The Davenport New Era (Davenport, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 1, 1918 Page: 3 of 10
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THE DAVENPORT NEW ERA
AN AMMAN 50IMR
WHO VENT * *
MI'IIIMJYMEY
MACHINE GUNMER.SERVING IN FRANCE"
©1*7 BY
ABTHU* UT1 tWTY
EMPEY HEARS THE STORY OF THE TOMMY WHO HAD A
BROAD STREAK OF YELLOW.
Synopsis Fired by the sinking of the Lusltania, with the loss of
American lives, Arthur Guy Empey, an American living In Jersey City,
goes to England and enlists as a private in the British army. After a
short experience as a recruiting officer In London, he Is sent to train-
ing quarters In France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and
makes the acquaintance of "cootlea." After a brief period of training
Empey's company is sent Into the front-line trenches, where he takes
his first turn on the fire step while the bullets whiz overhead. Empey
learns, as comrade falls, that death lurks always in the trenches.
Chaplain distinguishes himself by rescuing wounded men under hot
fire. With pick and shovel Empey has experience as a trench digger
In No Man's Land. Exciting experience on listening post detail. Ex-
citing work on observation post duty. Back In rest billets Empey
writes and stages a successful play. Once more in the front trenches,
Empey goes "over the top" In a successful but costly attack on the
German lines. Soon afterwards Empey and his comrades repulse a
determined gas attack launched by the Germans. His next experience
Is as a member of a tiring squad which executes a sentence of death.
CHAPTER XXIV—Continued.
—21—
After standing at "attention" for
what seemed a week, though In reality
It could not have been over five min-
utes, we heard a low whispering in our
rear and footsteps on the stone flag-
ging of the courtyard.
Our officer reappeared and In a low,
but firm voice, ordered:
"About—Turn I"
"We turned about. In the gray light
of dawn, a few yards In front of me, I
could make out a brick wall. Against
this wall was a dark form with a white
square pinned on Its breast. We were
supposed to aim at this square. To the
right of the form I noticed a white spot
on the wall. This would be my target.
"Ready I Aim I Fire 1"
The dark form sank Into a huddled
heap. My bullet sped on Its way, and
hit the whitish spot on the wall; I
could see the splinters fly. Some one
else had received the rifle containing
the blank cartridge, but my miDd was
at ease, there was no blood of a
Tommy on my hands.
"Order—Arms! About—Turn I Pile—
Arms! Stand—Clear."
The stacks were re-formed.
"'Quick — March! Right — Wheel!"
And we left the scene of execution be-
hind us.
It was now daylight. After march-
ing about five minutes, we were dis-
missed with the following Instructions
from the officer In command:
"Return, alont, to your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
about this affair, or else It will go hard
with the guilty ones."
We needed no urging to get away. I
did not recognize any of the men oa
the firing squad; even the officer was a
stranger to me.
The victim's relations and friends In
Blighty will never know that he was
axecuted; they will be under the Im-
pression that he died doing his bit for
king and country.
In the public casualty lists his name
■will appear under the caption "Acci-
dentally Killed," or "Died."
The day after the execution I re-
ceived orders to report back to the
line, and to keep a still tongue In my
head.
Executions are a part of the day's
work, but the part we hated most of
all, I think—certainly the saddest. The
British war department Is thought by
*iany people to be composed of rigid
regulations all wound around with red
tape. But It has a heart, and one of
the evidences of this Is the considerate
way in which an executlc * Is concealed
and reported to the relative of the un-
fortunate man. They never know the
truth. He Is listed In the bulletins as
afnong the "accidentally killed."
In the last ten years I have several
times read stories In magazines of
cowards changing, In a charge, to he-
roes. I nsed to laugh at It. It seemed
easy for story-writers, but I said,
"Men aren't made that way." But over
In France I learned once that the
streak of yellow can turn all white. I
picked up the story, bit by bit, from
the captain of the company, the sen-
tries who guarded the poor fellow, as
well as from my own observations. At
first I did not realize the whole of his
story, but after a week of Investiga-
tion It stood out as clear In my mind
as the mountains of my native West in
the spring sunshine. It impressed me
so much that I wrote It all down In
rest billets on scraps of odd paper.
