davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1926-10-24

down among the companies. whole
squads were blotted out. and men
choked and coughed as the reek of the
high explosive caught at their wind
pipes.
outa this dam place an get at
'em---p" A shell with driving
band loose came with banchee
scream. and men and pieces of men
were blown in the air. THAT was in
the first platoon" said the second-in-
command. shaking the dirt off his gas
mask. "Something ought to be done
about that gunner, el captain. An
other landed in the opposite lip of the
trench where the two officers
crouched half-burying them both
"My God. cap'n, You killed. "Hell,
no. Are you?'
Far enough to the left the major
9Th leads--we're the last battalion in
support today
x, y x
COMING from the maze of trenches
in the rear. the assault regiment
began to pass through the 9Th. bat
TALON following battalion at 500 yard
distaNcns. a number of French
baby" tanks started with the as
Saulting waves, but it was an evil
place for tanks. Tank traps, trenches
SO wide that the little fellows went
nose down into them and stuck. and
direct fire from Boche artillery stop
ped the most of them.
The battalion was out Of the trench
now. and going forward. regulating its
pace and cracking in the alr-a cor
poral spun around and collapsed limp
ly. while his blouse turned red under
his ask-the man beside him
stumbled and went down, swearing
through grayish lips at a shattered
knee-the men fiattened and all faces
turned toward the flank.
"Machne guns on the left.'-'Hell'
it's that t,Sen Hook we've got to pass
thank God. it's long range Come
on, YOU birds" And the battalion
went on. enduring grimly. Finally,
when we'll past its front. which ran
diagonally to the line of advance. the
18th COmpan ny. that had the left. turned
savagely oA the Essen Hook and got
foothold in its rear. A one-pounder
from the reeimental headquarters
company was rushed up to assist
them. and the men yelled with delight
as the vicious little cannon got in d.
rect hits on the Roche cmplacements.
EIopclessly cut off, the large body Of
Germans in this formidable work sur
rendered after few sharp and bloody
minutes. and the 18th. sending back
,ts prisoners, reioined tn" battalion.
Prisoners began to stream hack
from the front of the attack. telling
of the success of the 9Th. Wounded
came with them. some walking. some
carried on improvised stretchers by
the Boche "kamarads." Most Of them
were grinning. Coin fine up there,
boys, goin' fine "Lookit fellers,
Got a bon blighty-we1l give 'em
your regards in Paris
For a while now the battalion halt
cd. keeping its distance ftom the unit
ahead. The men lay Apn their rifles
and expressed unrea sonahle warnings
for food. Fat? Fat? He'll Shock
troops amt supposed to eat Officers
cast anxious glances toward the utter
ly exposed left. The French attack
had failed to keep abreast of the
American.
The left company, the 1Sth, was in
a cover of scrubby trees. The other
Evening star., 1926-10-24

Even the pile of vans and taro and
the heap of fresh. giant leaves beside
the gaping pit didn't apprise me of the
purpose of that hole and the red hot
stones until | discovered the long,
quiet figure lying nearby under a
shroud Of protecting palm branches.
T SUDDENLY had an inlSIing of the
full import Of the scene. T,npellcd
by horrid curiosity. | stepped hastily
forward. bent to- look
Zzzzing. Quivering between me and
that figure. its cruel. barhed head sunk
three inches in a log, was SiX-fOOt
arrow. The warning was sufficient. |
turned and walked quickly back to the
hea ched dinghy. feeling peculiarly sick
at the memory Of that body.
A friendship Offering. according to
the recruiters ccde. I left behind me
on the bark. just dozen sticks OF to-
bacco, some matches. and few
sheets of newspaper. Once aboard the
schooner again. l lost no time in get
ting her under way.
ON the Sir Arthur went up the
Gamu. visiting village after village
and finding each freshly deserted and
ominousiy quiet like this first one.
Then. my duty discharged. we left
this Never Never" country and sailed
up the vast mouth of the neighboring
Fly River, New Guinea's Father of
Waters.
Full moon tonight I remarked to
Wagi. Il hope we don't have to go
far up here to fill our recruiting
OF ders.''
1--WE get 'em hoy. all right. tau
hada." the mate replied, "hut you no
go far up river. No. Pretty soon
now bore him come. Bore very bloody
bad. Sink ship
I smiled at his optimism and at his
Evening star., 1926-10-24

