Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1919-10-27
"BEAUCOUP FRANCS FOR BROADWAY
MEANS "SIDE-DOOR PULLMAN" FOR HIM

1t would not be quite fair, per-
haps, to tell his name, so for conl
venience sake he shall be called \
Martin Smiths He is one of the many
Martin Smiths" who left their in
dividuality at home, two years ago to
become an insignificant, though vital
part in the great olive drab machine
that crushed Prussianism. On the
right sleeve of the rather bedraggled
uniform he wore when he drifted in
the Home Service section at the post
office the other day, a single gold
stripe gave mute testimony of the
work of German sniper. His un-
kempt appearance, accentuated by
his partly successful attempt to "po-
lice up bore out the adventuresome
tale he told to the Home secretary.
Broadway Gets Francs.
1t was said that he was discharged
at Mobile, although, as a matter of
fact he probably never saw Mobile
in his young life. Back pay and bon
us, to say nothing of the five cent
carfare allowed him for his journey
to Oregon, left him with a neat little
iOii WllSit llt was tQiiiCd ioooS. out,
like most of the other Martin Smiths
who had ''got across, he had seen
"Paree" and the question of "how
va gonna keep EN-" has not yet been
satisfactorily answered. If Paris was
as ocean away New York was not,
and where in all the United States is
a better place to spend "beaucoup
francs" than along Broadway
So New York it was, and never, as
long as the money lasted, did an
American doughboy have such a
time! Until one morning he awoke
with a great empty space in the reg
ion of his stomach, and never cent
in the pockets Of his uniform, and
Oregon more than q thousand lea
CUES away.
Blind Baggage for Him.
O WE'LL If one cannot ride in a
private car .one can still, if one is
wary enough, ride blind baggage
and nothing daunted at the signs of
inclement weather and the increas-
ing emptiness of which he was be-
comig more than ever aware, he
climbed aboard west bound freight,
and found himself some hours later
in Chicago. Here he sought the hos
pitality of the Soldiers and Sailors
club, and telegraphed from there to
the Red Cross home service section
in Salem for transportation. Before
an answer could be received, he left
Chicago, once more travelling "de
luxe" and landed in a little town
outside the Illinois state borders PEN
niless and hungry and wet to the
skin, Despairing of reply to his
message to Salem, he managed to
collect enough money to telegraph to
the Portland home section of the
Red Cross Then while Salem and
Portland were both attempting to To-
cate him and send the desired trans
portation, he boarded another west
bound freight. only to be put off in a
none too gentle manner, in a town in
Iowa
Jail Next Stop.
Fortunately there was Red Cross
canteen in the place, and after a
hearty supper the little girl in charge
at that hour told him of a troop train
that was due that evening and assist
ed him in getting aboard. BY an un-
fortunate coincidence he had sent his
discharge to Washington, ID. c. and
! upon being unable to produce it. was
put under arrest as a deserter. by the
officer In charge of the train, and
thrown In Jail at the next town. II
was a week before the difficulty was
cleared and he was allowed to con-
tinue his transcontinental trip.
All through Montana and the sage
brush country the riding was easier
because of the dry weather. except
when he suffered from thirst. In
Spokane an elderly man, with sons
of his own in the service, gave him
a little money and some meal and
bed tickets. The tickets he turned
over to another soldier, little worse
off than himself who was intending
to remain in Spokane, and unutter-
ably glad 10 be so close to home
picked himself comfortable spot
ibehind an engine on a freight headed