The Bluffton news. [volume], October 14, 1943, Image 7

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AS, ni'T 9i iqri
THURSDAY, OCT. 14, 1943.
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f'X,* CHAPTER II
0 See Here,
CHAPTER I—Edward Thomai
Marion Lawton Hargrove, feature
editor of the Charlotte (N. C.) News,
receives notice from his draft board
that he is to be inducted into the
army. Before he begins an account
ing of his actual experiences in
training camp he issues his quota
of free advice to prospective in
ductees. After his induction Har
grove, with his new buddies, leaves
for Fort Bragg, where he is to re
ceive his basic training.
A soldier stuck his head through
the door of our new dormitory u?d
gave a sharp whistle. "Nine
o’clock!” he yelled. "Lights out and
no more ncrise! Go to sleep!”
"It has been, withal, a very busy
day,” I said to Piel, who was bur
ied with his hay fever in the next
bunk.
“It sure withal has,” he said.
“What a day! What a place! What a
life! With my eyes wide open I’m
dreaming!”
“It’s been a little hellish out to
day,” I agreed, "although it could
have been worse. We actually saw
a corporal and he didn’t cuss us.
We have eaten Army food twice,
and, except for the haphazard way
the pineapple was thrown toward
the peas, it wasn’t horrifying.”
“I am broken and bleeding,”
moaned Piel. “Classification tests,
typing tests, medical examinations.
I think I walked eighteen miles
through those medical examina
tions. It’s a good thing this is July.
I would have frozen in my treks
with all that walking and exposure.
Nothing I had on, except a thin
little iodine number on my chest.”
"Funny thing about the medical
examination,” a voice broke in from
down the line. “Before you get it,
.1
'"te'
The old sergeant, his face beam
ing sweetly, purred, "You are now
members of the Army of the United
States. Now, damn It, shut up.”
you’re afraid you’ll pass. When you
go through the examinations, you’re
afraid you won’t.”
“I noticed that,” I said. "I don’t
have any special hankering for a
soldier’s life, but I thought when I
was going through the hoops this
morning that this would be a helluva
time for them to back out.”
“The little fellow who slept down
at the end got sent back,” said a
loud whisper from across the room.
“One of his legs was shorter than
the other. He’s a lucky dog.”
“I’ll bet he doesn’t think so,” said
Piel. "At this stage of the game,
I’m glad it was him instead of me.”
A dark form shewed itself in the
doorway. "I told you guys to shad
dap and go to sleep. Do it!”
A respectful silence filled the room
for three minutes.
“Look at me,” said Piel. “Won’t
the folks in Atlanta be proud when
they get my letter! Me, Melvin Piel,
I’m a perfect physical specimen.”
Big Jim Hart, the football star
whom I had known in high school,
spoke up. “Don’t go Hollywood
about it, Piel. Just remember, Har
grove’s a perfect specimen too. And
just two weeks ago, when we were
waiting out in front of the armory
for the draft board examiners to get
there, he had one foot in the grave.”
“And the other foot?”
“That’s the one he keeps in his
mouth.”
“Yessir,” said Piel, “the Army
makes men.”
The discussion was interrupted by
the reappearance of the soldier. “If
youse blankety-blanked little dash
dashes don’t shut your cuss-cuss
yaps and get the btankety-blank to
sleep, I’m gonna come back up here
and make yez scrub the whole
blankety-blanked dash-dash cuss
cuss floor with a blankety-blank
toothbrush. Now shaddap!”
So we quietly went to sleep.
This morning we took the Oath.
One of the boys was telling me later
that when his brother was inducted
in Alabama, there was a tough old
sergeant who was having an awful
time keeping the men quiet. “Gen
tlemen,” he would beseech them,
"Quiet, please!” They were quiet
during the administration of the
Oath, after which they burst forth
again.
The old sergeant, his face beam
ing sweetly, purred: “You are now
members of the Army of the United
States. Now, damn it, SHUT UP.”
This morning—our first morning
in the Recruit Reception Center—
began when we finished breakfast
and started cleaning up our squad
room. A gray-haired, fatherly old
private, who swore that he had been
master sergeant four
ktmes, lined us up in front of the
barracks and took us to the dis
pensary.
