Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-02-28

Three tins Of Jam, one apple ana he i
other two plum.
Seventeen Bermuda onions, all DIFF.
ferent sizes.
A piece CT cheese In the shape oka
wedge.
Two one-pound tins Of butter.
A handful of raisins.
A 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 "Alacono-
chic rations'' "a can filed with meat,
vegetables and greasy water), had been
turned over to the company cook to
make a stew for next days dinner. He
also received the ten, sugar, salt, pep
per and flour.
Scratching his head, the corporal
studied the slip issued to him by the
quarter. Then in slow, mystifed
voice he read out, mo. section, 10
men. Bread, loaves, six" He looked
puzzled and soliloquized in a musing
voice:
"Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see
that's three in a loaf for fifteen men
well, to make it even, four of you'll
have to muck in on one loaf"
The four that got stuck made howl.
but to no avail. The bread was dished
out. Pretty soon from far corner Of
the billet, three indignant Tom1nies &C.
cOStad tha cOrnnral with.
'What do you call this, loaf Of
bread? Looks more like a sniping
plate."
The corporal answered:
swell, don't blame me, didn't bake
It; somebody's got to get it, so shut
up until dish out these blinkin' ra-
TONS"
Then the corporal started on the
jam.
Jam, three tins-apple one, plum
two. Nineteen men, three tins. Six
In a tin makes twelve men for two tins,
seven in the remaining tin"
He passed around the jam, and
there was another riot. Some didn't
like apple, while others who received
plum We're partial to apple. After
while differences were adjusted and
the issue went on.
! Bermuda onions. seventeen"
The corporal avoided row by say
Ing that he did not want an onion, and
1 said they make your breath smell, SO
I guessed would do without one too.
The corporal looked his gratitude.
Cheese, pounds, two"
The corporal borrowed jackknife
(corporals are always borrowing), and
sliced the cheese-each slicing bring
ing forth pert remark from the on
lockers as to the corporal's eyesight.
"Raisins, ounces, eight
By this time the corporal's nerves
had gone west, and in despair he said
that the raisins were to be turned over
to the cook for ''duff'' Opium pudding).
This decision ELECTED little "grous-
Ing" but quiet was finally restored.
biscuits, tins, one"
With his borrowed jackknife, the
corporal opened the tin of biscuits, and
told everyone to help themselves-no-
body responded to this invitation.
Tommy is ''fed up" with biscuits.
"Butter. tins, two"
''Nine in one, ten in the other"
Another rumpus.
Pickles, mustard, bottles, one."
Nineteen names were put in a steel
helmet, the last one out winning the
pickles. On the next issue there were
only IS names, as the winner is clint
mated until every man in the section
has won bottle.
The rattle is closely watched, because
Tommy is suspicious when 1t comes to
gambling with his rations.
When the issue is finished the cor
poral sits down and writes letter
home, asking them If they cannot get
some M. p. (member of parliament) to
have him transferred to the Royal Fly
ing corps where he won't have to issue
rations.
At the different French estaminets
In the village and at the canteens Tom
my buys fresh eggs, milk, bread and
pastry. Occasionally when he is flush,
he invests in tin of pears or april
cots. His pay is only shilling day,
"a cents, or cent an hour. Just imag-
Inc, cent an hour for being under
fre-not much chance of getting rich
out there.
When he goes into the fire trench
(front line), Tommy's menu takes
tumble. He carries in his haversack
what the government calls emergency
or iron rations. .Jrhey are not supposed
to be opened until Tommy dies of star
Walton. They consist of one tin Of
bully beef, four biscuits, little tin
which contains tea, sugar and Oxo
cubes concentrated beef tablets).
These are only to be used when the
enemy establishes curtain of shell
fire on the communication trenches,
thus preventing the carrying I'M of
nations, or when in an attack q body
of troops has been cut off from its base
Of supplies.
The rations are brought up ct night
by the company transport. This is
section Of the company in charge of
the quartermaster sergeant, composed
Of men, mules and limbers {two-
wheeled wagons), which supplies Tom
my's wants while in the front line.
They are constantly under shell fire.
The rations are unloaded at the en-
trance to the communication trenches
and are carried in" by men detailed
for that p1,rpoco Tho u,,or+on,,o ~,