Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 May 1918 — Page 3

■ ’ Kps in France Laugh at Shell Fire, Jest at Shrapnel Kg and Take Whatever Comes With Bold, Courageous jßpirit That Makes Them Invincible—Sergeant Braves Death io Save His Horses.

With the American Army in Franee. •—Plunged from their world of sham battles, training camps and dreams to a maelstrom of fierce realities, the American soldiers are proving they are made of the same stuff which carried their forefathers through the tests of the trying,'periods of American history, writes Don Martin in the New York Herald. 'T have seen them in action. I have ■seen them under shell fire -which literally sprayed them with flying earth and shrapnel, and their relatives and friends back in New York, California, Maine, Florida, Montana or wherever you please, may take the word of an eyewitness that they have already taken their places among the most valorous and sturdy fighters of this gigantic world war. Very recently .1 visited them in a little village as. close to the enemy lines as units can be quartered. I had gone to see the artillerymen at their task and instead of anticipated tranquillity ran Into the fiercest kind of excitement —the first these particular Yankees had known. It all burst suddenly and unexpectedly, just as most war developments break. Shells Break 1,200 Yards Away. From the rear window of headquarters in charge of an American captain and a French officer shells could be seen breaking on a sloping hillside. The nearest one while I was observing fell perhaps 1.200 ‘feet away. They were aimed at an American battery. “It’s nothing,” said the captain, a stalwart, handsome man, who only a few years ago was a renowned football player Ina Michigan university. They throw over a few shells every daybut they never hit the town.” With the musical hissing of the shells for an accompaniment we conversed about news in America and had luncheon—a good luncheon, too. There was no talk of war. Beside the table at which we ate was a sagging cot with wrinkled blankets. The captain Bleeps there. “Sometimes at night,” he said, “the shelling is pretty heavy and it’s hard to sleep, but I’m getting used to it.” Clerk Indifferent to Shelling. Just beside the open window in the rear —the window was more like a bam door than a window and had no glass—a clerk" was pegging away at a typewriter. The dropping of the shells made no Impression upon him. At home, I learned, be is a clerk in an express office—a lithe, well groomed youth who has dreams of future commercial greatness. “These shells come a -little too close for comfort, don’t they?” I observed. “They won’t get any nearer.” To a war amateur the spectacle of shells striking so near yet coming no nearer, when it would have been so easy to blow th'e town to bits, was a matter of wonder. “Yes, they could hit the town, of course,” was the captain’s comment, “but they never have shelled it. Sort of an unwritten understanding, I Imagine. “ They have towns similarly situated which we could shell, but they don’t want them shelled.”. Other understandings were that the Germans spare some towns because their own people have property in them. Whatever may be the reason for sparing cartain towns all reasoning was wrong with respect to this particular village where I was having luncheon. We had just finished when a noncommissioned officer entered the room, considerably out of breath, but in no way excited, and after saluting said: Battery Connections Broken. “Our battery is being shelled with gas and telephone connections have been broken?” Hurried orders were Issued. It was all done quickly and quietly. The football player, now a captain, acted as if he were coaching an old team at school. Presently men were seen scurrying off through the fields toward the shell-swept zone wherein the batteries lay. They dropped flat two er three times, but all crossed the danger belt safely and disappeared in the more thickly spattered region. This action had just keen put into effect when another soldier appeared before the captain and, saluting and standing erect, said: “I have to report, sir, that the shell i fire Is becoming more severe. Shells are now falling in the village.” The nearby whizz of the flying things and*ttie boom and crash at the , end of the street gave terrifying em- » phasis to the sharp cut words of the soldier. No one was so vexing as to ask about the “unwritten understaud- » Ing” not to bomb the town. Where, 4 shells had beeafaiiing at the rate of two -every three minutes, they were . now dropping at the rate of four or ; five a minute. They were striking In many parts of the villege. There being nothing to do in the town word was givente evacuate. In a moment Freucb and Americans were streaming slowly off into the fields and along the roadways and in five-min-Otes only a few Amertean and French . jUfim'BwWmif" were to be ■eon to the streets,wWrh wore fre-