intervening dark. and Springfelds had
answered. There had been some
bombing around traverses in the
boyaux. But when. in the creeping
grayness of the dawn. the lieutenant
from the 49th ventured across to 1t
with his orderly and a sergeant, he
found the Boche retiring. Filing
quickly through the communication
trenches, the battalion occupied 1t
without difficulty, and. looking around
them. were very glad they hadn't had
to take it by storm.
And the captain understood why the
French lieutenant had said 1t couldn't
he stormed. The French had tried the
evening before to cross the Scant dis
tance and get into it. Most Of those
who had charged lay as the Rorhe
Ma xims had cut them down. In one
place, between two boyauX that form
ed with the opposed lines rough
square of perhaps 100 yards. he
counted SO dead Frenchmen. Lying
very thick near the lip of their
own trench. the bodies formed sort
of wedge. thinning toward the point
as they had been decimated. and that
point was one great bearded French
man. his body all mass of bloody
rags. who lay with his eyes fiercely
open to the enemy and his outthrust
Evening star., 1926-10-24

this Essen trench by frontal assault"
why can't we?" growled the
American.
when it is light you will see. NJ.
le Capitaine. You can only get for
ward by bombing your way in the
boyaux They are too strong in ma
chine guns, the Boche. Now l take
my men and go. Seven days and
nights we have been on our feet
those Of us who are left are very
tired. 1t is well that YOU be watch
full in this place. but do not stir up
the Boche yonder. They shoot with
minewerfers when you frighten them.
Such a one finished my pauvre capi-
taine and six men with him. Bon
chance. mon capitaine. Bon jour-"
Cheerful bird. wasn't he?" re-
marked the captain. Wonder If that
thing I stepped on just outside his
hole was his captain? John, before it
gets good daylight, don't you want
to take look-se at this Essen
trench? Take whoever you want and
see how the land lies
X
THE Essen trench had been very
active when the companies We're
being posted: staccato bursts of ma
chine-kun FIRE had ripped across the
Evening star., 1926-10-24

bayonet almost in the emplacement
where the Boche guns had been.
The compan my, which had learned
it's own bitter lesson in frontal at
tacks on machine guns, gave passing
tribute. Them Frogs. they eat ma
chine guns up. Fightin men, they
are. Wonder If any chow is comm
up today" They made themselves
comfortable among the dead and
waited the next move with equanim-
ity.
sir" reported the second-in-cOmmand
sliding into the shallow dugout where
the captain was holed up. Mighty
lucky so far. I'm goin to sleep.
There's some shellin', especially
toward the left. but most of the out
fit is pretty we'll under cover
Gouraud's battle roared on to the
left with swelling tumult. The Amer
leans. in their sector, passed the day
in ominous quiet. They wondered
what the delay was, speculated on
the strategy of attack-which is a
matter always sealed from the men
who deliver the aitackand wore
through to the evening of"October ,.
At dark. food came up in marmite
cans-beef and potatoes and little
coffee. Put ours on that mess tin
there" directed the second-in-com-
mand. as his orderly slid in with his
and the captains rations. The cap
tain sat up in his corner little later,
when the attack orders came up.
There were a brief penciled order
from the major and maps. The two
officers bent over them eagerly.
"Runner-pla toon commanders re-
port right away What do YOU
make of it. John? Looks like Gen.
Lejeune was goin' to split his divi-
sion and reunite it on the field
HIM nm. Amt that the stunt YOU
claim only Robert f. Lee and Ma
poleon could get away with?-~-All
here? Get around--th. maps about
orient nted--''
Here we are, in the Essen trench
seems that the Marines move down to
the left to here-and the 9th and 23d
move to the right-to here. These
pencil lines show the direction of at
tack-then we jump off. angling a
little to the right. compass hearing
and the infantry outfits point about
as much to the left. That brings us
together M here about three kilo
meters. and we go on straight. little
west of north from there, to Blanc
Mont
The morning Of October 3 191N
gray and misty. From midnight until
dawn the front had been quiet at that
pOint-comparative Then all the
French and American guns opened
with one Notwithstanding crash. From
the Essen trench The ground fell away
gently. then rose in long slope. along
which could be made out the zig les
of the German trenches. The Pois de
tipre was blush. mangled wood
two kllometers north. Pee,Tng from
their shelters. the battalion saw al,
this ground swept by a hurricane OF
shellfire.
Move down the trench TO the left, g"
came the order. The battalion moved
fling around the travevses with in
dicions intervals between men, 80 that
the Rcche shetis might not include too
many in their radius of death. For
Heinie was beginning to shoot back
He had the range of his vacated
trench perfectly, and, holding the high
ground. he could ske what he was
shooting at. Shells began to crash
Evening star., 1926-10-24

