BOOM
PUNCTUATES GUNPIT S?MpTHE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE
at the Front Refuse
, Have Their Sabbath
t, . Service Interrupted by
' a ' j tt mn
urasn ox nun oneus
Sit Intent, Listening to
Homely Phrases of It
inerant Evangelist Who
Had Come Far to Talk
to Them.
By Maximillian Foster. J
Paris, Sept. 1. The gunpit stcod
at the end of a little wood, artfully
hidden by a camouflage of iiter-
, woven branches twined into an arbor
overhead. In the midst of this the
gun, a blunt-nosed howitzer, squat
ted like a toad, its grim, significant
viciousness contrasting strangely
with the quiet of the green fields
. and the thicket surrounding it. The
day was Sunday,,
There are no Sabbaths 'm this war.
The day was Sunday, 'true, but it
is the way of war that you do mur
der on Sundays or weekdays, seven
days in the week. ; Remembering
this, it was queer to- see what was
going on in that gjnpit. Fifty or
sixty khaki-clad boy s were clustered
in the slight depression. Some sat
on their bunkers, 'resting their backs
against the guff -carriage. " Others
, stretched themsJves on the tramp
led earth and tbere were some prone
in the grass ht the gunpit's eflge.
War may not' stop for Sundays, yet
these sixty bf jys were there for Sab
bath worship
: Circui;Rider in France. 'j
' The orercher stood at the center
of the piV. He was a man of SO or
thereabrits tall, spare, angular,
with g.izzled hair and stooping
shoulders -a plain, awkward fellow
-- min of the people. Three gen-
'eratigfm ago, any Sunday morning,
you might have seen one of his
kind', riding his rounds in the back
woods region of some far western
community, bent on carrying the
Gospel from one outlying congrega
tion to another. This was what this
man was doing too. His type may
long have passed in America, but
in France that itinerant evangel, the
circuit-rider, seems to have come
'nto his own again. .
This one had ridden far today.
He had come up from behind the
, lines, making his way to the front
by railroad and army truck. The
last few miles of the journey he 'did
afoot, trudging with his pack and
bedding roll along a shell-swept
road unsafe for any vehicle. As it
was, every now and then a shell
would come trundling over the crest
cf the hill nearby and fall with a
flat, clattering crash in the fields
alongside. The preacher,1 however,
had not seemed to think of that.
The small leather-bound volume in
hit hand his book of texts seem
ed to occupy him more. It was a
serious business for him this busi
ness of his Sunday text He must
. pick one appropriate to the occa
sion. Uniform Dust Covered.
His congregation rose as he came
among them. His uniform, the same
as theirs, was rumpled and dishev
elled, too. Dust and mud covered
it. J Dust, too, covered his face, the
dust of the roads he had trudged
. .thit day. -Aajor the man himself,
lank and ungainly, he stood there
filled with awkward shyness. One
would hv said, certainly, there
was nothing very heroic in his
look.
But the boys In khaki did -not
eem to minx ot tnat. Most ot tnem
Came forward to greet him person
ally. As he stretched out his hand
to them, the mussed, rumpled, uni
form gathered in ill-fitting hillocks
on his arms and shoulders. There
was nothing very smart, very swag-
ger, about that uniform. It looked
as if its wearer often had slept in it.
"Hello, Doc," the boys in khaki
said to him. "Hello, boys," he re
plied. '
, Talked Boys' Language.
One does not remember the text
he gave that day. The preacher, in
fact, lacked much that would have
made . him prominent and popular
in, say, a New York or a Chicago
congregation. However, he had
something about him that many an
eminent divine might have given
much to possess. What tt was one
lips. But between times it was evf-
derrt that the others, those boys in
khaki, listened. All of them sat there
still intent. Not once but half a
dozen times the, preacher had to
pause, warned by the rippling clat
ter of a big one, tearing by close , at
mucn 10 possess wnai i was one hanr Morc th once tQ-
cannot say readily, but all he M them, exploding in the field along-
his hearers seemed vividly to com
prehend. He talked to them in their
own language the language boys
can understand. They did not wrig
gle or squirm or scuffle their feet
as boys do in church at home. They
sat intent. As I say, I do not re
member what the text was he chose
that day. There was an interrup
tion just as he uttered it.
