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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1915)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. MARCHING THROUGH BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS m m m French troops advancing to a new Germans In northern Franco. GIVES 10 WORLD HIS Makes Lightning Change From Novel Writer to Leader of Men in Battle. STRAIN WHITENS HIS HAIR War'a Wild Drama Holds No Further Thrills for Oikar Hocker Ages of Experience Crowded Into His One Short Tour of ' Trench Duty. Berlin. Until a certain day last auinmcr Paul Oskar Hocker, one of Germany's leading "heat seller" writ ers, divided his tlmo between writing novels and plays and admiring the roses In his little garden close to Ber lin. Then, with the suddenness of a lightning atroko, he realized, as did hundreds of thousands of othere, what "a nation in arms" moans. Paul Oskar Hocker, novelist, playwright and lover of flowers, became overnight Captain Hocker at the head of a company In the first reservo, giving orders to other men, clothed all alike In the famous German field gray, men who the day before had been, one a painter, anoth er a cook, another a sculptor, another k gravedlgger. With hundreds of others they plied Into a troop train and headed for Bel glum. Exactly once more, tho last time for many months, was Hocker re minded of tho llfo he had left behind him. That was when a young girl ap proached him as he was washing bid face at one of tho last German stations whero tho troop train stopped and bluohlngly asked: "They they tell me you aro Hock r, the famous novelist? Is it true?" Left His Autograph. C&ptaln Hocker nodded. "Then, will you please give mo your autograph?" Whllo the warning whittle ot tho train announced its speedy departure, Paul Oskar Hocker, novelist, -wrote down his autograph and received tbo girl's smiling words of gratltudo. A couple of days later Captain Hocker of the reserve was giving the order to a firing party to shoot down a Belgtan accused of "sniping.'-' A few weeks later ho and tho painter nnd tho sculp tor and the gravedlgger got their bap tism of fire near Lille. Then It was that Hocker had tho narrowest possl ble escape from death. Shortly after that he burrowed into a trench and remained there for weeks without room to stand up or lie down, while countless shells screamed overhead and racked his nerves to the breaking point. Writes In Rain of Fire. All this Hocker has set down in a little book ot his war experience called "At the Head ot My Company," which has Just appeared in Berlin, one ot tho most graphic and convincing pieces of writing to cpmo out ot tho war. He wrote its various chapters in the hell of Belgium and northern Franco, send Ing them back to be published as fast as they were completed I Hooker's company was ono ot hun dreds upon hundreds that marched through ueigium in tuo wake of that German army- that almost-smashed Its way into Paris last September, He and his men passed through vlao. near -lege, while it was still burning. Soon fetter amid clouds ot suffocating smoko hat blinded them and hid their roads, hey tramped over tho Btreots In tho outskirts of another burning town Louvatn. One night tho captalr wbb quartered la a filthy stable; on another he sat comfortably with the young vicar ot a dlelglan village on whom he. was quar tered and talked not ot war and Its atrocities, but of "Prera'phaelltes, Turkish dialects and now kinds Qt rosea!" After that came mord unconi foVtable night lodgings; then, Just as a spice of variety, a night in a magni ficent villa, a sleep In a bed used in former years by King Leopold of Bel glum. One woman, obliged to give'tbe eaptaln lodging for the night in her house pleasantly remarked to him: 'Anything I can do for you7 Anything jf. nan get for you? Would you like me- to send you a Darner WftRRIOR WRITER m s position through the clabornto barbed Tlio captain said politely that ho happened to pobscsb a safety razor. "Tlio Idea of being shaved by a Bel gian didn't appeal to mo at all," ho grimly remarks. Just as they crossed the French frontier a packet of letters fro: t homo arrived, giving Hocker the newB that a play by him dealing with the warB In Germany 100 years ago hod Just been performed In Berlin. On receiv ing that letter he tells us he sat down and reflected: "Whero was I when that play of mlno was being given In Berlin? Oh, yes; sleeping on