enormous. shattering roar. like a
freight train on a down-grade. The
company f1attoned against the ground
like partridges. and the world shook
and reeled under them as nine inch
shell crashed into the earth so yards
ahead. exploding with a cataclysmic
defamation that rocked their senses.
An appalling geyser of black smoke
and torn earth leaped skyward. Jagged
splinters of steel whined away. and
stones and clods showered down. Be
fore the smoke had lifted from the
m0nstrous crater the devastating
rumble came again. and the second
shell roaied down so yards to the rear.
"Oh, Lorly. They've got us brack
eted.''
Il saw that One-I saw it look
right where the next ones gonna hit. .
an" Look where II gonna
hit: T.awd. II I jest knew IL wasn't
gonna Nit ne-ahh--"'
The third shell came. and men who
risked an eye could SAe it-A dark. ire
mendous streak, shooting straight
down to TIA ouiverink earth. A
Evening star., 1926-10-24

compa MES were likewise concealed.
Only the 49th lay perforce IN the open.
on a bleak. shell pocked slope. A high
flying Roche plane spotted It's platoon
columns. sprawl 80 or 100 yards
apart on the chalky ground. NO
good" said the second in command.
cooking his head gander-wise in his
fiat helmet. lis goin' to come Of that
damn thing-guess all our noble avia
tors have gone home to lunch" The
plane. high and small and shining in
the sky. circled slowly above them.
Far back of the Boche lines there was
4 railroad gun that took wireless
from the wheeling vulture. Listen"
said the captain. ''listen to TIL"
THERE were lots of shells passing
over the long tearing whine Of
the 75s. the coarser voices Of thu
Boche rs replying. and heavy stuff.
but most ot 1t was breaking behind or
in front Of the battalion. Into this
roof Of snun6 came Q deeper Note
far-off rumble that mounted to an
Evening star., 1926-10-24

