davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31

~
wadding and dirt
came showering down over US. My
head rang, and my right ear
couldn't hear anything.
The shell had struck behind us,
20 feet away. We had been saved
by the earthen bank Of the hedge
row. 1t was the next day before my
ear returned to normal.
A minute later a soldier crouch
ing next in line, a couple Of feet
away. turned to me and asked,
Are you a war correspondent"
I said I was, and he said. Il want
to shake your hand" And he
reached around the bush and we
shook hands.
That's all either Of us said. 1t
didn't occur to me until later that
it was a sort Of unusual experience.
And I was so added by the close
explosions that I forgot to put down
his name.
A few minutes later q friend
Of mine, Lieut.. Col. Oma Bates
Of Gloster, Miss, came past and
said he was hunting our new
battalion command post. 1t was
supposed to be in a farmhouse
about . hundred yards from us,
SO I got up and went with him.
We couldn't find 1t at first. We
lost about five minutes, walking
around in orchards looking for
It. That was . blessed five min
utes. For when we got within
so yards Of the house It got q
direct shell hit which killed M
officer and wounded several
men.
The Germans now rained shells
around our little area. You couldn't
walk 10 feet without hitting the
ground. They came past our heads
so quickly you didn't take time to
fall forward-I found the quickest
way down was to flop back and side
ways.
In a little while the seat Of my
pants was plastered thick with wet
red clay. and my hands were
scratched from hitting rocks and
briars to break quick falls.
Nobody ever fastens the chin
straps on his helmet in the front
lines. for the blasts from nearby
bursts have been known to catch
helmets and break peoples necks.
Consequently. when you squat
quickly you descend faster than
your helmet and you leave it in mid
air above you. OF course in a frac-
ton Of a second it follows you down
and hits you on the head. and settles
sideways over your a and down
over your eyes. It makes you feel
silly.
Once more shells drove me into a
roadside ditch. l squatted there. just
a bewildered guy in brown. part OF
a thin line Of other b%ewildered guys
as far up and down the ditch as
you could see.
1t was really frightening. Our own
shells were whanging overhead and
hitting just beyond. The German
shells tore through the orchards
around US. There was machine gun.
ming all around. and bullets tipped
through the trees above us.
I could tell by their shoulder
patches that the soldiers near me
were from a division to u right.
and l wondered what they were do
ing there. Then I heard one Of them
say:
This is a fine foul-up for you!
/ knew that lieutenant was getting
lost. He'll. we're service troops. and
here we are right in the front lines.
Grim as the moment was. I had
to laugh to myself at their pitiful
plight.
l left a command post In .
farmhouse and started to an
other about 10 minutes away.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Terrible Fate!

Terrible Fate!
Jack-Do you ever have night
mares?
Mack-I'n say! Why just last
night. l dreamed I was married.
Jack-That could hardly be called
a nightmare.
Mack-But it was. I was married
to my wife!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
TIT FOR TAT

Reporter-I've got a perfect news
story.
Editor-Man bites dog?
Reporter-No. but a hydrant
sprinkled one!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Who? Ell, What?

The absent-minded professor who
was looking for his hat was profuse
in his thanks to the man who pointed
out that it was IN his head.
But for you. SIR" he said. 4
should have had to 60 out without
it,"
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
English Wetter

Yank One awakened n night by
loud explosion while in training In
England)-Was that thunder?
Yank Two-No, bombs!
Yank One-Thank goodness! l
thought we were going to have more
rain!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
In the Army

First WAC-Why do you call that
ring a war souvenir?
Second WAC-I won it in my FIRST
engagement!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
GirlS!!

Smith-I'm through with women!
From nov on I'm going to be a her.
nit!
Jones-With special emphasis on
the her"
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31

TIFFY knit these two smart bags
y that will mark you as a we'll
dressed woman. They're done in
heavy upholstery cord.
Cord used for smart jiffy knit bags. Pat
tern 7129 contains directions for two bags:
stitches; list Of materials needed.
Due to an unusually large demand and
current wal conditions. slightly more time
Is required in filing orders for a few Of
the most popular pattern numbers.
Send your order to:
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Sure Cure!