a mattress by a rail way lino threatened with a Belgian at tack, my revolver by my side." From bucIi duties Captain Hocker and his men moved southward Into tho real fighting zone and got their baptism of fire' with a vengeance In tho outskirts or Llllo, sidling along narrow alleys amid tho whistling of bullets from roofs and windows, creep ing on all fours through tho ditch lin ing a high road, charging into burning villages while unseen onomleB poured shot and shell at them. It was all a long, long way from that little vobo garden outside Berlin. But far more terrible than tho bap tism of flro was Hooker's next experi ence of fighting tho allies at close range, which ho describes with truly admlrablo skill. While leading his company, far In advanco of the main force of GermanB, in an endeavor to feel out tho strength of the enemy, they suddenly found themselves ex posed to a hot flro from several direc tions. Tho captain had Just admon ished his men to keep cool, take cover, aim carefully. Then, suddenly: The Deadly Enfilade. Aro those men over there ours7" asked my trumpoter. "Over there on tho high road, behind us." I looked. A feeling ot horror came over me. Yes, while their, artillery held us back their infantry, advancing un- Bcou on our left, has flanked us. And now, from tho right, the flro of the French machine guns adds Ha monot onous rhythm to tho hellish concert No Bound behind us. Our artillery battery Is evidently without ammuni tion. Order from the commander of our brigade: "Company must fall back slowly." A man in tho squad which has advanced to- tho highroad passes tho order along to mo. , It Is passed all along tho lino. A couplo ot men start to stand up. I call out to them: "Down! Lie Down! CravV" But already tho movement has been seen from over across there; shrapnel strikes closo beside us. With bent back, faces ground Into the earth, all ot us llo there. No Hope Left. My flpldglass Is covered with sweat and earth. I put it down. Shells drlvo clouds ot dust Into my eyes. I close them. I am unable to utter a word. I crawl along tor about five hundred yards. My revolve- grinds Into my left side, my floldglass presses against my stomach, And for a moment this thought rushes through my mind: What would you, being an officer, do it attacked In trout by artillery, on tho lott by Infantry, on the right by artillery? What would you do? Answer; 1 would give this order; "Helmets oft for prayer!" Helmets off for prayer! Yes, thero Is no hope for us now. All we have to do is die like men. "Don't ruul" , . The road which we must take la showered with shot. I climb a hillock. Yes. nothing matters now. If only I do not fall into thoir hands alive. To die. I strike out over a field. For a few seconds, unconsciousness. Then, once more, tho tack-tack-tack of the machine guns. God, please, please, let me die an honorablo soldier'o death. And without long suffering. Now, God, now at onco, pIobbo. If only my men don't start running. "Slowly, men, slowly." 1 can go no farther. "Off with you, youngsters!" Greetings to my people. God be with you. You have behaved well. . . . His Flowers Calling. It only 1 could have one more look at my lit 'lo garden. I'm a chTi of tho city and 1'vo learned to lovo flowors so, r.nd that llttlo spot ot earth Whco-ee-ee-oe! Thero it goes again, screaming over our headB. I greet death. My Hps dig Into tho soil. Dust thou art, to dust thou shalt return. Onward, onward. . . . none or us Know wnuner we are bound. Night falla. Somewhere or other a cavalry patrol tells us; "Some ot our men are camping over in that i ion. wire entanglements erected by tlio Wo go there. Soldiers on bicycles meet us. They tell us that nobody ex pected one ot us to come out altvo from that hellhole. My orderly runs to me, with wet eyes. "Captain, my captain!" 