Up-to-date Jewelry
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Howard, Hamilton, Waltham _
and Elgin
A Fine Line of Bracelet Watches, Cut
Glass, Sterling Silver, Ivory
and Nngget Jewelry
JEWELRY MADE TO ORDER
Osborne Bros.
5---1
Copper River
and Northwestern Ry.
FOUR TRAINS WEEKLY BETWEEN
CHITINA AND KENNECOTT
Leave Cordova, Second Street Depot, on Mon
days, Thursdays and Saturdays
Leave Chitina for Cordova Sundays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays
Leave Chitina for Kennecott Sundays, Tuesdays
and Fridays
Leave Kennecott for Chitina Mondays, Wednes- 7*
days, Thursdays and Saturdays
The above schedule subject to change without
notice. »
Dining Car in Connection with all Regular
Passenger Trains between Cordova and Chitina.
Freight received and delivered at Cordova j
Wharf from 9 a. m. to 5 p- m., except Sundays. •*
Tickets on sale at Second Street Depot office
one hour before departure of trains. 1 >
—
.—. if
CALEB CORSER W. E. BROWN
Superintendent Agent Cordova Wharf .
R. K. BROWN, Jr., Ticket Agent
1/
T
t
_ i
i. ... .■■■■■! I
MEET ME AT
THE
‘HORSESHOE’
POPULAR RECREA
TION PLACE
Where we can always find our
friends
Finest Billiard and Pool Ta
bles in Alaska
BEST GRADES OF STAND
ARD BRANDS OF CIGARS
Your eyes fitted. Compound and
astigmatic lenses replaced. See Os
borne.
The Red Dragon
CORDOVA. ALASKA
Headquarters of Cordova
Chapter American Red Cross.
Club House founded in 1908
by Episcopal church. Open
from 1 p. m. to 10 p. m.
REV E. P. ZIEGLER
Supt.
LOCATED IN GOLDEN HOTEL
Dr. Homer A. Blyth, of the dental
firm of Drs. Daggett & Blyth with of
fices at Cordova, has equipped modern
office'' •* McCarthy, Alaska.
•
We lined cp outside with rifles and
bayonets, 120 rounds of ammunition,
wearing our tin hats, and the march
to church began. After marching about
I five kilos, we turned ofT the road Into
an open field. At one end of this field
the chaplain was standing In a Uinher.
We formed a semicircle around him.
Overhead there was a black speck cir
cling round and round In the sky. This
was a German Fokker. The chaplain
hnd a book In his left hand—left eye
on the book—right eye on the nirplane.
We Tommies were lucky, we had no
books, eo had both eyes on the air
plane.
After church parade we were
marched back to our billets, and played
football all afternoon.
wi inr I bn i » .
' “Into the Trench.”
The next morning the draft was In
spected by our general, and we were
assigned to different companies. The
boys In the brigade had nicknamed
this general Old Pepper, and he cer
tainly earned the sobriquet. I wns as
signed to B company with another
American named Stewart.
For the next ten days we “rested,”
repairing roads for the Frenchles, drill
ing, and digging bombing trenches.
One morning we were informed that
we were going up the line, and our
march began.
It took us three days to reach re
serve billets—each day’s march bring
ing the sound of the guns nearer and
nearer. At night, way off In the dis
tance we could see their flashes, which
lighted up the sky with a red glare.
Against the horizon we could see
numerous observation balloons or “sau
sages” as they are called.
On the afternoon of the third day’s
march I witnessed my first airplane
being shelled. A thrill ran through me
and I gazed in awe. The airplane was
making wide circles in the air, while
little puffs of white smoke were burst
ing all around it. These puffs appeared
like tiny balls of cotton while after
each burst could he heard a dull
“plop.” The sergeant of my platoon
Informed us that it was a German air
plane and I wondered how he could tell
from such a distance because the plane
seemed like a little black speck in the
sky. I expressed my douht as to
whether it was English, French or Ger
man. With a look of contempt he fur
ther informed us that the allied anti
aircraft shells when exploding emitted
white smoke while the German shells
gave forth black smoke, and, as he ex
pressed it. “It must be an Allemand be
cause our pom-poms are shelling, and
I know our batteries are not off their
bally nappers and are certainly not
strafeing our own planes, and another
piece of advice—don’t chuck your
weight about until you’ve been up the
line and learnt something.”