by hatred and long cherished dreams
of revenge.
1t is bad country and no mistake.
Yet it is part of the code of the labor
recruiters that each one shall make oc-
ra sional trips up this river. so that q
country thickly peOpled may Ultimate
ly he opened to business.
I was venturing up the Gamu for
the first tima, and I was not much
happier about it than my crew. which
very obviously was i'll at ease. Os
tentatiouslv ! buckled on my .45.
dra wing not little comfort from Its
friendly grip and noticing that the
hoys Seemed somewhat reassured by
its presence.
THEN we sighted smoke arising
around bend ahead-10 minutes
later the anchor rllmbled out in front
of big village. Fut not a canoe
sped out to greet us. there was not a
hail from the long. thatched houses.
"Dinehy.' | ordered sharply, but
my ordinarily quick-working boys
were slow in getting it over and when
they had done so. not one OF them
even moved toward manning 1t.
"Huh, You boys all 'fraid this fell
low village?" I asked sarcastically.
Rare toes traced invisible outlines on
the deck. but no one answered.
II go taubada.' Wagi finally spoke
up. realizing. | suspect. that his pres
tige demanded it. But he was almost
pale with fear. Well he knew that If
my white skin should draw rain of
arrows. neither he nor his shipmates
would last an hour before the blood
llSting hOrdeS ashore
What an eerie feeling came over me
as I landed uncha llenged and walked
through those deserted streets, Wagi's
bare feet softly padding along behind
me. The blue columns of mangrove
Evening star., 1926-10-24

wood smoke still rose from beneath
buhbing pots.
ltalf-completed tasks we're in evil
dence on every side. In crude gar
den crude" ploW stood In a fresh
furroW. \ score Of beautifully finish
ell arrows lay on the ground where
some old craftsman had sat a sea Mt
few minutes before. his puddle of
scarlet hetelnut juice still shimmered
damply.
Oh. for the sight of single figure
for the sound of voice, Hut the
shrouding walls Of the jungle well
concealed it's people. They were there
i knew it--there with their bale
were--iust behind that matted. wavy
wall of grain and scarlet tree-creep-
ers-fghting men lingering 7foot
hOWS on whose taut strings long ar
rows were set, half drawn
My gun. Just across my chest from
my right hand. seemed woefully far
away. But then. What good would 1t
do me il | wanted it? Before | could
even know that | needed it. I would
be as full of arrows as that luckless
patrol officer who had been found not
long before with his unfired gun in
it's holster and 67 arrows driven
through his body. That is how the
Papuan fights. from an ambush IA
yards distant, from which he and his
allies release their arrows and spears
simultaneously.
We strolled on. trying to appear un-
alarmed. Wagi shouting out frequent
lv native word Of greeting. which
was never answered. In the center of
the place his sudden whimper called
my attention to a hole 3 feet deep and
feet long. the bottom of which was
lined with big cohhles. A hundred
more similar stones lay in the glow
ing bed Of great fire that cracked
| and snapped before us.
Evening star., 1926-10-24

Without lahorers for the plan-
tations and mines, the white
mans conquest of Papua. or
British New Guinea, would be
utterly unavailing. The handful
of men who endeavor to supply
workers recruited from the jungle
engage in one Of the worlds most
hazardous enterprises. one that
every year takes toll of ships and
lives.
For four tempestuous months Mr.
Tompkins cap aimed the most
famous labor recruiter' of them
ell, the schooner Sir Arthur. and
In the following article he points
out the dangers faced by the re-
cruiting agents year in and year
out. things that are considered as
'all IN the days work.
The old days of clanking chains,
debt slavery and overseers whips
have passed in New Guinea"
writes Mr. Tompkins. Under the
most paternalistic code of laws
that any group Of white conquis-
tadorts has ever framed. the Pa
puan is now assured square
deal"
Evening star., 1926-10-24
Our FLOATING Cities"

VERY compact and comomdious is
hattieship 1t must he so. for ii
is the only home of several hundred
men for long periods AT time. Rut
perhaps this brief description of such
a ship will give a still clearer idea Of
the extent 10 which the battleship is
self.Sustaining community while II is
on cruise.
When one OF the great battleships
nuts out to sea she is wholly depend
ent upon her own supplies. She Is an
orderly, self governing community.
with her own police force and her own
court of justice. which rewards as well
as furnishes She Is one of the clean
est and most sanitary establishments
:, he found anywhere. She gets her
Spring cleaning every day and before
the busiest hours Of the forenoon.
Her people drink Eermless water. dis
titled from the salt water over the
side She has her own ice plant, Ice
water, cold storage Eooms. tubular nre
Evening star., 1926-10-24
CHAPTER VII,
Furious Fighting by the Essen Hook.