1 shake many hands. I warm my self at tho camp-fire. Light rain Is falling. Someone brings me a halt bottle of champagne. The men get red wine from the baggage train . . . and rice soup. My Hps are still Wack with earth. I gulp It down with tho first swallow of foaming wine. "Greetings, llfo! Greetings, earth!" After a period of comparative peace and luxury In tho conquered city of Lille, Captain Hocker marched his company out to f.ic vicinity of Mes sines, where some of tho most des perate fighting of tho war has taken place, and there ho and his men got their first taste of life In tho trenches. Day after day they lay In subterran ean cells, under orders from head- quarters "to hold tho position at all costs, oven If your trencheB nre blown up." Mocker's commanding skill ob a writer Is shown here again: Our trench Is not three meters long, a full meter deep, with a frontnge 40 centimeters high. It 1b SO centimeters wide. The entrance consists of three narrow steps. Ab tho trqnch has a r""f on must crawl Into It backward You cannot stand Inside, scarcely kneel even, without striking your head against the roof. All there Is to do la to llo down, first a bit on tho left Bide, then a bit on tho right, then on your back but before each change you must warn your trenchmate. You llo nnd wait. Yc ' lie and listen. You He and think. Is it fear of death that creeps upor us? Is It discouragement? Oh, If onlj wo could rush forward to the attack that would bo quite another matter That would bo Just up and at 'em, and In a couple of hours fate would do clde. . . . His Hair Grown White. When we were young men. wt learned nothing of this new form ol war. History, It seems, kept It foi this most difficult and bitterest of cam palgns. To stick It out under the earth until one's time comes until tho enemy dares advance and wo must throw him back or until tho command reaches us from the rear: "Forward! Attack!" Meanwhile, thero we He. And, over our heads, horror slirleks. Tho roaring, cracking, spattering, thundering, growling, crashing goeB on unendingly. Always, always. Every Bhot may bring the end; the end of ono of thoso who-wait , Oh. it 1 could only accompany my slondor llttlo daughter just a llttlo bit further Into llfo And my wife, who has struggled and fought by my aide for tho length of a human life- could I but look again Into her eyes and Bpeak a loving farewell to her. . . It ;) that way with all ot ub. Oh, do not bellovo that any one of us Is crouching hero under the earth callous and without feelings, that through the narrow silt ho sees merely the same Btretch of claylsh soil. Callousness Is not courage. . . . You He and wait. You llo and listen. You He and think. Then, after days and days and days of liUB. conies the order: You are re llovcd. You have two days for rest A South German detachment relieves Hockor's men. He writes; I could not ride. I found 1 had to learn over again hov to use my limbs, On foot I led my company away. I looked Into a mirror. 1 had to smile. Tho bit of hair which I still possess has, during tbeco lest ten days, turned white! SOLDIER HAS 139 WOUNDS Reservist Survives Awful Injuries and Now Travels About on Crutches- Paris. Tho record of 79 wounds re ceived by an army surgeon baa been broken by Hone Vldal, reservist, of Ilaincy. Whllo la the trenches a shell exploded Immediately behind him and the lower part ot his body and limbs were riddled with Bhrapnel, From eight o'clock In the morning until evening he lay In tho trench without oven first aldji When ho ar rived at tho auxiliary hospital a thor ough examination showed traces ot 139 separate and distinct wounds. Ills case was considered desperate, as he had lost an extraordinary quantity of blood, but he Is now able to get about 1 on crutches. SUo Itntli not met with home-mude bread, A licnvy compound of ptitty nnd It'nd And lifitno-mude wines that ruck tlio lirad, llomu-madft pop that will not foam And home-mude dlahes that drlvo on from home. Hood. GOOD THINGS TO EAT. Cook a fourth of a cupful of soft crumbs with a fourth of a cupful of cream until smooth and thick; cool and add an egg yolk and a third of a cupful of pecans cut in pieces. To two cupfulB of hot rlccd potatoes add throe tablespoon- ftils of cream,- one-halt tcaspoonful ot snlt, one-eighth teaspoonful of pepper, a few drops of onion juice and a beaten egg yolk, shape in nests, fill with tho nut mixture and cover with potnto, dip In crumbs, egg and crumbs and fry In deep fat. Arrange on a hot plate with parsley for a garnish. Celery, Cheese and Red Pepper Salad. Cut celery In two-inch pieces nnd put Into fee water to curl. Dry thoroughly and mix with a tablespoon ful of chopped red pepper, nnd sprinklo with a grating of cheese, put mayonnaise on top and serve. Chicken With Corn. A most appe tizing dish which may be prepared any time of the year, but Is better with fresh corn from the cob, 1b the following: Scrub and clean a fowl in water in which a tablespoonful of soda has been dissolved. This removes any soli that is on the