I immediately quit “chucking my
weight about” from that time on.
Just before reaching reserve billets
we were marching along, laughing, and
singing one of Tommy’s trench ditties:
communication'"
TRENCH
3 to 5Ft.T rl wTdt W'i
3Aft&&ACG£D._
Diagram Showing Typical Front-Line and Communication Trenche*.
* . .
; IU Home, I want to go homo, |
I don t want to go to the trenches no {
more
Where sausages and whizz-bangs are ga
lore.
Take me over the sea. Where the Alle
mand can’t get at me.
Oh, my, I don’t want to die, *
I want to go home—”
when overhead eame a “swish” through
the air. rapidly followed by three oth
ers. Then about two hundred yards to
our left In a large field, four columns
of black earth and smoke rose into the
air, and the ground trembled from the
report—the explosion of four German
five-nine’s, or “coalboxes.” A sharp
whistle blast, Immediately followed by
two short ones, rang out from the head
Of our column. This was to take ud
“artillery formation.” We divided Into,
small squads und went into the fields
on the right and left of the road, and
crouched on the ground. No other
shells followed this salvo. It was our
first baptism by shell fire. From the
waist up I was all enthusiasm, but from
there down, everything was missing. I
thought I should die with fright.
After awhile, we reformed Into col
umns of fours, and proceeded on our
way.
About five that night, we reached the
ruined village of II-, and I got my
first sight of the awful destruction
caused by German Kultur.
Marching down the main street we
came to the heart of the village, and
took up quarters In shellproof cellars
(shellproof until hit by a shelly. Shells
r ——■ *
were e iatantly whistling over the, vil
lage ill d bursting in our rear, search
ing tin oar artillery.
Thes i cellars were cold, damp and
smelly, and ovegyun with large rats—
big bin 'k fellows. Most of the Tom
mies s ept with their overcoats over
their fi ccs. I did not. In the middle
of the sight I woke up in terror. The
cold, cl immy feet of a rat had passed
over m g face. I immediately smoth
ered in ’self in my overcoat, but could
not sleipfor the rest of that night.
Next eTening, we took over our sec
tor of t te line. In single file we wend
ed our way through a zigzag com
munica inn trench, six inches deep
with n nd. This trench was called
"Whisk ’ street." On our way up to
the fro >t line an occasional flare of
burstlnf shrapnel would light up the
sky ant: we could hear the fragments
slapping the ground ubove us on our
right a lid left. Then a Fritz would
traverse1 back and forth with his “tvne
venter' or tnoehine gun. The bullets
made a sharp cracking noise overhead.
The boy In front of me named Pren
tice crumpled up without a word. A
piece of shell had gone through his
shrapnel-proof helmet. I felt sick and
weak.
In about thirty minutes we reached
the front line. It was dark as pitch.
Every now and then a German star
shelU would pierce the blackness out
in front with its silvery light. I was
trembling all over, and felt very lonely
and afraid, ah orders were given In
whispers. The company we relieved
filed past us and disappeared into the
blackness of the communication trench
leading to the tear. As they passed ns.
they whispered. “The best o’ lack
mates.”
I sat on the fire step of the trench
with the rest of the men. In ench
traverse two of the older men had been
pnt on guard with their heads sticking
over the top, and with their eyes try
ing to pierce the blackness in “No
Man’s Land." In this trench there
were only two dugouts. and these were
used by Lewis and Vickers machine
gunners, so it was the fire step for
ours. Pretty soon It started to rain.
We put on our “macks,” but they were
not much protection. The rain trickled
down our backs, and It was not long
before we were wet and cold. How I J
passed that night I will never know,
but without any unusual occurrence,
dawn arrived.
The word "stand down” was passed
along the line, and the sentries got
down off the fire step. Pretty soon the
rum issue came along, and It was a
Godsend. It warmed our chilled bodies
and put new life into us. Then from
the communication trenches came
dixies or iron pots, filled with steam
ing tea, which had two wooden stakes
through their handles, and were car
ried by two men. I filled my canteen
and drank the hot tea without taking
it from my lips. It was not long be
fore I was asleep In the mud on the
fire step.
