Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-18
ESTABLISHED 1855
What The A. E. F. IS DOING
DOughbOy Writes Numerous Account
Of Daily Routine.
SAVING HUMOR MAKES life EASIER
Getting Up for ReviIle-What They
Have for Breakfast-Sleepins With
Cows, Pigs and Chickens-Some-
thing About the cooties-And When
Thew Will Come Home.

tnln9 ABOUT tne Sooe'es e "~
They Will Come Home.
Correspondence of The Yorkville Enquirer.
Coulmiers-le-Sec, France, February
21.-In every letter that receive from
the States l am asked the question
What are you doing over there?" The
following is an account Of one of my
average days as one acting soldier OF
the A. E. F. in France.
Just at present l am sitting on a
rude bench before the fire in my hum
BILE billet No. 4. Coulmiers-le-Sec
France, after having finished my day
programme. This consists Of rising to
the tone of that unfeeling bugle CALL
re-echoed by my nearest neighbor, the
big French rooster, who sleeps In the
room adjoining mine, and who persists
in annoying me by conversing with
his neighbor, friend pig, who sleeps IN
the room adjoining his, all night long.
Next comes the scramble to wrap
nv spirals around my very un-
willing legs, grab my cap, coat ana
oyercoat and run out to be present at
that very formal formation known TO
all, and loved by none, reville, which
has for its purpose the correction OF
tardiness and the maintenance or
perfect membership. If late or absent
at this formation, you are then admit
ted without ceremony, to the society
for the Relief and Protection Of over
worked Cooks, or known to some as
the Saturday and Sunday K. P.'s club,
which holds it's meetings in the COM
pany mess shacks under the supervi-
sion of the kind, generous and obllg-
ing mess sergeant, who automatically
becomes president Of the meeting and
who sees that ample recreation Is FUR
nished in the form Of bathing, un-
dressing and caring for our best
friend, our very subsistence, one on
whom we can always depend In time
Of hunger, the backbone Of the U. ,.
army, Private "Spuds," member OF the
staff of General Life, known to every
soldier in the A. E. F., OF whom spe-
cial mention was made while serving
in the United States; who participated
in every engagement with the dough
boys" against the Boches, special men
ton having been made in the battle
of Chateau Thierry, Saint Mihiel, and
the Argonne, and upon one occasion
decorated for bravery when deserted
by all his culinary comrades except
Private .Prunes and Corporal Corneo
Willy, he faced alone one whole COM
pany mess line, enduring the humiliat-
fng attack made against the beneVo-
lent mess sergeant and bore him to
safety amid the kissing sounds and
scorching looks of the furious, blood
thirsty doughboys.
After this all-important formation Is
over, I then launch into luxurious
shave, which is required every morn
ing. because since the war is consider
ed over, no more camouflage is neces-
sary on the face. Our captain does
not allow any distinction made and
when one hair falls under the Keen
blade of the grim reaper Gillette, eV-
ery one must follow. A change OF
camouflage has often been attempted
in the hurry of the mornings cleaning
I'D. but the captain, being an expert
enced soldier, always convinces the
well-meaning private that face po"aei
won't cover up the nights growth.
"Since the "lavatory" in my billet
won't run hot water. we have to fall
back on the soldiers ingenuity and
heat our own water by placing small
pint cup (Which was originally occu-
pied by "corned willy") over the hre
Gn time Of war I used my canteen cup
but more sanitary conditions prevail
now.)
When this operation is over 1 then
go 20 what is called breakfast. This
repast consists almost unfailingly OF
tender CD portions Of that valuable
but wronged domestic animal known
in the states as the COW, sliced ano
diced" and subjected to process
happily known to no one but arm!
cooks, So that when it emergcs from
the kitchens oven we have delicious
squared. rubberized sample Of the uni
yersal army dish known as "slum.
Side by side we find staring us in the
face the aforementioned ever-faithfa
"spuds."
Next in the row we find boiler ol
..mush," which was made of yello"
corn meal and incapable OF being tast'
ed. Until recently no way was known
nv which corn meal could be shipped
over. but some one Il think 1t was
German sympathizer) has finally dis
covered the deadly process.
Next sits the boilers which are salo
m contain coffee. It isn't really cof1et
YOU know, but you've got to hama IL t'
the fellow who discovered how te
color water so skilfully.
Next is the bread, which was paAee
when the great preparedness move
ment was first started in the STATE:
expecting war; 1t is baked IN roune
halls so that in case the artillery shoulo
run short of shells these could be usec
with equal effectiveness. The compa'
nv lines up in single file, enclrciins
the interior of the mess shack seVera
times and woe be unto the fellow VINO
comes in late and tries to slip in aheac
of somebody. Now the cooks and theil
humble assistants, the K. P.'s, line VI
behind their respective pans ana pots
and thus the many pleasant surprises
the planning Of which caused the mess
sergeant so many headaches, is spoon
ed out to the famished line as 1t file!
past. And the table on which we ca
is the same one which God gave us L
walk on.
When this is over we then go oacs
to our billets and prepare for the IN
evitable inspection. First, we fold VI
our bed ticks, which are filled Will
feathers (the kind that grows in whea