what was left and mixed 1t with
the bark that we made cigarettes out
of. incidentally, this bark was great
stuff. / do not know what kind of
tree 1t was from. but 1t served the
purpose. Whenever fellow wanted
to smoke and lit one of these bark
cigarettes. few puffs were enough.
He did not want to smoke again for
some time afterward, and like as not,
he did not want to eat either. They
were therefore very valuable:
1t is very hard to get matches In
the camps, and when any prisoner
does get hold Of one, 1t is made to last
long time. Here Is how we make q
match last. Some one gives up the
sleeve of his coat, and the match Is
carefully lit. and the coat sleeve
burned to crisp. Then we take q
button from our coats-the buttons
are brass with two holes In them
pass shoestring through the holes
knot the ends, and with the button iI