My ambition had been attained 1 I
was In a front-line trench on the west
ern front, and oh, how I wished I were
hnrk in f'itw
CHAPTER V.
Mud, Rats and 9hells.
I must have slept for two or three
hours, not the refreshing kind that re
sults from clean sheets and soft pil
lows, but the sleep that comes from
cold, wet and sheer exhaustion.
Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake
and a thunderclap burst in my ears. I
opened my eyes—I was splashed all
over with sticky mud, and men were
picking themselves up from the bottom
of the trench. The parapet on my left
had toppled into the trench, completely
blocking it with a wall of tossed-up
earth. The man on my left lay still. 1
rubbed the mud from my face, and an
awful sight met my gaze—his head
! was smashed to a pulp, and his steel
helmet was full of brains and blood.
A German “Minnie" (trench mortar)
had exploded In the next traverse. Men
j were digging into the soft mass of mud
In a frenzy of haste. Stretcher-bear
ers came up the trench on the double,
j After a few minutes of digging, three
! still, muddy forms on stretchers were
carried down the communication
I trench to the rear. Soon they would
' be resting “somewhere in France," with
a little wooden cross over their heads.
They had done their bit for king and
country, had died without tiring a shot,
but their services were appreciated,
nevertheless.
Later on, I found out their names.
They belonged to our draft.
I was dazed and motionless. Sud
denly u shovel was pushed into my
hands, and a rough but kindly voice
said:
“Here, my lad, lend a hand clearing
the trench, but keep your head down,
and look out for snipers. One of the
Fritz's is a daisy, and he'll get you if
you re not careful.”
Lying on my belly on the bottom of
the trench, I filled sandbags with the
j sticky mud. they were dragged to my
rear by the other men. and the work of
rebuilding the parapet was on. The
harder I worked, the better I felt. A1
though the weather was cold, I was
I soaked with sweat.
Occasionally a bullet would crack
1 overhead, and a machine gun would
>! kick up the mud on the bashed-in para
j pet. At each crack I would duck and
shield my face with my arm. One of
j the older men noticed this action of
mine, and whispered:
“Don’t duck at the crack of a bul
let, Yank; the danger has passed—you
never hear the one that wdngs you.
Always remember that If you are going
to get it, you’ll get it, so never worry.”
This made a great impression on me
at the time, and from then on, I adopt
ed his motto, “If you’re going to get It.
,*vu 11 f,ri ii.
It helped me wonderfully. I used It
■ a«i often afterwards that some of my
mates duhbed me. “If you're going to
get it, yoa'll get it.”
After an hour’s hard work, all my
nervousness left me, and I was laugh
| ing and joking with the rest.
At one o’clock, dinner came up In
| the form of a dixie of hot stew.
I looked for my canteen. It had
fallen off the fire step, and was half
buried in the mud. The man on my
| left noticed this, and told the corporal,
dishing out the rations, to put my
share in his mess tin. Then he whis
pered to me, “Always take care of your
mess tin, mate."
I had learned another maxim of the
; trenches.
That stew tasted fine. I was as
I hungry as a bear. We had “seconds,"
; or another helping, because three of
| the men had “gone West,” killed by
' the explosion of the German trench
! mortar, and we ate their share, but
still I was hungry, so I filled in with
bully beef and biscuits. Then I drained
my water bottle. Later on 1 learned
another maxim of the front line, “Go
sparingly with your water.” The bully
beef made me thirsty, and by tea time
| I was dying for a drink, but my pride
; would not allow me to ask my mates
for water. I was fast learning the
| ethics of the trenches.
That night I was put on guard with
an older man. We stood on the fire
step with our hands over the top, peer
I Ing out Into No Man’s Land. It was
nervous work for me, but the other fel
j low seemed to take it as part of the
| night’s routine.
Then something shot past my face,
i My heart stopped beating, and I ducked
! my head below the parapet. A soft
cnuckie rrom my mare Brougnt me to
my senses, and I feebly asked, "For
heaven’s sake, what was that?”