The Incidents are, as I say, every bit
true; the feelings of the man are true
—I know from all I underwent In the
fighting over In France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. That
wasn't his name, but It will do:
Albert Lloyd was what the world
terms a coward.
In London they called bin.' a slacker.
His country had bwi at war nearly
eighteen months, an-i still he was not
In khaki.
He bad no good reason for not en-
Uetlng, being alone in the world, hav-
ing bean educated la an orphan asy-
lum, and there being no on* dependent
upon him for support He had no good
position to lose, and there was no
sweetheart to tell him with her lips
to go, while her eyes pleaded for him
to stay.
Every time he saw a recruiting ser-
geant he'd slink around the corner out
of sight, with a terrible fear gnawing
at his heart. When passing the big re-
cruiting posters, and on his way to
business and back he passed many, he
would pull down his cap and look the
other way from that awful finger
pointing at him, under the caption,
"Your King and Country Need You
or the boring eyes of Kitchener, which
burned Into his very soul, causing him
to shudder.
Then the Zeppelin raids—during
them, he used to crouch In a corner of
his boarding-house cellar, whimpering
like a whipped puppy and calling upon
the Lord to protect him.
Even his landlady despised him, al-
though she had to admit that he was
"good pay."
He very seldom read the papers, but
one momentous morning the landlady
put the morning paper at his place be-
fore he came down to breakfast. Tak-
ing his seat he read the flaring head-
line, "Conscription Bill Passed," and
nearly fainted. Excuslug himself, he
stumbled upstairs to his bedroom,
with the horror of It gnawing Into his
vitals.
Having saved up a few pounds, be
decided not to leave the house, and to
sham sickness, so he stayed In his room
and had the landlady serve his meals
there.
Every time there was a knock at the
door he trembled all over, Imagining It
was a policeman who had come to take
him away to the army.
One morning his fears were realized.
Sure enough, there stood a policeman
with the fatal p..per. Taking it in his
trembling hand he read that he, Albert
Lloyd, was ordered to report himself
to the nearest recruiting station for
physical examination. He reported Im-
mediately, becuuse he was afraid to
disobey.
The doctor looked with approval
upon Lloyd's six feet of physical per-
fection, and thought what a fine
guardsman he would make, hut exam-
ined his heart twice before he passed
him as "physically fit;" It was beating
so fast.
From the recruiting depot Lloyd wns
taken, with many others, In charge of
a sergeant, to the training depot at Al-
dershot, where he was given an outfit
of khaki, and drew his other equip-
ment. He made a fine-looking soldier,
except for the slight shrinking In his
shoulders and the hunted look in his
eyes.
At the training depot It docs not
take long to find out a man's character,
and Lloyd wns promptly dubbed
"windy." In the English army "windy"
means cowardly.
The smallest recruit In the barracks
looked on blm with contempt, and was
not slow to show it in many ways.
Lloyd was a good soldier, learned
quickly, obeyed every order promptly,
never groused at the hardest fatigues.
He was afraid to. He lived in deadly
fear of the officers and "noncoms" over
lilifl. They also despised him.
One morning about three months
after his enlistment Lloyd's company
was paraded, and the names picked out
for the next draft to France were read.
When his name was called, he did not
step out smartly, two paces to the
front, and answer Cheerfully, "Here,
sir," as the others did. He just faint-
ed In the ranks and was carried to bar-
racks amid the sneers of the rest.
That night was an agony of misery
to him. He could not sleep. Just cried
and whimpered in his bunk, because
on the morrow the draft was to sail
for France, where be would see death
on all sides, and perhaps be killed him-
self. On the steamer, crossing the
channel, he wonld have jumped over-
board to escape, but was afraid of
drowning.
Arriving In France, he and the rest
were huddled Into cattle cars. On tlx
side of each appeared In white letters,
"Hommel 40, Chevaux 8." After hours
of bumping over the uneven French
roadbeds they arrived at the training
base of Rouen.