I- line in front of the_mess hall
Yf S MzHXK
Private Hargrove!
by Marion Hargrove
SYNOPSIS
dwindled as rapidly as the one at
the dispensary, life would have love
liness to sell above its private con
sumption stock. First you’re fifteen
feet from the door, then (whiff)
you’re inside. Then you’re stand
ing between tw-o orderlies and the
show is on.
The one on my left scratched my
arm and applied the smallpox virus.
The only thing that kept me from
keeling over was the hypodermic
needle loaded w-ith typhoid germs,
which propped up my right arm.
From the dispensary we went to
a huge warehouse of a building by
the railroad tracks. The place
looked like Goldenberg’s Basement
on a busy day. A score of fitters
measured necks, waists, inseams,
heads, and feet.
My shoe size, the clerk yelled
down the line, was ten and a half.
“I beg your pardon,” I prompted,
"I wear a size nine.”
“Forgive me,” he said, a trifle
weary, “the expression is w-ore
a size nine.’ These shoes are to walk
in, not to make you look like Cin
derella. You say size nine your
foot says ten and a half.”
We filed down a long counter,
picking up our allotted khaki and
denims, barrack bags and raincoats,
mess kits and tent halves. Then we
were led into a large room, where
we laid aside the vestments of civil
life and donned cur new garments.
While I stood there, wondering
what I was supposed to do next,
an attendant caught me from the
rear and strapped to my shoulders
what felt like the Old Man of the
Mountain after forty days.
"Straighten up, soldier,” the at
tendant said, “and git off the floor.
That’s nothing but a full field pack,
such as you will tote many miles
before you leave this man’s army.
Now I want you to walk over to
that ramp and over it. That’s just to
see if your shoes are comfortable.”
"With these Oregon boots and this
burden of misery,” I told him firm
ly, "I couldn’t even walk over to
the thing. As for climbing over it,
not even an alpenstock, a burro
train, and two St. Bernard dogs
complete with brandy could get me
over it.”
There was something in his quiet,
steady answering glance that re
assured me. I went over the ramp
in short order. On the double, I
think the Army calls it.
From there we went to the thea
ter, where we were given intelli
gence tests, and to the classifica
tion office, where we were inter
viewed by patient and considerate
corporals.
"And what did you do in civil
life?” my corporal asked me.
“I xvas feature editor of the Char
lotte News.”
"And just what sort of work did
you do, Private Hargrove? Just give
me a brief idea.”
Seven minutes later, I had fin
ished answering that question.
"Let’s just put down here, ‘Edi
torial worker.’ He sighed compas
sionately. "And what did you do
before all that?”
I told him. I brought in the pub
licity work, the soda-jerking, the
theater ushering, and the printer’s
deviling.
"Private Hargrove,” he said, "the
army is just what you have needed
"Straighten up, soldier, and git off
the floor. That’s nothing but a full
field pack.”
to ease the burdens of your exist
ence. Look no farther, Private Har
grove, you have found a home.”
Ka
This was a lovely morning. Wc
began at daybreak and devoted all
the time until noon to enjoying the
beauties of nature. We had a drill
sergeant to point them out to us.
We marched a full twenty miles
without leaving the drill field.
Lunch, needless to say, was deli
cious.
We fell into bed, after lunch, de
termined to spend the afternoon in
dreamland. Two minutes later, that
infernal whistle blew. Melvin Piel,
guardhouse lawyer for Company A,
explained it all on the way down
stairs. We were going to be as
signed to our permanent stations.
I fell in and a corporal led us off
down the street. I could feel the
California palm trees fanning my
face. We stopped at Barracks 17
and the corporal led us inside.
“Do we go to California, cor
poral?” I asked.
"Naah,” he said.
“Where do we go?” I asked him,
a little disappointed.
“To the garbage rack,” he said.
“Double quick.” He thumbed John
ny Lisk and me to the back of the
barracks.
At the garbage rack we found
three extremely fragrant garbage
cans. Outside, wre found more. Lisk
and I, citizen-soldiers, stared at
them. The overcheerful private to
v»hnm we were, ar^i^n^d told us,
“When you finish cleaning those, I
want to be able to see my face in
them!”