skin. Cut the chicken in pieces as fdr frying, roll In -flour, brown in a little hot fat in a frying pan, then add enough milk to cook the chicken well, Bimmcrlng or cooking slowly in a moderate oven for two. hours or longer, depending upon the ago of the fowl. Season when about halt cooked and add a cup or two of corn. Serve the chicken with the gravy and corn poured around It. Chantllly Potatoes. Mound well- seasoned, light, mashed potatoes on a platter. Have beaten stiff one cupful ot thick cream, add a half-cupful ot soft cheese, and season with salt and paprika. Spread 4his over the top and set on tho top grate of the oven to brown. Apple Balls. Cut balls with a vege table cutter from firm, nlco apples, drop them In water and vinegar to keep from discoloring and mix with pineapple and other fruit. Put in cups and pour over it rich lemonade or lem on sirup. Servo as a cocktail. MORE GOOD THINGS. Pies are the universal American des sert, and they are less objectionable to tho digestive tract when properly made. Prune Pie. Line a pie tin with good, rich pas try and fill with stewed pr u n e b, cut in bits. Sprinkle with one-half cupful of powdered sugar and enough cinnamon to flavor or a grating ot lemon rind. Bake and just before It is well done cover with n meringue made from two beaten whites of egga and three table- spoonfuls of sugar, a tablespoonful or lemon juice. Return tho plo to the oven and finish baking until the mer ingue is brown. Celery and Pineapple Salad. Shred pineapple with a fork nnd add chopped colory in equal quantities, mix with mayonnaise dressing and serve on lettuco leaves. Broiled Halibut. Slice the fish, sea son with salt and pepper and brush with melted butter und let stand for nn hour. Roll In flour and broil over clear flro tor twelve or fifteen min utes. Place on a dish with a garnish of parsley. Tomato and Peanut Salad. Peel the tomatoes carefully and removo tho centers so as to form a cup. Fill with chopped cabbago and chopped peanuts, well mixed. Add French dressing, When serving, top with a spoontul or mayonnaise. Fricasseed Potatoes. Slice a small onion, try brown In a saucepan with butter, paprika, salt and pepper. Cut tho potatoes into liair-incu squares and placo on top or the onion and pour boiling water over to cover. Cook until all the water Is boiled away and the potatoes mealy and tint cd from paprika and butter. Fruit Bread Sponge. rour over two cupfula of small cubes of bread hot fruit julco until It Is all absorbed. Let stand In a cool place several hours and when ready to serve turn from the mold and pour whipped nnd sweetened cream over. Then Time to Stir. Thomas Edison once set out to Invent a perfect coffeo machlno suit able to use in camps or on hunting trips. Asking tho ndvlco or a formor guide as to tho requirements or such a thing, tho man, who was a Swede, ' gavo him this reclpo: "Dor ban only von vay to cook coffee. Tak von trip into voods up on Flambeau river; build fire vid pltchplno knots; put von quart water and two handful coffeo In coffee pot, and Bit on cover so she can't boll over. Von cover get too hot for pants coffee Bhe done." gig SWEETS AND SALADS. A simple and most tasty dessert may bo niado bv scooping the centci frcm a d oe t sponge cake, filling with jam, put on the lid and serve sliced with whip ped cream nnd sugar. Filled with whipped cream and a few tablespoon fuls of Jam .nixed with the cream if u most delicious comb nation also German Salad. Cook salt herring In boiling water 15 minutes; drain and cool and separate Into flakes. Add an equal quantity of cold boiled potato cut In cubes and one-fourth the quan tity of hard-cooked eggs chopped. Mar inate with French dressing and serve wlfh a dressing mnde as follows: Beat a fourth of a cupful of cream until stiff, add two tnblespooufuls of canned red pepper, put through a sieve; then add an equal quantity of good boiled dressing. Serve the salad on lettuce with the dressing. Corn and Rice Salad. Taka eaunl quantities of cooked corn, well drained, and rlco cooked until soft; mix and season with salt, pepper, nnd add stiff mayonnaise dressing. Serve on lettuce leaves. Mexican Tomato Salad. Rub a salad bowl with a cut clove of garlic. Line the bowl with lettuce nnd lay In a few slices of tomato, cover with chopped green pepper, a teaspoonful of onion and a dozen chopped olives. Pour over a French dressing of a tablespoonful of vinegar to three