At this place they were put through
a week's rigid training in trench war-
fare. On the morning of the eighth
day they paraded at ten o'clock, and
were Inspected and passed by General
H , then were marched to the quar-
termaster's, to draw their gas helmets
and trench equipment.
At four in the afternoon they were
agnln hustled Into cattle cars. This
time the Journey lasted two days.
They disembarked at the town of Fre-
vent and could hear a distant dull
booming. With knees shaking, Lloyd
asked the-sergeant what the noise was,
and nearly dropped when the sergeant
replied in a somewhat bored tone:
"Oh, them's the guns up the line.
We'll be up there In a couple o' days
or so. Don't worry, my laddie, you'll
see more of 'em than you want befors
you get 'ome to Blighty again, that is,
If you're lucky enough to get back.
Now lend a hand there unloadln' them
cars, and quit that everlastln' shakln'.
I believe ycr scared." The last with a
contemptuous sneer.
They marched ten kilos, full pack,
to a little dilapidated village, and the
sound of the guns grew louder, con-
stantly louder.
The village was full of soldiers who
turned out to Inspect the new draft,
the men who were shortly to be their
mates in the trenches, for they were
going "up the line" on the morrow, to
"take over" their certain sector of
trenches.
The draft was paraded in front of
battalion headquarters and the meu
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned to
D company. Perhaps the officer in
charge of the draft had something to
do with It, for he called Lloyd aside
and said:
"Lloyd, you are going to a new com-
pany. No one knows you. Your bed
will be as you make It, so for God's
suke, brace up nnd be a man. I think
you have the stuff In you, my boy, so
good-by and the best of luck to you."
The next day the battalion took over
their part of the trenches. It happened
to be a very quiet day. The artillery
behind the lines was still, except for
an occasional shell sent over to let the
Germans know the gunners were not
asleep.
In the darkness, In single file, the
company slowly wended their way
down the communication trench to the
front line. No one noticed Lloyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the compnny
In the trenches, Lloyd, with two of the
old company men, was put on guard In
one of the traverses. Not a shot was
fired from the German lines, and no
one paid nny attention to lilin
crouched on the firing step.
On the first time In, a new recruit Is
not required to staud with his head
"over the top." He only "sits it out,"
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock, all of a sudden,
he thought hell had broken loose, and
crouched and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started burstlug, as he
Imagined, right In their trench, when In
fact they were landing about n hun-
dred yards In rear of them, In the sec-
ond lines.
One of the older men on guard, turn-
ing to his mate, said:
"There goes Fritz with those d d
trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery 'taped' them, and sent
over a few. Well, I'll be d d,
Where's that blighter of a draft man
gone to? There's his rifle leaning
against the parapet. He must linve
legged it. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick, while 1 report it to the sergeant.
I wonder If the fool knows he can l>q
shot for such tricks as leavlu' his
post?"
Lloyd had gone. When the trench
mortars opened up, a maddening ter-
ror seized him and he wanted to run,
to get away from that horrible din,
anywhere to safety. So quietly sneak-
ing around the traverse, he came to the
entrance of a communication trench,
and ran madly and blindly down it,
running into traverses, stumbling into
muddy holes, and falling full length
over trench grids.
Groping blindly, with his arms
stretched out In front of him, he at
last came out of the trench Into the
village, or what used to be a village,
before the German artillery razed It.
Mixed with his fear, he had a pe-
culiar sort of cunning, which whis-
pered to him to avoid all sentries, be-
cause if tbey saw him he would be
sent bnck to that awful destruction In
the front line, and perhaps be killed
or maimed. The thought made him
shudder, the cold sweat coming out In
beads on his face.
USE OF LARGER IMPLEMENTS AND MORE
HORSES HELP TO SOLVE LABOR PROBLEM
i&r.
SSsS
Ford Owners Attention!
A POSITIVE CORE FOR OIL PUMPEIS
Ever- Tytm Ford
SPECIAL PISTON RINGS
Htup oil carbon deposits and
fouled spark plugs.