He answered. “Only a rat taking a
promenade along the sandbags.” I
Felt very sheepish.
About e^ery twenty minutes the sen
try in the next traverse would Are a
stnr shell from his flnre pistol. The
“plop” would give me a start of fright.
I never got used to this noise during
my service In the trenches.
I would watch the arc described by
the stnr shell, and then stare into No
Man’s Land waiting for It to burst. In
its lurid light the barbed wire and
stakes would be silhouetted against its
light like a latticed window. Then
darkness.
Grice, out in front of our wire, I
heard a noise and saw dark forms
moving. My rifle was lying across the
sandbagged parapet. I reached for It,’
and was taking aim to Are. when my
mate grasped my arm, and whispered,
“Don’t Are.” He challenged In a low
voice. The reply came back instantly
from the dark forms:
“Shut your blinkin’ mouth, you
bloomin’ idiot; do you want us to cltcta
It from the Booties?”
Later we learned that the word, “No
challenging or firing, wiring party outi
In front,” had been given to the sentry
on our right, but he had failed to pass
ft down the trench. An officer had over-1
nefirri our rhnlloni^p unH tho ronir
Immediately put the offending sentry
under arrest. The sentry clicked
rwenty-oue days on the wheel, that Is.
he received twenty-one days’ field pun*
Ishment No. 1, or “crucifixion,” a*
Tommy terms it.
This consists of being spread-eagled!
on the wheel of a limber two hours a
day for twenty-one days, regardless of
the weather. During this period, your
rations consist of bully beef, biscuits
and water.
A few months later I met this sentry
and he confided to me that since being
“crucified,” he had never failed to pass
the word down the trench when so or
dered. In view of the offense, the
above punishment was very light, In
that failing to pass the word down a
trench may mean the loss of many
lives, and the spoiling of some impor
tant enterprise in No Man’s Land.
(To be Continued)
-»
SUMMONS
In the District Court for the Territory
of Alaska, Third Division.
Mabel E. Sprague, plaintiff, vs. Herbert
A. Sprague, defendant.—No. C-13.3.
The President of the United States
of America, greeting, to Herbert A.
Sprague, the above-named defendant.
You are hereby required to appear
in the district court for the territory
of Alaska, Third division, within
thirty days after the completion T»t
the publication of this summoys, to
wit, within thirty days after the 25tU
day of April, 1918. and answer the
complaint of Mabel E. Sprague, the
above-named plaintiff, in the above
entitled cause, which cause is an ac
tion for divorce in one of the cases
prescribed by law wherein the plaintiff
prays for a decree dissolving the bonds
of marriage between herself and you,
and for such other and further relief
as to the court may seem right and
proper in the premises. And you are
hereby notified that if you fail to ap
pear and answer said complaint as
herein required, the said plaintiff will
take judgment against you for want
thereof, and will apply to the court
for the relief demanded in her com
plaint, as hereinbefore set out.
The order for the publication of
this summons was duly in ide and en
tered on the 16th day of March, 1918.
Witness the Honorabl* Fred M.
Brown, judge of said court, and the
seal thereof, this 16th day of March,
in the year of our Lord the one thou
sand nine hundred and eighteenth,
and of our independence the one hun
dred and forty-first.
(Seal) ARTHUR LANG,
Clerk District Court, Third Division,
Territory of Alaska.
By JOHN B. MILLER. Deputy.
March 21-24—Apr. 1-8-15-15.
NOTICE TO CREDI RS
In the Probate Court for tl.; Territory
of Alaska, Third Division, Cordova
Precinct, at Cordova.
In the matter of the estate of Erma
Bell Walker, deceased. No. 118. -
The undersigned Administrator of
the Estate of Erma Bell Walker, de
ceased, hereby gives notice that all
persons having claims against said
Estato are admonished and required
to present the same with the proper
vouchers to the undersigned Admin*
trator of said Estate, or to the Judge
| of tne above named Probate Court, at
j Cordova, Alaska.
Dated at Cordova, Alaska, this 13th
day of March. 1918.
D. W. WALKER.
Administrator of the Estate of Erma
. I
Aunty
Keating’s
"Wn"
S>ljop
Opposite city Baaery.