The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-11
South Britain Briefs


 pate.
 We read MT. Wilson's letter and figured it all out. If we gave the nickle to some kids, it would be spent faster than 1t takes our old boot owl to swallow 8 deer mouse. If we gave it to others, it might develop family charac- teristics and make another penny pincher. We have enough already without encouraging any others.
 After all the stores were closed for the day, we gave that nickle to a lively lass and told her to start saving up other nickles to gd with it. We wrote MT. Wilson and thanked him for his interest in our kids and in our state. We suggested that he subscribe for the Waterbury Democrat and get the real news of what goes on in the world outside Oklahoma. That will save money for MT. Wilson, too, because he will be up-tO-date and aware of all trends in ad- vance.
 Oklahoma people are reliable folks, in the pinches. Years ago, we had a machine-gunner named Watkins who came from Okla hona, and he ran an anti-aircraft mount just to the flank of our Number One gun.' One day, while the infantry was clawing away at a bridgehead on the River Vesle. a French observation plane came up our way to see how we were getting along with the war, and a German fighting ship eased down out of the sun with both forward guns wide open. That Frenchman split -essed over most of the imme- diate sky and then saw our line of 75s and decided to land nearby. The German figured he had some cold meat and he did a sort of scarf dance up aloft to show how happy he was.
 Gunner Watkins swung his weapon to where the sights lined up on Mister Roche and cut open with some short bursts to keep that gun warm. The Frenchman slithered Sidewise and edgewise and upside down, but the Hun Swooped down on him like hen hawk after a rabbit. The French man landed. He had been pinned through the bread-basket and his observer was hugging 8 bleeding shoulder.
 You'd have figured the Boche would have finished of the Frepchman on the ground, but he spotted Watkins instead. What he gave that Oklahoma guy wasn't any orders home and gay Paree; it was just plain sudden death! For about five minutes, Oklahoma and Prussia had it out, nip and tuck! Watkins eye was full of gravel, his mouth was, full of Lone Star plug, and his gun was chewing away lively on clips that wore empty so fast we thought we'd have to order an extra issue! There were moments when we just couldn't see that Oklahoma kid for the dust the Hun kicked up around him, but we kept yelling at him to Keep up that f1re!" and he didn't need any urging! That guy could shoot!
 All of a sudden, Watkins seemed to get over his initial bashfuIness and he squirted that FOkker right forward of the tail with q string of tracers that bounced the little ship like clay pigeon that's been lifted with a 12-b0re gun! Mir. B0che staggered away toward home and Watkins started paving around among the empties, look ing for something. When we came over ready to tie mp what we fig ured was a bleeding crusader, we just heard extra loud eussing! "EHobblin' hOptoads!" Oklahoma cursed, "That squarehead done busted my bottle O eognac!"... Airplanes can sometimes sink battIeshlps, but they can't lick . guy from Oklahoma. We know We've seen 'em try. Wye Ia Okia- hAsaai