The St. Charles herald. [volume], March 23, 1918, Image 6

About The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993

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I
II
By LIEUTENANT NORTON C. TRAVIS
In Philadelphia Public Ledger.
USSIA'S women, alone, stand today
shoulder to shoulder with men. They
occupy, indeed, a place higher than
that of men of their own nation, for
the spotlight of the world is turned
upon them. In the scales of blind
Justice, where are balanced autocracy
or democracy for Russia, it is the Rus
sian woman who turns the balance for
freedom.
Russian women soldiers, virtually
untrained and unofficered, drove back
the Germans in their first trial of fire.
For eighteen da*ys I was quartered in the first
line of trenches with 2,500 of these Russian women
warriors. I studied them at close quarters—there
are no more Intrepid soldiers in all this world than
were those women of a divided and bewildered
nation.
The Battalion of Death is no more. They were
wiped,out by Germun shells and German bayonets,
and only four wounded survivors remain of 200
who fought through hell fire to shame the men of
Bussla into a sense of patriotic duty. To lack of
training and of officers is ascribed the annihilation
of this first battalion of women warriors in the
modern world. They failed In their object—the
stimulating of compatriots to defense of their
country.
That free Russia fears the power of women Is
Indicated by the fact that those who were connect
ed with the Imperial circle of the former court are
confined in the prison of Peter and Paul, guarded
by barriers of water as well as by walls of stone,
^ while minor offenders have been banished from
Petrograd.
The Russian woman warrior is the product of
■outdoor life and simple, wholesome food. In the
ranks one finds the majority of soldiers from the
upper class of Russian society, and by their sides
are serfs and peasants accustomed to working in
the fields of Siberia and Russia with the men of
»their households.
Ladies of Russia are noted for their proficiency
In outdoor games and sports ; they are great walk
ers, skaters, horseback riders and devotees to
sledding, games that require vigor and furnish ex
citement, and to their summer antf winter carni
vals and pageants, which occur Several times a
year. _ At these times it is their pleasure to in
dulge In native folk dances, and dancing on the
ice is a pastime to which they are devoted, and to
Which, I believe, they owe much of their muscular
development and rapidity and ease of action. The
life of the Russian woman has bred her to war's
service; she does not care for afternoon teas or
any form of Indoor amusement during the daytime.
Instead you will find her engaged in active sports
®n the frozen Neva, beside the trolley tracks that
link Icebound towns in a chain of gay activity,
even piore bustling than when boats ply the river
In summer and fetch and carry between Russia's
capital and the Neva's outlying villages.
And now you will find women at the switches
along the shining miles of ice-floored single track
of the Neva's winter trolley lines.
In singular contrast to the sturdy, muscular build
of Russian women, stocky of form and short of
stature, are Russian men of the upper class, who,
when they acquire refinement and high-breeding,
seem, hlso, to become weak and effeminate.
Not only in trench work, but in the ordinary avo
cations of men one now finds Russian women.
Street-car conductors and motorwomen handle the
traffic with efficiency. Conductors call out the
•streets, and from the second belt on the man's coat
that tops their blue skirts, they draw checks of
N ving colors and hand them out in receipt of
These colors represent from one to five
-d also indicate the distance a passenger
6J '' a!! \*-avel. One fare now costs fifteen ko
to Josepn o an( j j ia]f cents Under ordinary
worker, v f teen fc 0 p ec g s were worth five cents.
Cane,
~^ ' a half cents is a lot of money in Rus
has deep r , .. e ot p er j iaru l, while women fill
, ' ', ~ J street cars, there are still
the dog's a good mQtortrucks
lnS "so Cane ran for the dog à the driving of
aiüongTnicVts aiùl motorcar*"!
ry boat Chicago was just pulling c j
She was only a yard or two away wh ^ ^
the dog reached the I" h "«t andfr a wound -
betweên leaping for the b ° at "J L ;iy has the
andthe 2 ,S^^
,,u ' - fiances are
sary,
the boat drew the .«, u «:» «»«
Seeing the animali s pH Ißh t. 1the ^ iQ
backed up. A deckhand lassoed the
i watch*» When
noose. A crowd gathered an
the Ice. After desperate effortsje of
pawed at it, vainly try in,, j, kitchens
dropped between the pi ' * ' ,J..oread, made
Cllmbing*with great difficulty
the big dog to his shoulders a^e meat and
boat and*shore, slowly retrac Horges flro
The dog was taken to the 0 ^ furnlgh
.await his owner On-ius collar t e re d tQ
"T. N. Planter, Hotel Bristol, 1 at
The dog was emaciated, ipdic.
days.