Id crease compression and speed
wonderfully.
PAT FOB THRS#tl.YBft III SIX ■ WITH*
BT (UT1&U II (14BOLIRB AMI* OIL
Guaranteed to do the work or
your money back.
$8.00 PER SET OF 8 RINGS
HVBE-TTTBB mud* In all ftltea fop
&ou>. tractor and gasoline engine*.
Ask your nearest dealer or * rite
TBI ETO TKBT PISTON Mill! COBPAKT
f. • ST. LOWS, FIO.
Examples of Methods Which Save Man Power—One Man Operating Tractor
Drawing Three Plows and Another With a Four-Mule. Team Operating
Large Harrow.
(Prepared by the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture.)
If two men, driving one horse
each, can combine the two
horses Into one team which one
man can drive, and this team
can do as much or more work
than two did singly, Isn't It wise
to combine them and save one
man's time?
And If the fnriu Is large and
conditions warrant, Isn't It wise
to combine two of these two-
horse teams Into one, and save
another man's time?
t
Work which Is generally done In
some parts of the country with the aid
of machines that greatly Increase the
efficiency of the men employed Is still
largely done by hand In other parts.
Machinery for most of the work In
connection with preparing and tilling
the soil Is available In many sizes, and
frequently two or more outfits, each
requiring the time of one man, are
seen working in the same Held on op-
orations for which Implements of two
or three times the size of those used
could be employed with just as satis-
factory results. There nre few farm
horses which a driver of ordinary In-
telligence ennnot train to work in
large teams In n few days* time, and
'Most of the larger Implements are lit-
tle If uny more complicated or difficult
ro handle than the small ones for the
■nine work.
Installation of Machinery.
Whore the farm is large, and It Is
not possible to procure sulliclent labor,
t will certaluly be more profitable, as
••••• ••••••••••••••••••••
: KEEP SHEEP FLOCK
TO CONTROL WEEDS •
• •
0 o
i> (Prepared by the United States De- •
a partment of Agriculture.) e
J One of the best and cheapest J
1 ways to control weeds on farms •
J Is to keep a flock 'if sheep. In J
addition to controlling weeds •
J without cost, sheep will render J
• a profit by producing nutritious •
' food and wool, and will assist J
• materially in meeting demands •
■ on the nation for meat and wool e
J production. If weeds are not ®
• permitted to grow; and develop .
J leaves they will die, but It J
• would require a great amount .
J of hard labor to keep most J
• weeds under control lay this
J method. Sheep will keep the J
• weeds down and the more •
J weeds tbey eat the less will be J
their cost of upkeep, and the •
J greater will be the supply of J
• food releused for other stock, e
J Many rough or permanent grass '
pastures that require mowing •
. can be kept ciean by the use of a
• sheep, while at the same time J
a the cattle-carrying capacity of •
J the pasture Is increased. *
•
well as patriotic, to Install machinery
which will enable the operntor to
plant, cultivate and harvest a full ncre-
uge of the crops best suited to his lund
and the needs of the country, than to
let some of the land lie Idle or, at best,
havo It prepared nnd worked poorly,
and the crops out of season.
In many cases, u worker can double
the. work done by the use of a larger
Implement and a correspondingly
greater amount of motive power, and
sometimes the gain Is considerably
more than this. If the nature of the
work and the machinery for doing It
are sm h that the best Implements will
incrense the efficiency of the worker
by only 50 or even i!5 per cent, their
use may innke possible an Increase In
acreage by Just that amount, and at
least will enable the farmer to do Ills
work In less time nnd allow him to
take advantage of good weather If tho
seuson Is unfavorable.
Buy Larger Machinery.
Can all farmers afford to buy extra
horses and larger Implements to save
man labor? Of course, those whose
farms require but one or two horses to
do the ordinary work can seldom af-
ford to do so. But such can secure
this additional help by combining to
purchase lnrger Viachlnery, and doub-
ling up their teams to operate It; or
one. usually more skilled In operating
machinery, or better able to purchase
It, may own the larger Implements,
nnd do the work for several neighbor
farmers, besides his own, to the ad-
vantage of all concerned. Both these
methods have been tried out In many
localities with mowers, harvesters,
tractors, threshing machines and other
I farm machinery.
barrels. lOxtra bracing Is needed when
barrels ure loaded on their bilge.