Furious Fighting by the Essen Hook.
THE men moved swiftly and
without disorder to the ditch,
which was deer communi-
i eating trench rarallelnE the
road Another shell came as
they moved, falling 10 the left. ana
then another closer. this time be
tween the road and the trench.
mule or two reared and plunged.
stricken; Marine whose head had
been unduly high slumped silently
down the side Of the trench with
most of his head gone.
More shells came. landing along the
road. between the road and the
trench. and one or two of them in the
trench itself. Cries and groans came
from the head of the column;
stretcher bearers hurried in that al.
rection; the battalion lay close and
waited. Then the shelling stopped.
Up forward the ma ior drew long
breath. Just harassin' fire on these
crossroads. was afraid we were
spctted. Now, those guides A
little group Of Frenchmen arrived.
painting, At the head OF the column
and the men were quickly on the
move atain. ~ Brother Roche had
kept fingin them seahass around
here he'd a.hurt somebody. Where
do we 70 from here?
Said the ma jor. coming to the head
Of the 4ath with a French guide:
'Francis. we're takin' the regmental
front-division' putting four hattal-
ions In the line. The 9Th will he on
our left. infa ntry brigade on the
risht. Let me know how your sector
looks-rny r. o. will he-Td better
send q runner with you. Here's your
guide"
The company moved of and the
other companies going into position In
the battered Prussian trench facing
he formidable Essen work. The
French rifemen they found there
were hanging on in the very teeth
Of the enemy. Their position mao
been hastily constructed few daNs
before by the hard pressed Roche and
vas a mere selection from the ahun-
dant shell craters connected hN shallow
dirgirx. The Marines stumbled and
slipped through its windines. II was
cfuttered ur with dead men. Tor 1t
had been strongly held and dearly
won. The 4eth took over the part
allotted to II from some 10 platoons
Of Frenchmen, or 10 men TO
platoon, under command OF a first
lieutenant. II vas what was LEFT OF
a full battalion.
Courteous and suave. although he
swaved on his fee; from WEAKNESS
ana his eyelids trooped from loss OF
sleep. the Frenchmsn summed up
the situation for the Marine captain.
I'VE hold this fire trench. In your
sector are four communication
trenches running to the Essen work,
which is about q hundred meters dis
tart, We hold most Of the bcyau
on the extreme right the others We
have haxx!eade6. You cannot take
Evening star., 1926-10-24

mains, flushing system. hot and cold
water supply and shower baths of
either salt or fresh water. She has no
sewer gas. She has laundrymen. tai
lors, stewards. cooks and attenda nts.
Her hospital and pharmacy are up
to date. and even her canteen, while Of
the dry order. of course. possesses
some of the combined qualities of a
cigar shop, notion counter, CONNECTIONS
cry and delicatessen store. With her
hardware utensils and mechanical ad-
juncts she could stock giaanti,
hardware establishment on shore.
She has telephone system for in.
ternal use. and wireless outfit for ex-
ternal communication. She is heated
by steam and lighted by electricity.
and she has scores Of electric motors.
Her turrets are operated by electric
ity; her guns are fired by electricity.
With her powerful electric plant she
would provide for the needs OF q city
Of more than $4,000 people.
Evening star., 1926-10-24
By W WARWICK MILLER rOMPKINs