Joe-What would you do for
sore foot?
Biu-Walk on the other one!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Big State

~Teacher-What's the capital OF
New York?
Smarty-It has two capitals.
Teacher-What?
Smarty-Yes. m" and "Y'!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31

COLLARLESS and cooler is the
~ keynote to this summers play
fashions! The handsome princess
jumper illustrated has a most at
tractive collarless jacket which
turns it into a smart business and
street ensemble.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
With Ernie Pyle at the Front
~ 5'"Oo I JVe W Vo u
Brave Needles Carry On
Under Heavy Nazi Smelling
While Hundreds Are Hit, Ernie
Has Charmed Life and Escapes
BY Ernie Pyle

ON H WESTERN FRoNT.-The afternoon was tense
and full of caution and dire little might-havebeens
I was wandering up a dirt lane where the infantrymel
were squatting alongside in a ditch, waiting their turn to ad
vance. They always squat like that when they re close tt
the front.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Knot So Dumb

Knot So Dumb
Joan-What do you mean by say
ing your sister is celebrating a
wooden wedding?
Jane-Well, she's marrying some
blockhead!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Some Ditch!

Phil-What did you think Of the
Grand Canyon?
Jill-Gorges!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Too Long!

Harry-That fellows trousers are
awfully short.
Jerry-Either that or he's in them
too far!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Not Unnatural

Not Unnatural
Joe-My grandfather didn't have
a haircut for IS years.
Billie must have been ar odd
looking duck.
Joe-Not at all. He was bald.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31

Suddenly German shells started
banging around us. I jumped into a
ditch between a couple of soldiers
and squatted. Shells were clip
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
i ggIHF }f Es !!|'|
WORLDS LARGEST sEllEa u ~
Reason and Conscience

Reason and Conscience
What can be more honorable
than to have courage enough to
execute the commands of reason
and conscience-to maintain the
dignity of our nature, and the sta
ton assigned us?-Jeremy Collier.
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Scalp Him

Mack-What season Of the year
does an Indian hitchhiker remind
you of?
Jack-I don't know unless it's In
dian THUNDER!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Powerful Force

Jane-I like a fellow who's quiet
and digniied.
Joan-That's what they call the
attraction Of gravity!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Servant Problem

Servant 0DIe
Housewife-Did you bring your
references with you?
Maid applying for work)-No.
ma'am. Did you?
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
MAJOR TUMMY ACHE

Private-The general is very sick.
Sarge-What's the matter with the
general?
Private-Things in general!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31
Rough Shod

Rough Shod
Harry-What's good for corns?
Jerry-Tight shoes!
The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1944-08-31

l left a command post In .
farmhouse and started to an
other about 10 minutes away.
When I got there, they said the
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04

stance ballyhoo to the contrary, IVA pays
little or no taxes In comparison with private
companies:
The American people have enough i1nagina-
ton to perceive that unless schemes like the
IVA are shorn Of the philosophy of socialism,
their benefits will be more than offset by the
destruction they wreak on basic American in
and Grand Coulees are shot through d
through with ideals of government ownership.
Behind legitimate conservation detectives, they
are at present an integral part of the insidious
drive to wipe out in entirety private ownership
and control of service and natural resource
industries in the United States, which are the
foundation of our independence.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
Spirit Of America