The sack Ik not a suitable container
for tender new potatoes; It offers no
protection from bruising, and when
loaded Is hard to ventilate. If sacks
are to be used they should be of no
greater capacity than 100 pounds. Thq
smaller sack could be handled with
much greater care and would lend It-
self to ventilation better.
Hampers are not suitable packages
for potatoes. They do not have thu
necessary strength for the weight of
their contents and offer little protect
linn. As long as hampers are used for
potatoes and other heavy produce thero
will be severe loss from breakage. If
used they should be loaded on end and
alternate baskets inverted. Great caro
should be taken to mnke the load tight,
nnd no slack space should be allowed
in the car. This will lessen the chance
of shifting.
Crates of various sorts nre being
used, nnd appear satisfactory where
the strength of the crate Is sufficient
for the weight of Its contents. Weuk
crates should not be used under any
■'Ircoinstances, and crates with wide
openings tend to wilt the potatoes
while In transit. Crates must he load-
eil tight and linn, and no slack space
left under any circumstances without
suitable bracing, while striping Is r«^>
ommended.
Not Likely.
Festus I'ester paused In his stroll
down Qrand avenue to glance In at the
window of a motorcar display room.
"Ah I" said a suave salesman, step-
ping out of the door. "Can I Interest
you In an automobile, sir?"
"I hardly think so," replied Mr. I'es-
ter. "You certainly do not Interest me
our of one."—Kansas City Star.
HOW TO SHIP NEW POTATOES
NEED OF ANCIENT PRACTICE
Empey learns that a streak of
yellow sometimes can turn all
white. He tells the unusual
story In the next installment.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Best Material for Splints.
Galvanized wire netting Is claimed
to be much superior to wood as a ma-
terial for surgical splints. It Is
strong, light In weight, non-absorbent
and easily sterilized, and, unlike wood
and plaster, gives free ventilation. The
new splints are woven from wire so
tempered that It can easily be pressed
Into shape to be bound closely upon
the Injured limb
Dally Thought.
No nobler feeling than this, of ad-
nlratlon for one higher than himseU,
dwells In the breast of man. It Is to
this hour, and at all hours, a vivifying
taHuence In man's life.—Carl/la.
Prevent Losses by Loading Them Care-
fully Into Cars—Double-Headed
Barrel Is Good.
(Prepared by the United States Depart-
ment of Agriculture.)
Shifting of the loads In transit, weak
and partly filled packages, and lack of
ventilation are responsible for losses
hi many cars of new potatoes which
ire arriving at markets. The loading
f diseased potatoes is also responsible
for considerable loss. In some eases
-hipments that show scab wilt or late
| blight are practically worthless when
| they reach the market.
The double-headed barrel appears to
lie the best package for new potatoes
I hut Is now in general use. If proper-
ly made it protects the potatoes us
well as holds them In place. Much
less breakage lias been found In "ars
where the barrels are loaded on end
than when loaded on their bilgo. Strips
should be placed on top of the lower
layers of barrels for the upper layers
to rest upon.
Loading barrels on their bilge Is not
a safe practice unless headllners
(strips to prevent heads bulging) are
used. It Is said that the use of head-
liners would prevent n.'ne-tenths of the
breakage In all types Df loads with
History Tells Us That Roman Farmer!
Stored Various Succulent Feeds
for Live Stock.
(Prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
History tells of Itornun farmers who
carefully chopped fine various green,
suculent feeds and packed tliem In
pits for use during the winter season,
The practice seems to have been corn'
inon and the feed kept well. From
these early times It has been good
practice to store various green crops
in pits or airtight containers for feed-
' Ing to stock. The silo Is the present-
day result, and a farmer who raises
live stock cannot afford to he without
one. The advantages of the silo arf
I numerous, but some of the more lm
i portant ure:
| 1. Green, succulent feed is available
throughout the year.