FOREFATHERS LIVES IN DEEDS OF AMERICANS

quently filled with clouds of brick dust and flying bits of masonry and steel. Just then the great French guns began to add their boom to the din of the enemy artillery. One, two, three, four, five and on up to twenty came the ripping, tearing detonations. First a flash, then a whine, then a spongy roar from somewhere “over there.” In the midst of the fanfare and scurry a sergeant —and it is permissible to state that he came from Missouri —stepped up to the captain, who was directing his men to places of safety or to neighboring sections, and said: “There are 50 horses in a very dangerous position. What shall be done with them?” “It is too dangerous to risk a trip—leave them.” Refuses to Desert Horses. The sergeant paused a moment. A look of disappointment came into his eyes. I learned later that he has always loved horses. “I can get them out,” he said, looking the captain straight in the eye. There was no further conversation. The sergeant trotted off up the street into what might well have been the pit of death. He disappeared around a slight curve. A few minutes later he came into view again behind a galloping string of horses which shot off into a field to join a pack of mules which slowly and with traditional perversity had been moving nearer the spot where shells were falling with greatest frequency. And over in the batteries, around which shells had been falling for several hours, the artillerymen had taken to their dugouts, where they were sitting about like gnomes with their gas masks in position. Gas shells had been dropping all about them, but fortunately the wind was such as to whiff it away from them. With others I moved down the road a few hundred feet and entered a grazing field, where I stood with about 30 boys from various parts of the United States. We could see the German shells falling not far away and could see the flash and hear the boom of the allied guns.

Gazing at the people moving across the fields, a soldier from Chicago —in every regiment there are men from practically ’every state and every big city back home—said sententiously: “If the people at home could see this and then realize that their own fathers, mothers and children’ll get the same thing if the Germans ain’t licked I guess we’d have an army of twenty million, huh?” Shortly there was a lull in the fighting. In the period of quiet whith came there was a release of the tension which had been quite successfully camouflaged. Everyone broke out in comment, much as does a person who has Just come through a painful dental operation. “What’s the news from back home?” one of the privates asked me. “What do you to hear about?” I asked. “Has Grover Alexander gone in the army?” “Where’d they bury Bob Fitzsimmons?" “Did Teddy Roosevelt get over that operatibn?” “Is It true they’ve cut down the salaries of baseball Just News Rrorrv. Home Wanted. These four questions came quickly from four different soldiers and when they were answered the».boys seemed sattafled that everything at home is all right. Unimportant -subjects were dropped instantly when a -<liell spattered up the earth a few hundred feet awajr, causing everyone to move to a new region. In*a minute the bombardment was fiercer than, before. Down in the narrow valley immediately in the path of the shells’ flight five Frenchmen

DISABLED-MEN TAUGHT USEFUL TRADES

A hospital where disabled soldiers learn various trades has been established in Dublin, Ireland. Hers are some of the men who have become skilled aarvers.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND. — —————■—

Were planting vegetables. The t,o*nbardment made no alteration in their movements. At the end of three hours, when dusk was gathering, the firing was he- ■ Ing maintained from both sides, but the explosives were no longer dropping in the village, and the soldiers .moved back into their billets and their places of occupation. One who was privil.ged to go to the next village and thence to return to a region of complete security could not help realizing h'ow different was his lot from -that of the hundreds of young Americans courageous all. too —who has no alternative but to return to the village which, as I have said, could be completely blown off the; face of France if such were the determination.of the Huns who were bellowing with their guns only two miles away.

MINERS STRIKE BECAUSE OF SLACKER EXEMPTION

A . . Geho, Wyo.—This little mining town is 100 per cent patriotic. An assistant postmaster was given q deferred draft classifies- ■' tlon because of his job. All the miners in the village—-200 strong—went out on strike as a result. The* strike lasted 36 hours un- 1 til the assistant posthwster agreed to enlist. Whereupon the miners called a mass meeting and voted money from the union ;treasury to care for the man’s ‘ family during his absence. Only four of the 200 strikers were born in America.

AVERAGE AN ACRE AN HOUR

New Records Set for British Plowing With Tractors In Spring Torts. London.—New English records for tractor plowing were set in the apnual spring tests at the new government tractor school of instruction at Mossley Hill. Two types of light tractor plow of the model adopted by the government as most suitable for British requirements worked for 12 consecutive hours. The ground was a light soil and the tractors were required to pull fourfurrow plows, the depth of the furrow being six Inches and the land fairly level, but slightly rocky. B , The work accomplished averaged 1f.75 acres each, and the fuel consumption was 2.46 gallons per acre. The engines were run continuously for 12 hour*.