Ef
l^VV
*
•m
n
Jti&tagæô oFj&mz
obtaln a sufficient supply. I should Judge that
Russian ponyskin coats, which have often been
so popular In America, ought to be cheaper than
ever this season if there has been any way of
curing and transporting the skins of these glossy
coated animals of the steppes.
Women's army kitchens are adequately sup
plied with horse meat, and from ladies of rank
tc serfs the women soldiers have learned how to
prepare palatable food. They have also learned
not only to draw their field pieces, but actually
carry them.
All women are enrolled In the infantry division
of the army, so that theirs are machine guns,
which three or four women can carry together.
Some of these guns are light enough to be borne
on the shoulders of one woman.
While Russians are not good marksmen they are
expert at bayonet work, and there Is nothing the
Germans fear more than a Russian bayonet en
counter, when the sturdy dwarf of the North not
only sticks his enemy through, but has an appal
ling habit of lifting him up on the bayonet. I
saw one victim of this shocking act slide off the
keen blade, dead.
And if the Germans fear such attacks of unin
spired Russian men, they dread the savage charge
of fiery Russian women, and when they succeeded
in capturing three in battle they tortured them to
death by way of satisfying spite against those
hundreds of young women who lay slain—martyrs
to patriotism.
I watched women soldiers dig out their own
trenches, where rain or bombardment had caused
them to fall in ; pull around their heavy ammuni
tion wngons and guns, as well as their field kitch
ens, and set up their barbed-wire entanglements.
Many of them were noblewomen and wealthy mem
bers of the "upper froth'' of Russia; quite a num
ber were wives and mothers whose husbands were
fighting in another sector on the line; and every
one was a volunteer.
With courage went cheerfulness. In the midst
of the hardships of trench life—and they can
scarcely be overestimated—these women sang bal
lads and catchy songs as they worked at the busi
ness of death. Some played on musical instru
ments that they had brought into the trenches,
while most of them found time to uttond to the com
fort of their pets, especially the battalion mnscots
—a parrot and a cat.
All were short of clothing—simple as was their
uniform. It consisted of a grayish khaki colored
material, like washed-out khaki, made In overalls
and jumper, with a tight-fitting high collar and
belt. They wore the same boots as were used by
men, and some had their feet encased in shoes and
puttees. One of the chief difficulties in equipping
women has been to fit the "upper froth" with
boots, and to the rigors of trench life has been
added the discomfort and, I fancy, pain of dainty
feet in coarse, heavy unaccustomed boots, stand
ing often in a mire of mud and water.
Women soldiers had shifts of ten days in first
line trenches of the enemy, with four hours on and
four hours off duty. At the least unusual noise
or sudden skirmish the whole 2,500 women were
out and in readiness for battle.
Every thirty feet in the women's sector stood a
"post," or sentry, who fired without ceasing. It
was her duty to call out, on occasion, the soldiere
who rested in their malodorous dugouts on shelves
that protruded from the walls along each side.
Mere children were many of these modern Ama
zons, for their ages vary from fifteen to thirty-five
years, and for ten days on a stretch they had no
opportunity to change or remove their clothing.
When not fighting or on sentry duty the women
rest as best they may in their dugouts, where roar
of guns does not penetrate very loudly. No ven
tilation reaches these deep burrows under the hills
except that at the entrance to the trench, and con
ditions are offensive to every sense of comfort and
sanitation. Our Red Cross commission sought to
remedy some of the worst features of Russian
trench life, but modern war is one of unbelievable
horrors, not the least of which is the insect pesti
lence of the trenches.