“There’s no accounting for
tastes,” Lisk whispered. Neverthe
less, we cleaned them and polished
them and left them spick and span.
“Now take ’em outside and paint
em,” said the private. “White. Git
the black paint and paint ‘HQCO
RRC’ on both sides of all of them!”
“This is summer,” I suggested.
“Wouldn’t something pastel look
better?”
The sun was affecting the private.
"I think you’re right,” he said. So
we painted them cream and lettered
them in brilliant orange.
All afternoon, in a blistering sun.
we painted garbage cans. The othei
Charlotte boys w’aved to us as they
passed on their way to the ball
park. Happy voices floated to us
from the post exchange. The sup
per hour neared.
The straw-boss private woke up,
yawned and went away, telling us
what would happen if we did like
wise. He returned soon in a truck.
He motioned peremptorily to us and
we loaded the cans into the truck.
Away we went to headquarers com
pany—and painted more garbage
cans. It was definitely suppertime
by now*.
“Now can we go home, Private
Dooley, sir?” asked Lisk. I looked
at Lisk every time the blindness
left me, and I could see the boy
was tired.
The private sighed wearily. “Git
in the truck,” he said. Away we
went back to our street. We stopped
in front of our barracks and Pri
vate Dooley dismounted. "The
truck driver,” he said, “would ap
preciate it if you boys would go and
help him wash the truck.”
We sat in the back of the truck
and watched the mess hall fade
away behind us. Two, three, four
miles we left it behind us. We had
to wait ten minutes before we could
get the wash-pit. It took us fifteen
minutes to wash the truck. By the
time we got back to the mess hall,
we were too tired to eat. But we
ate.
On the way to our barracks we
met Yardbird Fred McPhail, neat
and cool, on his way to the recrea
tion hall. "Good news, soldiers,”
said Yardbird McPhail. "We don’t
have to drill tomorrow.”
We halted and sighed blissfully.
"No, sir,” said McPhail. "They
can’t lay a hand on us from sunup
until sundown. The whole barracks
is on kitchen duty all day.”
It was through no fault of mine
that I was a kitchen pd^ceman on
my sixth day. The whole barracks
got the grind. And it was duty, not
punishment.
It was all very simple, this KP
business. All you have to do is to
get up an hour earlier, serve the
food, and keep the mess hall clean.
After we served breakfast, I found
a very easy job in the dining hall,
where life is much pinker than it is
in the kitchen. A quartet was
formed and we w’ere singing “Home
on the Range.” A corporal passed
by just as I hit a sour note. He put
the broom into my left hand, the
mop into my right
There was a citizen-soldier from
Kannapolis to help me clean the
cooks’ barracks. For a time it was
awful. We tried to concentrate on
the floor while a news broadcaster
almost tore up the radio trying to
1 decide whether we were to be in
the Army ten-years or twenty.
We finished the job in an extreme
ly short time to impress the cor
poral. This, W’e found later, is a
serious tactical blunder and a dis
credit to the ethics of gold-brick
ing. The sooner you finish a job the
sooner you start in on the next.
The corporal liked our work, un
fortunately. Kannapolis was allowed
to sort garbage and I was promoted
to the pot-and-pan polishing section.
I was Themos Kokenes’ assistant.
He w’ashed and I dried. Later we
formed a goldbricking entente. We
both washed and made Conrad Wil
son dry.
Pollyanna the glad girl would have
found something silver-lined about
the hot sink. So did I. “At least,”
I told Kokenes, “this will give me
back a chance to recover from that
mop.”
When I said “mop,” the mess ser
geant handed me one. He wanted
to be able to see his face in the
kitchen floor. After lunch he want
ed the back porch polished.
We left the Reception Center mess
hall a better place to eat in, at
mtin *»r
the
11
&
"When you finish cleaning those
cans, I want to be able to see my
face in them.”
any rate. But KP is like a woman’s
work—never really done. Conrad
Wilson marked one caldron and at
the end of the day we found that we
had washed it twenty-two times.
Jack Mulligan helped me up the
last ten steps to the squadroom. I
finally got to the side of my bunk.
“Gentlemen,” I said to the group
which gathered around to scoop me
off the floor, “I don’t ever want to
see another kitchen!”