THROUGH STORM WITH BABY

Aged Pennsylvania Woman Walks 12 Miles to Get Relief for Family. Wilkes-Barre, Pa*—Mrs. Margaret Kemp, a widow of fifty-ttvo years and the mother of six children, walked 12 miles over the snow-crusted mountain roads with her youngest child in her arms just to get warm. When she got here she pleaded for some means of getting warmth for the rest of her family, which she said was freezing in the shack called “home” on Bald mountain. The mother and her baby were sent to the United Charities and relief was dispatched to the children. They had neither shoes nor stockings, little underwear and ragged outer garments, and were huddled under a few old horse blankets and quilts. All were brought here.

HAS SMALLEST FEET IN ARMY

Man at Camp Meade Has Plenty of Room in Smallest Shoe “Q. M.” Issues. Camp Meade, Md.—Fighting men at Camp Meade take due pride in their celebrities." but there is one distinctive man here who hates to be told about his distinction. It is Arthur L. Bunn of the Twenty-eighth engineers. Bunn is distinguished as the man with the smallest foot in the whole United States army. Socks size three and a half just fit Bunn, and his feet have plenty of room to Spare in the smallest shoes the “Q. M.” issues.

WORLD’S CHAMPION LIGHTWEIGHT BOXER

Benny Leonard, world’s champion lightweight boxer, who boxed with his sparring' partner at Madison Square Garden for the benefit of the Women * Overseas hospital. Leonard has been training a corps of “Sammies” at Camp Upton, whom he brought with him to the Garden to entertain the *thousands of spectators. Photograph shows Leonard’s corps of “slugging Sammies.” Leonard In center.

WORRIES OF INEBRIATE

> According to the truthful Ned 1 ' Egan . there was a pitcher on a > certain team in the Central as- [ sociation given to much dissipa- > tiqp. In a game following the J “night before” this pitcher’s > turn came to work. His team I went to the field, and the pltch- • er, reeling slightly, and mighty ! sick, took his place on the slab. ' He looked intently at the catchII er, but wasn’t certain what he ' saw. He turned to the umpire, »who. stood directly behind him. J “What’s the catcher signaling > for?” he asked. * “A curve ball,” replied the > umpire.' J “Shake your head at him for I me, will you?” asked the ! twlrler.

M’CARTHY WENT WRONG WAY

Tore Skin Off Anatomy Sliding Back to First, Then Took Arlie Latham’s Sound Advice. Arlie Latham, famous third-sacker of the St. Louis Browns of the eighties, and the Nick Altrock of those days, who later in his career was with the Cincinnati Reds, noticed, when Jack McCarthy, a ropkie, pulled off his uniform he was a mass of bruises and scars. “Old man,” says Lath, “you have been with us six weeks and haven’t stolen a base, but you have taken the skin off your anatomy sliding back to first. Try running the other way after getting those good leads and take a chance on that sliding stuff going into second,' where it will count.” Mac took Arlle’s advice and became quite a wizard on the lines.

STAR YALE MILER IS NOW SERVING WITH MARINES

Johnny Overton, the noted Yale miler, who won the one-mlle invitation race In the Meadowbrook meet last year, will not be a competitor in the event this year. Word to that effect has been received by Samuel J. Dallas, secretary of the Meadowbrook club, from Overton’s father. Overton is captain of the One Hundred and Nineteenth company, Sixth regiment. United States marines, and is how in France. A .

Ruth Has Two Chances.

Babe Ruth, the big Red Sox twirler, says he is going to win 30 ball games this year. Unlike most pitchers he has two chances to win. If he fails of victory with his shoots he still has a chance to slam one with the bat and put the game on Ice.

LEADER OF CINCINNATI REDS

Christy Mathewson's First Complete Year as Manager Was Successful In Every Way. ~t . „ Christopher (Big Six) Mathewson, who finished fourth in the National

Mathewson.

Buck Herzog. Big Six’s first complete season as a manager of the Reds was a signal success. His team will be in the pennant fight this year. Mathewson is a Bucknell university boy. Big Six is thirtyeight years old. He is said to be the best checker player in the baseball profession.

BASEBALL STORIES

The Fort Worth club has purchased First Baseman Kraft • • • They are now applying the word “morale” to baseball teams. • • • Moneymaker is the name of a catcher signed by the Portland P. C. L club. • • • Anybody who can concentrate on baseball this year will be a pretty good concentrator. • ♦ • Philadelphia still has a statue of William Penn and the Liberty Bell in big league territory. • • • The St. Louis Cardinals have sent Pitcher Henry Robinson back to the Little Rock club of the Southern league. * • • Ed Edmondston, who has been holding out on the New Orleans Pelicans, decided to report and resume his place in the outfield.