Every ten days a section of trench is cleaned up
and its occupants are stripped, sprnyed with an
insect destroyer, brushed down with brooms, given
a bath and clean clothes. In singular contrast to
the many antiquated methods of battlefield exist
ence common in the Russian army are comfortable
bath trains provided for the soldiers' fortnightly
bath.
As the world knows, the Battalion of Death was
organized by Madame Vera Butchkareff, who lived
in a small Cossack settlement in Siberia at the
outbreak of the war. When Madame Butchkareff's
husband was killed in battle she formed the Legion
of Death, mainly to shame Russian men into ac
tion, and partly to relieve the awful suspense and
monotony of village life fur from the scene of
strife. Therefore, in the original ranks of women
warriors were to be found hardy peasants from the
vast agricultural region of Siberia, and many such
women belong to the present regiments of femi
nine soldiers.
Far different from their once peaceful, remote
lives Is the terrific action of the battlefrout, where
instead of distant sparks of stars in quiet skies,
they witness clusters of shells shrieking upward,
five a minute, and bursting around a moving speck
in the heavens—some airplane target for great
guns. Timed to explode at 5,000 or 0,000 feet, as j
well as the distance of the plane can be gauged, !
the shell turns to fall at the designated height and ;
shrapnel sprays the night skies with vivid foun- j
tains of flame.
In the great Russian upheaval Siberia has deter
mined to achieve an independence of its own. I
found the people in this vast storehouse of na
ture's wealth distinct in type from those in any
other part of Russia. They are a mixture of Mon- j
gol and Russ; a peculiar young-old folk. Nowhere ;
else in the world have I found as strange looking
people. The men have a drawn expression and j
fixed, staring eyes. Women, too, exhibit this char- j
acteristic to a marked degree, and everywhere one i
finds the form of youth surmounted by the facial
appearance of age. I wondered whether this ex
pression proceeded from the squalor of their j
meager lives. They are an exceedingly dirty, filthy (
people; ragged for the most part, and with feet !
shod in a sort of straw sandal. With a land of
rare agricultural, timber and mineral wealth sur
rounding them, they yet wear an appearance of
stolid dejection.
HAD A GOOD FATHER.
The store was crowded with customers when a
child walked in and with an important air ap
proached the owner of the store, held up a quar
ter, and remarked in a high treble: "My father
said I could buy anything I wanted for my sup
per."
"Well, you have good father," said the store
keeper.
"Yes," replied the kldlet, "and it's me that
knows it."
DONT BE FOOLISH
end buy an imitation, get the original
VACHER-BALM.
It is better than any of the substi
tute "Balms" for quickly relieving
Coughs, Colds, Croup, and all kinds of
hurts and soreness.
Tiie many imitations are proof that
it is an unusually good thing.
The price is only 25c per .Tar or
Tube. Surely it is wortli that to get
ri»! of a Cough or Cold, or your child's
Croup. If your druggist will not supply
you and we have no agent in your lo
cality, write for the agency.
Every family needs Variier Balm,
and we supply samples Free, to start
the demand. E. W. VACHER, Inc.,
New Orleans, La. Adv.
The Fighting Spirit.
A man at the front win» starts out
to take it seriously will lie in the mad
house in less than a month, says a re
cent writer in Harper's Magazine. But
the light-hearted ones, escaping Min
nies and Lizzies, may go on indefinite
ly. The successful soldier of the
trenches never loses an opportunity for
happiness. He often develops into a
more care free, merry lad than lie was
at school ten years before. This light
heart in the midst, of danger and trib
ulation is our last invincible defense.
PROMPT RELIEF.
can he found in eases of Colds, Coughs,
La Grippe and Headaches by using
Laxative Quinidine Tablets. Does not
affect the head or stomach. Buy your
winter's supply now. Price 25c.—Adv.
If
to
is
it,
if
or
or
A.
B.
---- - ■ 1 ■ —- -------- - ---------------- I
W. N. U., MEMPHIS, NO. 9-1918. D.
His Recipe.
Thyme—IToiln, O'Bese. You're get
ting fat. What are you taking for it?
O'Bose— Food.