of oil, season with salt, pepper and a dash of celery salt. Serve well chilled. Cucumbers may be added in place of the olives if so de sired. Spanish Cream. Take a quart of milk and soak hair a box or gelatin in it. Beat the yolks or three egns light, add a cupful or sugar, stir in tho scalding milk and cook until the egg is thick. Strain through a cheese cloth. When neut'ly cold flavor with lemon juice. Pour into a mold and let stand In cold water to stiffen. I nm my brother's keeper; thcrofore I will try to solve the problem) of Ufa with a view to his welfare, knowing that In tho rightful adjustment of busi ness, and labor, and society, and llfo In Us truest expression, my brother's welfare Is my own, and mine is his. GOOD DESSERTS WITH EGGS. During the months when eggs are nign we are glad to hunt up some foods which will be pal atable without them. Bird's Nest Pudding.- Peel and slice enough ap ples to fill a deep pie plate. Make a rich bis cult and mixture, rathet soft and pour over the apples. Bake until the crust is brown and the apples tender. Turn upside down on a plate, spread generously with butter, sprinkle with sugar and grated nutmeg and serve as ono does pic. Apple Pone. Pare and chop fine one pint of eweet apples. Pour a cupful of boiling water Into a pint of. white corn meal, beating hard to make light. when cool ndd ono cupful of sweet milk, and a half teaspoonful or more of salt. Stir In the apples a grating ot nutmeg and bake In a covered dish. Serve with hard sauce or cream and sugar. Grape Sago. Wash a cupful of sago, cover with cold water and lei soan over night Next morning cook un til transparent. Add a cupful of grape juice. When cool turn Into a glass dish and "put aside to get cold. Serve with cream and sugar. Chocolate Blanc Mange. Put two ounces of oroKen una oi cuocoiaie Into a doublo boiler and when melt ed add a pint or warm milk. Stti well and add four table3poonfuls ol sugar. Moisten three tablespoonfuls or cornstarch with a llttlo cold milk, add it to tho hot milk and cook until thick nnd smooth. Removo rrom the heat, add a tcaspoonful of vanilla, beat well and nour Into a glass dish to serve when cold. Serve with sweet ened cream. Chocolate Tapioca. Wash a cupful of tnnioca. cover with a pint and a half of water and soak for two hours, Put rour ounces or chocolate in a double boiler and when melted ndd a hair cuphil or sugar. Cook until tho tapioca Is transparent, stirring often u'hAn done, removo and iiavor with vanilla. Servo with sugar and cream A sm-lnkllng or nuts or bits of Jolly over the top for a garnisu aaaa 10 the appearance or clthe, u. tapioca or sago pudding. Dally Thought, Nine-tenths or the good that Is done In tho world Is tho result not ot laws however wlso, or or resolutions now. ever strong, but ot the personal Influ ence of Individual men and women. Sir Samuel Chlsholm. Wanted a Diagram. "That young wifo was evideutly buying her first turkey." "She was," said tho dealer, "and she was greatly surprised that no book or Instructions went with It" Louisville Courier-Journal. Better cookies, cake and biscuits, too. All as light, fluffy, tender and delicious as mother used to bake. And just at whole some. For purer Baldag Pan derth&n Calumet caanot Mkal at turf price. Aak your grocer. uama wq&st awaim tn itn't era mnrr vWa r tar . Ug-wa rt sit UetrmaSi. Cilut U iar nrlr UMra&tiJk. Curious. "Curious thing about human van ity," said tho costumer. "To what do you refer?" . "The more knock-kneed a man Is, the more ho wants to appear at a mask ball as a Scottish Highlander." All Boys and Girls should write to Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., 1304 Kosner Bldg.,-Chlcago, III., tor neatitlful "Mother Goose Jingle Book" in colors sent freo to all readers of this paper. Adv. It's all rlaht to carry other people's burdens, provided they don't put on more airs than they can carry. and say: .Van Houten's RonaCocoa. in the big red can." You'll like it better than any other. Half pound can 25c clover :b: John A. Silm St Ct., Bu 704, La Crout, Wit. Nebraska Directory Cum direct to ihU Mora Jen joa need glutei. QL0BE OPTICAL CO. North! corner 16th and Farnam St.. Omaha, Nbr. BtUbliabed IT Tear. Mailt) Tunr broken gl(e, will re lair anil return lUo aui U J. DOCTORS MAOH & WIACH DENTISTS 3rd Floor Patton Block 18th k FarnamSta.,Omaha Bwi Mlppl D.BU1 cam la Oa.Li. BwHDibl, rl,M Ithe groceri ,Lt tfUtwtut I. .11 Yf r