Nebraska Newspapers

    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