Railroad management has always been made
up of men who in large part have come up
through the ranks They often reflect the ex-
pansive ruggedness of their business. No ex-
ception is the President of the Union Pacific
Railroad, William R. LETTERS, formerly United
States Rubber Conservation Director. Com
menting on some of the high pressure poll
teal tactics current among labor unions, is
a man who has carried union card all his
working life, he says: mo political action
committee or any group or Individual is going
to tell me or any upheaded American in this
country how he is going to vote or what he
is going to think.
eff the sorry day should ever come when
nefarious schemes like this succeed, then on
that day the disintegration of American labor
unions starts and democracy begins to crun
ble.''
If there is such a thing as the spirit of
America, this is it. Logically it is manifested
by railroad man. No industry is more inn
bued with the drama of American develop
ment that the railroads. They have marked
our growth for the past hundred years or
more. They have brought commerce across
plains, deserts, and mountains that, without
them, would have forever prevented this vast
land from becoming a single great nation.
Prior to Pearl Harbor, some had been led
to believe that the usefulness of railroads had
gone, along with the men of imagination and
courage who built them. They were wrong.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
Subtle But Still FOREIGN

An eminent promoter of more government
and less individualsm in American life has
written another Of those subtle tributes
to socialism. based upon the IVA Condensed
In Readers Digest, it paints picture of gov
eminent directed, tax financed progress
that should make the European exponents of
planned economy green with envy. The
author points out that here we have a great
region. larger than England, planned for and
developed as single organism and then fol-
lows with a glowing account of innumerable
dams. dykes, happy farms brin1ning with cleo.
trical gadgets, renovated Cities canoeing. fish
ing, swimming, fertilizer manufacturing. new
wealth and contentrnent galore-all at a cost
to the taxpayers OF something under billion
dollars. The author believes that similar pro-
grams for other rivers and valleys throughout
the nation, are inevitable, 'fbut the problem
is to light the imagination of the people -
This is probably one Of the few times the
American people who, as. free men, carved
the mightiest country in the world out of a
trackless wilderness in little over a century.
have been accused OF lack of imagination.
Perhaps they are slow to accept the IVA idea,
In spite OF its many benefits, because they see
Thugs behind the glitter that their native
shrewdness tells them are not right. For in
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
Timely Investigation

A timely and thorough investigation into the
problems and needs of the aviation industry
has been conducted by a subcommittee of the
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Com
merce. In gathering information, the mem
bers of the subcommittee Travelled nearly 49,
0oO airline miles through the United States
and Alaska. It's findings and recommended
tons constitute "a foundation upon which to
formulate sound regulatory measures, d
sllch legislation as the maximum development
OF American civil aviation may require.
The committees report says: '"The ability
to travel at great speeds, through. the atmos-
phere, often in the substratosphere or even in
the stratosphere far above the impediments
of the earths surface, will bring far reaching
changes in our conception of geography, in
our economies, in our development of COM
merce, and in our relationships, Doth domestic
and International
So far as your committee has been able to
discover, the United States is the only great
nation where progress in aeronautics has re-
suited not SO much from the stimulus of war
planning, but rather from the advantages of
peacetime civil competition Our countrys pol
icy of competitive development in military and
civil aeronautics was correct The accomplish
ments of Americas aeronautical industry ner-
it the nations admiration and its continued
support
The report expressed high praise for the
performance of the arlines of the United
States, and strongly urged the immediate ex-
pansion of meteorological aids, airports and
control towers It also recommended adoption
Of unified regulation of contract carriers by
air, as well as the simplification of the rules
governing private flying.
Thanks to the work of the Committee, reliable
knowledge about American aviation is accu-
mulating where it can do the most good
n responsible legislative quarters
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
BY JOHN SELBY