The next morning we were clas
sified and assigned to the Field Ar
tillery Replacement Center. Gene
Shumate and I were classified as
cooks. I am a semi-skilled cook,
they say, although the only egg I
ever tried to fry was later used as
a tire patch. The other cooks in
clude postal clerks, tractor sales
U1SIL. railroad enrin^M's* riveters,
Mainly
BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO
Heard on Main street that
Lloyd Murray is Bluffton’s oldest
native born resident that Mr.
and Mrs M. M. “Dode" Murray who
celebrated their 54th wedding anni
versary last summer are the oldest
couple who were married in Bluffton
that there are 36 men students
in Bluffton college—there were 90
last year that groceries are
stocked with all the coffee they can
handle—remember when it was ra
tioned—and customers now only
mildly interested in buying that
cider season will be the shortest in
years—one press will complete its
run next Wednesday nearly a month
ahead of the regular schedule
that College frosh look like other
folks now since they discarded those
green caps last Saturday that
this school and w'ork program is
making headaches for the high school
truant officer
Appearing in a Birmingham, Ala
bama newspaper last week was a
picture of James “Jimmy” Basinger,
former Bluffton youth, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Noah Basinger, instructing
students in a college airplane class in
the operation of a Pratt & Whitney
engine
Looking at the picture our mind
went back some ten years or so when
Jimmy, then a high school student
with a flair for airplane mechanics
wheedled an old & W motor from
Wright field and installed it in the
family garage on Lawn avenue then
proceeded to take it apart and get a
look at its innards. And by the time
he finished Jimmy knew a lot of
things about that Pratt and Whit
ney job. Later he graduated from
Parks Air college, but we’ll wager
that most of what he told that class
last week about the motor was what
he learned in the garage at home on
Lawn avenue.
By a strange quirk of fate two
Bluffton boys stationed at Camp
Barkeley, Texas, one of the largest
army camps, work just across the
road from each other. They are Sgt.
Racine Warren and Cpl. Eddie Schu
macher. And Eddie says they read
the Bluffton News from cover to
cover.
You’ve heard the old saying about
riding for a fall—well that’s what
happened at Ottawa fair last week
when two Bluffton women rode pranc
ing steeds on the merry-go-round and
one of them a grandmother, took a
spill. No casualties were reported.
We can’t turn out this column
without calling attention to the un
usually fine October weather, prob
ably in compensation for a particu
larly rainy spring and early summer.
No rain here since September 25,
and this a light shower. Corn crop
matured and victory gardens replant
ed after washed out are making an
unexpectedly good showing.
Sixteen points for a pound of but
ter doesn’t bother Rev. A. K. Bei
sheim, formerly of Bluffton, now fill
ing a Buffalo pulpit. The former
minister who also knows his butter
making, writes this column that he
took a quart of cream from the top
of a dozen quarts of milk, ut it in a
two-quart fruit jar, closed the lid
and after thirty minutes of shaking
had more than a half-pound of fine
golden yellow butter. A little work
ing with a spoon and cold water to
get the milk out and it was all ready
for the table, all without 16 points.
And now come reports that some
of the boys are detaching the rake
from the auto buckrake chassis and
using the car to drive to town—with
out license plates and using non
highway gas. Officials are said to
be checking on it.
A six-man football game between
freshmen and sophomore teams as
one of the features of Bluffton col
lege homecoming last weekend de
cided whether the freshmen would
have to continue wearing their green
caps until Thanksgiving. The out
come—well, as one sophomore put it,
“We certainly decapitated the fresh
men,” the score standing 18 to 6 in
favor of the first-year students.
NOTICE OF ELECTION ON TAX LEVY
IN EXCESS OF THE TEN MILL
LIMITATION
Ohio Ger.’l Code, Secs. 4735-13-g, 5625-17
NOTICE is hereby given that in pursuance
of a Resolution of the Council of the Village
of Beaverdam. Ohio, pas-ed on the 17th day
of August, 1943, theie will he submitted to
a vote of the jieople of said Village of Beav
erdam at the General Election to he held in
the Village of Beaverdam. Ohio, at the regu
lar place of voting- therein on Tuesday, the
2nd daj of November. 1943, the question of
levying a tax in excess of the ten mill limi
tation for the benefit of the Village of Beav
erdam, Ohio, for the purpose of paying cur
rent expenses at a rate not exceeding 3 mill*
for each one dollar of valuation which
amounts to 30 cents for each one hundred
dollars of valuation, for a period of 5 years.