2. A silo stores more feed for lesi
cost than any other farm building.
3. The feed Is handy for use.
Income From Feathers.
The feathers from the goose, whlcl
are generally picked twice a yeai
amount to quite an income In a lariv
(flock, and are always salable at a goo'
I price.
LfKOIlMld In original path.
• 0«s only, like picture
RiIuh ell substitute*.
Trying
Summer Days
Do you suffer from the
enervating effects of the
hot summer months ? Do
you feel heavy, dull, lan-
guid and indisposed to
mental and physical
exertion ? For relief, try
The Great General Tonic
Sold By All Rtliablm Druggi t
Sole Manufacturers:
LYKO MEDICINE COMPANY
New York Kaniaa City, Mo.
Oklahoma Directory
FILMS DEVELOPED
10c ftr Roll, Any Site. Film pecks, Aay Six*. 15c.
Print* Jm«44 or smaller, 4c. 8^x3*4 and tip to
Ixb, 6c. Post curds 6c each. lteu)itU.noe must ac-
company order, or we will ship C. O. D. We do not
fturntlce quality for npeed. Let our film experts
give you better results.
▲ fu ne of Kodak supplies in stock.
Weatfall Drug Co., Oklahoma City
B&stiuan Kodak Atfeuta, 204.206 W. Main St.
N. S. SHERMAN MACHINE
AND IRON WORKS
Engineers, Founders and Machinists
Grate Bars and Smokestacks
18 to 36 East Main Street Oklshoms City. Okla.
The Only Sh la CtUksM 0*
Aalo f n<l*ra and bodlaa •lral|kl«
*>•4 Ml aa §oo4 M M .
Oklahoma Auto-Radiator
Fender & Lamp Repair Shop
o«r•p *'aiii a: Repairing leaky,
fcuiaabrd up and frusen radio*
tor* We do not plug tnboa,
but we replace old tubes with
Dew tubes, ton W. W
Clean Your Clothes
to look like new at largest place in
city. Wrap in paper, send Parcel-
post; we do the rest promptly.
420 NORTH
BROADWAY
OKLAHOMA
CITY
Witherspoon - McMullcn
Live Stock Com. Co.
Actual office* in Kansai City, St Loula.
Wichita, Oklahoma City ond Ft. Worth
"WE PLEASE THE TRADE"
Frederickson Tire Co.
416 N. Broadway, Oklahoma City
Quick service on Re-tread and Vulcaniz-
ing. All work guaranteed. Largest tire
shop in the State. WRITE OR CALL.
SECURITY MOTOR CO.
DISTRIBUTORS
Velie, Case, Premier Pleasure Cars
VELIE and STEWART TRUCKS
i'hone L. D. 114
25-27 W. Main OKLAHOMA CTH
MAGNETOS
HtartTH and Generator* Repaired
and Kebullt Official repair otatlon
for K W. Magn«u<>* ftnil most all
other uiakea. I'H'JNll \VAL 104.
American Electric Ignition Company
1JS N Itu4 it Ollakwa Clti
Are you marketing jrour
If not, you should.
that dairy products
moat necessary and valuable too, every fanner
should do his utmost to increase the produo-
'ion of butter fat. Tills year promises to be
the bunner year for the creaiu produoers.
You should profit too. Ship your creain to
THE MERIDEN CREAMERY CO.
Ilat and C.ntralSu. K.naaa City. Mo.
REPUBLIC TRUCKS
8EVEN SIZES
SGream?
X TRUCK FOR EVERY PURPOSE
We give you service with Republics. Com-
plete stock repair p«.rts. Trailers and Truck
Bodies. Writs us for prices and terms.
G. M. HEAD MOTOR CO., Distributers
617-19 N. Broadway. Oklabemi City
MifcU
....
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Tryon, W. M. The Davenport New Era (Davenport, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 1, 1918, newspaper, August 1, 1918; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc109490/m1/3/: accessed May 3, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.