THE Narrowing Wind" by Cath
crime Lawrence Dodd, Mead;
$3.50.
1.-THE Narrowing Wind" is pub
llshed as the third Literary Fellow
ship noel, literary fellowship"
being a subsidy developed by a
certain publisher to enable college
students to turn out novels. It is
an excellent novel, with two i'm
portant virtues, simplicity and d.
RICHNESS. Plus a third, which is
extreme honesty.
c a t h crime Lawrence is the
author. She is Wellesley girl
and has worked in a defense
plant as well as in a clinic whose
clients were Irish people and since
the heroine works in a war plant.
it is evident that Miss Lawrence
also has the intelligence to write
about the things she knows /
which is not always the case. be-
lieve me.
The heroine is Shane Kearney
living with her parents on
rather featureless farm not far
from Chicago. One day her sister
Katie asks her to come to Chicago
and when Shane arrives she finds
that katie's husband has gone
away. Shane at once decides to
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
The Literary Guidepost

enter war plant, and does. It is
wholly new life for her, one in
which she does not recognize even
the most common landmarks.
When the foreman gets a bit fresh
Shane's Irish does not come to her
rescue. She is merely terribly EN-.
barrassed.
But she acquires a boy-friend
and develops a kind of eagerness
about her job that sustains her
for time. Then she tries to cheat
the rate'' in the plant, the bow
leaves her, and quick transfer
of her Irish affections lands Shane
into the arms of a Swede named
Thure, and makes her realize that
even if the war plant is neces-
sity now, she and Thure must
eventually return to the land.
This is an extremely simple
patter, and perfectly logical as
Miss Lawrence develops it. Per-
haps it is little too simple, and
perhaps Miss Lawrence has held
down her hypothetical youthfulness
TOO much in the department of
verbiage. There is no reason why a
young writer of Miss Lawrence'a
talent should reduce her vocabu-
larry and style to James T. Far
relps featurelessalevel. All litera-
ture is not plSin.,
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
FrOntline Routine

There is the case of Pvt. Fred
erick E. Deutsch Of Sheridan, Wyo.,
who was untouched when shrapnel
literally riddled his sleeping bag.
Sgt. Allen M. Colvin of Houston,
Tex, a military policeman busy
directing traffic, felt three quick
tugs at his combat jacket. He look
ed down and found jagged holes on
the sleeve, pocket and side of his
jacket. Pvt. Calvin F. Gales of
Sandstone, West Va, had his hair
parted by machine pistol slugs
which pierced the helmet but left
him uninjured.
The biggest series of close calls
was reported about Capt. Stanley
C. Skeiber of Dorchester, Mass.
They all started with a head-on
jeep collision one night. Next morn
ing he was riding on a jeep fender
when one wheel ran over three
mines. A little later he entered a
house shortly before two artillery
shells exploded in the same room
he was in, wourding six other men
but missing him. Finally, Skeiber
was around the corner of another
house and saw a German who, for
no particular reason, decided he
was surrounded and yelled at his
buddies inside the house to sur
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
BEST WEEK YET
IN LEAF MARKET
(By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Flue-cured tobacco markets in
the states of North Carolina and
Virginia closed their most sue
cessful week Of the season yes
terday, the War Food Administra-
ton said, with prices on all belts
remaining steady to slightly high
err in comparison to record high
averages set earlier in the week.
All markets still operating will
return to five-day sales week
schedule next week. Markets will
open Monday and continue sales
through Friday. Normal hourly
sales schedules and buyer limits
previously followed this year will
remain in effect. The markets had
operated only four days each week
for three weeks, and during one
week operated but three days. The
limited sales schedules were call
ed in an effort to alleviate man.
power shortages in warehouses
and factories caused by the heavy
volume of sales.
Lower and common quality leaf
grades increased 81 on Middle
Belt markets yesterday, VIA
said, and thus regained losses &C.
curing Thursday. Nondescript
grades advanced 81, but all other
grades remained firm. Sales con-
tinued heavy in volume and offer
ings were composed principally
of common to good leaf, low to
good cutters, and low to fine Tugs.
The belt sold s,35e,o54 pounds
Thursday at an average of $45. 10.
an increase of Is cents a hundred
over Wednesdays average. The
sale brought the season total to
81 ,564,209 pounds which sold for
1922.
Fridays averages on the Eas-
tern belt remained steady to slight
ly higher, with good quality cut
tiers advancing 81 per hundred
and all other grades remaining
comparatively firm. The quality of
offerings improved somewhat over
Thursday, with the bulk of sales
being comprised of fair 20 COM
mon leaf, fair cutters and monde
script. There was less good to COM
mon leaf in the days offerings.
The belts Thursday sale total
ed 7,403, 491 pounds at an average
OF $44.45, bringing the season TO-
tai to $293, 542, 1852 pounds averag-
ing $42.43
Slight fluctuations, VEN net;cible
on Old Belt naarketa Seve1H leaf
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04