The Polls for said Election will be open
at 6:30 o’clock A. M. and remain ofien until
6:30 P. M. (Ohio Time) of said day.
By Order of the Board of Elections,
of Allen County. Ohio.
DAVID O. STEINER, Clerk.
Dated October 5. 1943.
October 7, 14, 21. 23
Second Allen County War Chest
campaign now on. Do your part.
bricklayers, and one blacksmith.
But we’ll learn. Already I’ve
learned to make beds, sweep, mop,
wash windows and sew a fine seam.
When Congress lets me go home, will
i make some woman a good wife!
October 10, 1918
Fourth Liberty Loan drive reached
its goal and went over the top for
Bluffton and Richland North. The
drive called for an initial fund of
$105,000 to be raised. Following the
announcement a bedlam of screeching
whistles, bells ringing, and a din
raised by auto horns proclaimed the
news. The reaching of the quota fol
lowed a week of intense driving with
nearly every house in Bluffton own
ing one or more of the bonds. Appli
cation has been made for a Liberty
Loan Honor flag for the district.
Jesse C. Lehman, a former Settle
ment boy now in Cleveland, has en
rolled .in the merchant marine service.
He entered in a course of training at
the Case School of Applied Science.
“Although it is nervous work at
first, stalking Germans in no man’s
land comes to be a great sport”,
writes Elmer Bowers from France.
“The other night while out on patrol
we met the Germans and drove them
back to their own trenches.”
You can’t help but grow when you
carry 100 pound shells all day writes
Rene Klay, son of Mr. and Mrs. An
drew Klay. Rene is one of he young
er Bluffton boys in the service, and
finds that carrying shells around
builds up a man in short order.
Dr. R. E. Hughson has been reco
mmended for a commission in the Ar
my medical service. Other Bluffton
physicians who are in the service are
Dr. J. S. Steiner and Dr. M. D. Soash.
The Red Cross requests those boys
who have returned from camp because
of physical disability, and to whom a
comfort kit was given by the local
chapter, to return the kit together
with other articles which they may
not have use of if they have not al
ready done so.
John Spangler who has been ill at
Camp Sherman is improving and ex
pects to leave the hospital in the near
future.
Word has been received of the safe
arrival of Burley Wilkins to an over
seas destination. Wilkins formerly
lived at the Jesse Mohler farm.
Bluffton In First World War
Jeromme Hermann of Camp Tay
lor was home on a furlough the first
of the week. Herrman visited his
parents Mr. and Mrs. Frank Herrman.
What Happened Here Twenty-five Years Ago This Week
RUPTURE
SHIELD EXPERT HERE
H. M. SHEVNAN, widely known
expert of Chicago, will personally be
at Barr Hotel, Lima, Saturday, only,
October 23, from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M.
Mr. Shevnan says: The Zoetic
Shield is a tremendous improvement
over all former methods, effecting
immediate results. It will not only
hold the rupture perfectly but in
crease the circulation, strengthens
the weakened parts, thereby closing
the opening in ten days on the aver
age case, regardless of heavy lifting,
straining or any position the body
may assume no matter the size or
location. A nationally known scien
tific method. No under straps or
cumbersome arrangements and ab
solutely no medicines or medical
treatments.
Mr. Shevnan will be glad to dem
onstrate without charge.
Add. 6509 N. Artesian Ave.. Chicago.
Large incisional Hernia or rupture
following surgical operation especial
ly solicited.
LOCAL AND LONG
DISTANCE HAULING
Every Load Insured
STAGER BROS.
Bluffton. Ohio
For Vigor and Health—
include meat in your menu.
Always ready to serve you.
Bigler Bros.
Fresh and Salt Meats
i
Mrs. George Barnes has received
word of the safe arrival of her son,
Monroe Amstutz, overseas. Another
son, Arthur Amstutz in the mecanized
department of the army has been in
France since last spring.
Donald West, son of Mr and Mrs.
