The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-03-27

Hayes supervision wide table OF
entertainment plans have been
spread broadcast throughout the di-
vision until those plans have become
as important as was the manual OF
arms to the beginning of each SOL
d;er:s army life. Situated in an
area far from the possibilities of en-
tertainment at the command of men
placed in camps in Amerlca,> Lieut..
HAYES found his task difficult one
at the start but Wild Cat is Wild
Cat regardless of the task to be ac-
complished The result is that the
present time finds splendid enter
tainment in the division, with as
much interest prevailing as if the
men had prepared for it many days
before it was known November IL
was to be productive of the opportu-
nifty now at hand.
Self-made entertainment has popp-
ed out every nook and corner OF the
Eighty-first division. There's con-
erable professional talent here
abouts but why this professional tai
ent won't be considered as richly as
the self-made talent will be learned
later in this letter.
The Wild Cats have the banjo play
ers from Alabama; the sweet voiced
singers from Tennessee; the good
Southern darky imitation singers
from the Carolinas; the soft shoe
dancers from Florida, and last but
not least the parody singers and
story tellers from the Bronx in New
York. There's a sprinkling of tai
ent from other States in the division
but those named predominant.
On Christmas night regimental
shows were given, and they were so
cleverly presented that bigger ideas
for the Wild Cats to make progress
in the entertainment department
were quickly grasped.
Now the Wild Cats, via the, process
of gathering choice talent from va
rious branches of the service, plus a
topnotch orchestra taken from the
artillery, have a representative di-
vision show. 1t is called, "Oh, You
Wild Cats"
Boosted up in details that army
regulations and facilities don't gov
ern, by the wide scope and extreme
hospitality of the Y. NJ. G. A., and
Eighty-irst division theatrical tai
ent has been placed On detached ser
vice, and formed into an entertain
ment unit. The Y. M. G. A. guiding
hand is superintended by Luther B.
Swanstrom, entertainment director
of the "Y'' in the Chatillon area
Mr.. Swanstrom is working with
Lieut.. Hayes in the perfection of the
whole undertaking.
The men forming the theatrica,
| unit of the division have been as
sembled in the town of Chatillon
sur-Seine under the direct charge o1
| the Y. NJ. C. A., which organization
| has furnished the unit with every
comfortable means that is at the
command of any organization "ovel
here" The unit has it's own rehears
al tent; it's own tent for billeting
purposes and it's own mess tent. In
short, the Eighty-frst division the
| atrical unit is an institution in it.
self.
Wild Cats Unafraid.
While the Wild Cats were assem-.
bling their ideals for representa-
tive show, other divisions were rush.
ing to Paris, and gaining considera
BILE publicity by presenting their rep
resentative shows. The rush is
still on. The Seventy-seventh gain.
ed foothold on the publicity
through the efforts of the ''Argonne
Players" The Twenty-second, with
several others, followed the foot
steps of the New York division. Die
this scare or discourage the Wild