• • • Pitcher Bob Harmon of the Pirates, during his year’s layoff, is reported as having developed the “dodo” ball until it is a wonder. • • • The Boston Braves have taken on another one of the Worcester Eastern league players. He is Hugh Canavan, left-handed pitcher. The Louisville American association club has bought a former Philadelphia Athletic battery In Pitcher James Parnham and Catcher Bill Meyer. Manager Bill Rodgers of the Sacramento team thinks he has a find in Shortstop Carter Elliott, who was picked up in California without cost • * * Did you ever notice how it ir that the home team always gets way the better of the bargain when there is a trade of ball players made by the managers? • • • Baltimore’s hopes for Sunday baseball were hit a blow when the lower house of the Maryland legislature defeated the bill that would have legalized games. * . Dave Robertson’s mysterious Job with Uncle Sam is disclosed. He has been made manager of one of the navy teams at Hampton Roads naval base, but the report does not make it clear if he has enlisted or is merely a civilian manager hired for the job efl boosting baseball in tbs navy.

league last year with the Cincinnati Reds, has become recognized as one of the most important managerial factors in the National league. Matty was a pitcher in his playing days and twirled for the New York Giants from 1901 until 1916, when he was traded to Cincinnati for

ENTHUSIASM IN PERU OVER BASEBALL GAME

Well-Organized Teams in the Field at Callao and Limx Large Crowd Witnesses Contest tween Team From Battleship Marblehead and Players Picked From Local Clubs. Enthusiasm in Peru over the American game of baseball, which has for years been at a high pitch, was according to advices from Callao by John J. Doyle, president of the American Sports Publishing company, fanned to a bright flame by the arrival at that port of the U. S. S. Marblehead recently. While the primary object of those on the warship was to ■ pay the respects of the American government to the Peruvian nation for the action by the latter in breaking off diplomatic relations with Germany, an important feature of the visit was a game of baseball between the Marblehead’s team and d nine of players picked . from several local clubs. The game was a pronounced success in the matter of attendance, the crowd being the largest that ever attended a similar entertainment, and while the sailor team won handily the good play by the contestants was heartily enjoyed. Callao has three well-organized teams, the Callao B. B. C., the Club Sportivo Fry and the Callao High School Athletic association. Lima, which is only twenty minutes distant by electrTc road, hps one club named the Clcllsta Lima, and there has been an interchange of games. The Callao B. B. C., which is the strongest in Peru, has played a total of 16 games during the past season, winning 12 of them. The Lima council in order to encourage the sport put up a fine championship cup, and this was captured by the Callao B. B. C., after a spirited competition. The improvement in tlje work of the various teams in Peru is shown by the close scores, while previously the figures ran up as high as 15 and 20 runs per game. The high status of baseball in Peru, according to report, is due to the Intelligent and untiring efforts of Milton M. Longshore, principal of the Callao high school; A. O. Molino and Oscar Medelius of the Callao B. B. C. and O. Delaude, pitcher and manager of the Clcllsta Lima.

PITCHER TYLER IS CLEVER AS BASEMAN

Many Chicago fans have wondered whether Manager Fred Mitchell of the Cubs was in earnest when he said he would use Pitcher Tyler as substitute first baseman this season. It strikes them on the funny bone to hear of a twirler occupying the infield during Important championship games. Mitchell says he is very much in earnest. He has seen Tyler practice in that position and knows he field*; the place with speed and accuracy. He also knows that Tyler is far from being a weak hitter. |

SCHALK ON BASEBALL BRAINS

Player Does Not Necessarily Need Schoolroom Education —Case of Ty Cobb Is Cited. “A man does not necessarily need a schoolroom education to have what we refer to as ‘baseball brains.’ ’’ says | Ray Schalk, leading backstop of the American league. . “I admit this is the day of the college player in baseball.” adds Schalk, “and the better /education a man has, all other things being equal, the better player he should be. But he might know a lot of Greek, literature, wave motion, phrenology, analytical geometry, metaphysics and similar subjects and still be absolutely a frost on a ball or ‘he hit-and-run. 3= “Ty <sobb has the ideal baseball brains, but Ty Isn’t a college man. On the other hand, I used to play in the minors with a graduate of a well- ’ known university who was a brilliant scholar and a good natural athlete. But he was positively ‘he lindt la playing baseball. He would do th® most Incomprehensible things. 1* fact, be was impossible."