Fletch W’efd, who has been with the
motor truck division at Fort Leaven
worth, Kansas, arrived home for a
5 day furlough.
The service flag made by Miss Reba
Purdy for the First Mennonite
Church, contains 46 stars.
Because of ill health I will offer at public sale at my
farm 1*/S miles east of Beaverdam on Route 30N on
Thursday, October 28, 1943
Beginning at 1 P. M.
The following property:
2 HORSES—Sorrel mare 8 years old colt 5 months old.
11 CATTLE—Brown Swiss milk cow coming 7 yrs. old,
fresh Oct. 3, with calf by side Shorthorn cow 5 yrs. old
giving good flow of milk roan milk cow 4 yrs. old giving
good flow milk brindle cow 4 yrs. old giving good flow of
milk black heifer 2 yrs. old fresh Sept. 26 with calf by
side Guernsey heifer coming 2 yrs. old red heifer coming
2 yrs old Spotted heifer coming 2 yrs old red heifer com
ing 2 yrs old all coming fresh from January to March 2
heifer 5 months old. This is a promising herd raised by
the owner.
SHEEP—18 Shropshire ewes 2 to 5 years old.
8 HOGS—3 Chester White sows with pigs by side 6
weeks old by day of sale 2 Chester White sows due to far
row by sale day black sow due to farrow by sale day 2
Chester White sows due to farow in middle of November.
150 White Rock AAA pullets starting to lay.
HAY—8 to 10 Tons.
MACHINERY—Deering wheat binder Nessco manure
spreader, spring tooth harrow P. & 0. Little Wonder 14
inch tractor plow 250 chick electric battery one row cul
tivator Economy King cream separator almost new.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS— Rug 9 12.
TERMS—CASH.
Harold McClain, Auct.
Mrs. Lillie Manahan, Owner
Public Sale
We, the undersigned will sell at public auction at our
farm 6 miles east of Bluffton, or 7 miles west of Arlington
on Route 103
Friday, October 22,1943
Sale to begin at 12:30 p.
The following property:
LIVE STOCK
2 HORSES—Bay mare, wt. 1500 lbs. roan mare, wt.
1600 lbs.
22 CATTLE—6 Jersey cows 1 Holstein cow 1 red
cow 7 Jersey heifers, some bred 2 Guernsey heifers 1
roan bull 2 years old 1 red steer 1 Jersey bull calf.
20 HOGS—5 brood sows 1 O. I. C. male hog 14 pigs.
10 SHEEP—9 Shropshire ewes 1 Shropshire buck.
CHICKENS—170 White Rock pullets 50 White Rock
yearling hens.
FARM EQUIPMENT—Ford-Ferguson tractor on rub
ber, set of steel skeleton wheels, 14 inch breaking plow, cul
tivator weeder, buckrake, dump scraper, all these at
tachments for Ford tractor. Roderick Lean tractor disc
9 ft. cultipacker spring tooth harrow 7 ft. John Deere
grain binder McCormick corn binder, reconditioned Mc
Cormick mower Dain hay loader side delivery rake hay
tedder John Deere corn planter with fertilizer attachment
John Deere manure spreader Hoosier fertilizer grain drill
Shunk 12 in. breaking plow shovel plows, single and
double low wheel wagon with hay rack, bob sled mud
boat corn sheller with pulley platform scales grind
stone cream separator sap pails 2 hog crates hog
troughs feeders and fountains one set of double harness
horse collars log chains meat planks and trestles potato
crates new Klein electric brooder (500 size) coal brooder
chicken feeder and fountains ladder lawn roller clover
buncher.
HAY & GRAIN—15 tons hay 150 bushels oats 3
bushels hybrid seed corn.
HOUSEHOLD GOODS—New studio couch library
table porch chair Morris chair 2 rockers cabinet radio
2 pedestals, and many other articles.
TERMS—CASH.
Practise Typing Paper
Standard Size 8 1-2 11 Inches
500 Sheets .. 25c
(No Broken Packages)
PI iff ton News Office
HOWARD SMITH (Q
MRS. MINNIE SMITH)
Auctioneers—Thrapp & Warren Clerk—Russell Elzay
PAGE SEVFW
News want-ads bring results.
MARGARINE
Public Sale