Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-06

J of US left to guard. Therefore We
were all -jammed In \ small room.
The Russian prisoners were pushed
in with US. but the Frenchmen abso-
lutely refused to stand for that, IS
the Russians were so dissustedly
dirty they would not slsso In the
same room with them. So tAs Rus
slams were given ansther room
slonEs1de. That thfnned tho popufa-
ton cut somewhat and we could
stretch out our blankets and legs In
being an open fireplace In the room.
something resembling comfort There
and several energetic Frenchmen
finding some wood. we soon hao
roaring fire going. which not only
thawed US out but served to COOK
few potatoes several fellows had
picked mp along the way.
AS usual we were given nothing
to eat. not even the acorn coffee- So
the civilian IN whose house We were
imprisoned kindly made US some ccf-
fee. and since the Boche gave as
nothing the guards allowed him to
bring il to US.
ssJulians Soup Again
Next morning we had the usual
soup-"Julian"-an this time there
was not even any meat in It. Not in
my portion at least. Although
never felt as hungry in my life.
| could not eat it. The taste nearly
sickened me, and besides I had seen
its effect ON men who ate it Men
whom hunger had made SO Tavenous
they would eat anything despite the
consequences.
These were quick and sometimes
fatal. for when 1t came to getting re-
suits 3 'cascaret" had nothing on
Julian" soup. Therefore. no matter
how hungry I was I gave my share
to some Frenchman. There were al
ways takers and they were so glad
'sInsusw ausmpueurs Truopulns
to get it they could not thank me
enough
The pleasure however. was all
theirs. I wanted some real grub. so
| remembering the good bread and
butter we had eaten the day before.
the adjutant and 1 lodged q guard
and into a house. There we asked for
bread and offered to pay for it,
knowing, OF course, she would not
take anything.
| BelRians Liberal
| The Belgians were that way. Not
a cent would they take. and yet they
would divide their last potato with
a prisoner. Yes ma'am. I'm here to
say that the Belgians are the kind
/ est people in the world. bar aone.
But IL the madame had no bread
| she had some potatoes and gave us
a whole sack full. and what's more
| she cooked them for US. During that
days march lived on potatoes and
my former days rations of black
bread.
Many watched me hungrily as I
munched away while we were rest
| ing, but although 1 pitied them, had
! learned from better experience that
II one did not look out for No. no.
body else would. Certainly not the
Boche. And my portion of potatoes
was not big enough to last even me
more than one day-after that, we'll,
a French shrug was about the only
answer.
Fighting For Sustenance
Besides. eight mediun-sized pota-
toes would not go far among all
those hungry men. They were all
hungry, all OF the time. and it was
one continual fight to get enough to
| keep alive. Never have 1 had the
fact that life is a continual combat
| impressed upon me So forcibly as
/
was a keen-eyed scout on the trail
Of something to eat, and If one found
/ anything, he ate it himself, or IL he
had very, very good pal he divided
Many things to eat were given the
prisoners as they marched along the
| road. but on the third day this was
FORBIDDEN by the guards, as a loaf OF
! bread appearing in window always
made a break in the ranks "toute de
suite"
This source OF supplies being prac-
| tically stopped. late in the afternoon
the prisoners were getting very hun
cry indeed. The prisoners still man
| aged to get a few gifts on the sIy,
! but the Boches did all they could to
stop this, by marching US around
| the towns we came to. or il we did
march through them, we went by
back streets.
Dump Furnished Food
Once we passed by the town DUNN.
and here the Russians saw some po-
tato peelings. and promptly got down
on their knees and rooted among
them for small potatoes. They found
some too. ard half rotted as they
! were. took :hem. along. Not only
that, but they took the peelings also.
Never have I seen anything SO dis
| gusting.
And they actually ate that mess.
Why it didn't kill them is a mystery.
Several Frenchmen tried the same
thing and died. After that, the
Frenchmen were down on the Rus
slams more than ever, for the odor
OF rotten potatoes clung to them
wherever they went. That night we
| slept in stable. The horses were
taken out and we were put in. II
| even looked as If we were going to
use the original bedding of the
horses, until the kind farmer offered
/ US some straw.
! When we went for the straw we
| found lot OF bundles of beans =
coarse stalks, about a yard long.
| whose branches were covered with
| bean pods. After that everybody
hulled beans for all he was worth.
and since we stayed there two days.
some had quite lot to show for IL.
OF course, the farmer had not given
US permission to use the bean bundles
too. but when one is hungry he does
not stop to think whether he is bust
ing one of the Ten Commandments or
not. Those beans were good eating.
hrrnert.H-