render. So all 20 Of them surren-
dered to Capt. 5keiber.
Then there was Pvt. Sol Spiel
fogel of Brooklyn, N. Y, and Pfc.
James H. Barre, of Indianapolis,
Ind, 45th Division Doughboys, who
were moving forward along the
combat line on patrol without any
apparent sight or sound of the enc
my. Suddenly, the Brooklyn boy
hit the dust and signalled Barre to
drop.
Crawling a short distance for.
ward, they spotted six Germans
armed with a mortar, a machine
gun and automatic rifles. After two
of the enemy were wounded and
the others had surrendered, James
turned to Sol with understandable
curiosity and asked what tipped
him off to the trouble ahead.
"You won't believe it," said Sol.
But I can smell Germans. ]
smelled Them
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
WITH THE AEF
BY KENNETH L. DIXON

WITH HE A]CF IN FRANCE
Oct. 27-Oelayed)-tR Fcotnotes
from the Western Front:
Since the news from home hints
the fireWater shortage is acute
there too, folks I1.,doubted will ap-
preciate the sad story of Pfc. John
A. Davyak of Slickville, Pa, who
recently received a package con-
tanning a jar of cherries.
The cherries seemed to be sur
rounded by some preserving liquid
so John efficiently drained it out
on the ground before eating. Not
until it was all d, aimed out, did he
eat the first cherry and recognize
the taste-the preserving liquid was
good whisky.
A further trend along the same
line concerns the report received
by Pfc. Sam Friedman of Johns
town, Pa, from two prisoners.
They told him that the hard put
Germans now are using huge St.
Bernard dogs to haul light artillery.
Until the report can be verified or
disproved, the word has gone out
among artillerymen to be mighty
careful about destructive counter
batteries. The dogs still may be
carrying their famous TASKS strap
ped around their necks.
When he gets mad, Pfc. Leneau
Coward, of Dillon S. c., in in top
fighting spirit. The other day, for
instance, he was helping to mop
up small French village when a
sniper fired at him and missed.
Pfc. Coward fired back and also
missed. But he became so aroused
that he chased the German into a
building, dropped his rifle, and
then felled Jerry with one right
handed uppercut to the chin.
The fighting on the southern Sec
tor of the Western front has been
sufficiently intense lately that this
weeks accumulation of close-call
stories almost are out of hand.
There is Pvt. Timothy Doherty of
Laurelton, L. l., N. Y, whose rain
coat was ripped in IA places by
hand grenade fragments and Pvt.
Paul Graciano of Worcester, Mass.
who found a neat little bullet hole
right through the top of his helmet
following machinegun attack.
The bullet hadn touched him.
The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-04
Prayer
FOR MAGNAN1MOUs SPIRITS

We pray today, O almighty and
eternal God, ruler of all that the
universe contains, that we may not
be little souls in a great time. May
the vastness of the issues of this
global war p into our petty
spirits. Deliver us from the blight
of small and ignorant fault-find-
ing with our leaders and our
neighbors. Save us from the mean
spirit of criticism. Make us mag
unanimous in all the attitudes and
actions and conversation of life.
So often we hurt our fellows by
loose falkland thereby hurt our
own souls. God be merciful to us
in our meanness, and make us
worthier of our times. Help us to
be true to our real love and
loyalty and patriotism; and not to
be hinderers but helpers of all.
who in any position, serve the
great Cause. Amen.-WTE