" HERE is no snelter along the
north end of the Gulf of Pa
pua during the southeast
i, monsoon, and I had anchored
perrorce in the open seaway.
q mile offshore. while Wagi my
faithful mate. put one lone passenger
ashore at the storm hammered sta
tion.
Night was alline fast and the wind
seemed, If anything, stronger than
before. The cloud shrouded Owen
Stanley peaks swirled their mantles
angrily about their lofty heads and
plunged on into the misty north. The
low coast-line crouched to meet the
smoking surf.
l noted all this uneasily. this and
the low. fast flying scud and the
darkening southwark sky. while ]
saw that the dinghy had been beaten
back to shore on the fourth attempt
to launch her through the surf.
"Ah," the glasses picked up the
frantically bobbing speck as it rose.
burst through the crest Of a roller
and coasted down It's back. Wagi's
gotten her through at last. Good
boy"
Half an hour later, with the tired
boys back on board and the dinghy
lashed on deck. we shook out our
sails, triple -reefed the mainsail and
broke the hooks out of the mud. The
Sir Arthur charged off like racer
from the barrier. her lee rail froth =
ing. Night settled on us. Black
Chill Howling.
In the tiny cabin studied my chart
plotted my course for the all-night
traverse which would end when we
crossed the t;anu Bar. Till 10 o'clock
we could sail on this course. Then.
to dodge the outf1ung. deadly arms Of
the Bailala Bar. we'd have to zigza g
thus and thus.
Later-shifting the parallel rulers
"a have to fall off a point to offset
the seaward current of the Auro and
Purari Rivers. So. And now back
on the deck once more. oil-skinned
and fortified by mug of coffee.
Through the night the fast schooner
slashed ahead with the gale on her
quarter where she liked it best. Five
o'clock crawled up. but the clouds
strangled the new day. 1t was almost
as black as al midnight. Wagi. the
inky statue at the wheel. looked
anxiously at me. Bar? We find him
close up now. HUH"
Yes. soon. Get a lookout aloft." I
replied, and at the mates word a
slim lad darted up the mainshrouds.
start the lead In A moment a
Evening star., 1926-10-24

American Captain and Native Grew
Fight Their Way on Storm-Hammered
Coast-Poised on the Crests of 30-Foot
Waves-Interrupting Savage Festival.
Spellbound by a. Moving Brown Wall.
Evening star., 1926-10-24
By JOHN w. THOMSON. JR.
Captain. L. s. Marine Corps.
rnr STOpv en- rAp

After intensive fighting AZ the Rois de
Bellesu and in the woods near s. Mihiel
"a Division was ordered to report behind
the Champagne front TO assist the French
In q terrific drive against the heights of
BlApc Mont. After receiving final orders
the regiment marched up TO the battle line.
On the way. while the men we're passing
o crossroad a German 5-inrh shell screamed
down Just so yards from them
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-09-17
WORLD NEWS
AZORES


Portuguese Emigration - According
to the Angra newspaper, "A iUniao,
the restriction on immigration into
the United States has intensified the
emigration of Portuguese citizens to
Brazil.
Immigration Immigrants continue
to enter Brazil, according to reports
of the Immigration Department,
which states that during the first
half of the current year 459 ships
brought from abroad to Brazil $3.50
immigrants, who landed at the lmmi-
grafton Station in the Ilha das Flores.
During the same period 1860 lmml-
grants, constituting 1891 families
and 2,177 individuals were distributed
throughout the interior. Of these,
1856 were japanese.
DENMARK
Unemployment-D During the month
of July, 1926, unemployment IN Den
mark showed a slight increase, the
figure at the close of the month be-
ing 47.85O as compared with 45,24l
at the beginning of the month. The
condition is exceedingly abnormal.
ENGLAND
New Factories Bill-The text OF the
new factories bill (No. p, which was
formally introduced in the House OF
Commons August 2, 1926, has been
issued. The object of the measure is
to consolidate, with amendments, the
enactments relating to factories. 1t
contains general provisions regarding
health, safety and welfare.
LATVIA
Neutrality-suspicious. of the Lltnu-
anian deputies gives 1000 as an estl-
mate of the total number of unem-
Iloyed persons in Llthuama.
NEW ZEALAND
Unemployment Unemployment
continues to be a general condition IN
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-09-17
NEWSY BRIEFS
Entered Denison

Franklin Anderson is among the
recent high school graduates who en-
tered Denison University this week.