Piles Cured In t to 14 Days
DromOsts ref und mener If PAZO OINTMENT fails
to cure ltchlDi!, Blind. Bleeding or Proirudinu Plies.
First application gives relief. 60c.
A girl's idea of masculine revenge i
when her best beau elopes with he
rhuperon.
No Raise
In Price
Of This
Great Remedy
CASCARAfetf QUININE
The standard cold cure for 20 years—
In tablet form—safe, sure, no opiates
-—cure* cold In 24 bours-grip in 3
days- Money back if it fails. Get the
genuine box with Red top and Mr.
Hill's picture on it.
Costs less, gives
more, ssves money.
24 Tablet» for 25c.
At Any Drug Store
Soothe Your
Itching Skin
J'C'X With Cuticura
^ c Y Saip 25c. Ointment 2Sc A SOc
LUCKY STRIKE
CIGARETTE
Until this new "smoke*
was made you could never
have a real Burley tobacco
cigarette. It's the best yet.
IT'S TOASTED
The toasting brings out tho
delicious flavor of that fine
old Kentucky Burley. You
never tasted anything so
agreeable — think what
roasting does for peanuta
WST
10 *
Guaranteed by
■> Wdi^wCa't*-'
I* 4
American Women
No Slackers
can giris
We can well he proud of our Amerl*
and women. In France and
_ England women are tak
1Rt!3l ,nr 3§É ing up the work of men
resolutely, and have
shown their ability to do
almost all kinds of work.
When it becomes neces
sary women will show
their worth in countless
hops, stores, factories
and offices. No one hears
them complain of their
hard work. These are
the days when American
men have cause to re
spect, love and honor
their mothers, wives and
sist'TS. ff a woman is borne down
l>y tin* weakness and sufferings of wom
ankind, she should he helped by a
herbal tonic made with glycerin
which iias had such uniform success
during the past half century. She
should he well, instead of sick and
suffering; healthy and vigorous, in
stead of worn-out and weak; bright
eyes, clear skin, rosy cheeks—you
wouldn't think it was the same wom
an. and it's all due to the use of a
few bottles of Dr. Pierce's Favorite
Prescription. All druggists. Tab
lets or liquid. Tablets, 60c.
What this medicine has done for
thousands of delicate women, it will
do for you. If you're over-worked
and debilitated, it will build you up—
If you're borne down with the chronic
aches, pains and weaknesses peculiar
to your sex, it relieves and cures. It
regulates and promotes the proper
functions of womanhood. This old
î\nd tried Prescription of Dr. Pierce's
invigorates the system, purifies the
blood, improves digestion, and restores
health, flesh and strength. Consult tho
specialist nt Dr. Pierce's Invalids' Ho
tel, Buffalo, N. Y., for free confidential
medical advice or for free book^ ou
Women's diseases.—Adv.
Pride of Reidsvilïe
Smoking Tobacco
is the best granulated tobacco that brain*
experience and good tobacco can produce.
We will supply consumers, retailers and job
bers with any amount. If your dealer hasn t
it, send $ 1.00 for 24 five cent bags or 3 eight
ounce bags delivered by Parcel Post. Satis
faction guaranteed. Manufactured since
1872 by
ROBT. HARRIS & BRO, Inc.
REIDSVILLE, N. C.___
ECZEMAS
Hunt's Salve, formerly called
Hunt's Cure Is guaranteed to
stop and permanently cure that
terr • itching. It Is eom
pou... 1 fur that purpose and
your money will he promptly
refunded without question
if Hunts Balre fails to cure
Itch, Hciema,Tetter. King Worm
or any other skin disease. 75o
the box. Your local druggist,
or direct by mail from
A. B. RICHARDS MEOICINE GO.,SHERMAN.TEXAS
FROST PROOF
CABBAGE PLANTS
Early Jersey and Charleston Wakefield, Sn»
cession and Flat Dutch. By express, B00, fl.K:
1,000,12.00; 5,000 at 11.75; 10,000 X». at *1.50. F. O.
B. HERE. Delivered parcel post 100, 35c; 1,000,
SE50. Satisfaction guaranteed.
D. F. JAMISON, SUMMERVILLE, & C