The shell it was a 77 came by
way of the woods a mile or more be
yond. (One heard it coming before
it struck. Where it hit was 50 yards
or. more from the gunpit's edge.
Having finished the text, half of it
unheard, the preacher's face turned
inquiringly t6ward the spot where
a shower of earth, rocks and other
debris had ascended skyward in a
sudden belch of flame and smoke
and dust. The crash that came with
it shook one's teeth but the preacher
seemed not jarred. As rocks and
earth , came thudding back to the
ground, his inquiring eyes turned
again to his congregation.
Some of the boys had stirred ab
ruptly. One lad at the edge of the
gunpit had gone rabbiting, over the
crest, and. now was hidden from
view. The preacher smiled, his bony
features expressive of whimsical
humor. ,
Crrrrrrk Blam! thudded another
shell. The Hun evidently was feel
ing out the range.
"Boys, you know more about
these things than I do," said the
preacher. VShall I go on or wait
awhile?". .
Blaml went another shell. This,
though, was further off. '
"Go on, Doc!" shouted back the
boys. ,
One does not recall much of the
sermon. It was punctuated at inter
vals with those emphatic exclama
tion points. One not accustomed
to war's , alarms listened more to
those resounding 77s than to the la
bored, homely, awkward figures of
speech falling from the preacher's
side, flung its splinters into the gun
pit.
Asked to Come Back.
When the preacher's talk was fin
ished, he picked up his pack and
bedding roll, his book of texts safe
ly in his pocket. One by one the
boys in khaki came up to bid him
goodbye. "So long, Doc," they said
to him. ""Come again soon, will
you?" .
"You bet, boys," was ht reply.
Up the road as he hurried Along
to the next place a dugout in. the
tranches the shells were still burst
ing inhe fields. The preacher still
did not seem o heed them.
Yes," he chuckled, "I always tell "It's a great work," he said, "only
the boys they know more about
those things than I do. That's so
they can, light out if they like, and
not seem impolite."
Then he smiled anew, this time
at the distance, "Queer, but the
always stay. They want someone
to talk to them, those boys. Kind
of pathetic, too. I've got a couple
of boy boys of my own, you kneev
over there in the trenches. That's
what set me to thinking. I won
dered if they had anyone to talk to,
and that made me wonder who was
talking to all the other boys. So I
came along."
Just a Business Man.
My preacher, I came to find out,
was not even an ordained preacher.
He had been a business man in a
middle western town.
I wish sometimes I could speak a
little better. It's wonderful the way
the boys like someone to talk to
them. It don't seem to matter much
what a fellow talks about; they're
crazy to hear him. Maybe it brings
'cm a little nearer home."
I looked at him in the dusk. One
forgot for the moment his ungainli
ness, that and the quaint uncouth
ness of his speech. Many famous
men, women too, are over here talk
ing to the boys. The Y. M. C A.
brings them over on every ship; but
about this one man was something
I say any one would give to have
It was the exaltation of simple earn
estness. In the dusk, as he trndged
along, his face seemed to shine.
So the circuit rider of old has
come into his own.
Journeys to Nearby Towns
DeSota, Washington Caunty
x By EDWARD BLACK.
During the autumn days which
glorify the great out-of-door world
in Nebraska an ideal- little journey
round about Omaha would take the
wayfarer to De Sota, a hamlet set
among the hills and trees of Wash
ington county.
Nature was in a prodigal ' mood
when this pleasing prospect was
fashioned and it is little wonder that
the Indians chose this locality as a
rendezvous long before the onward
march of civilization disturbed the
scene.
There is not much in this day of
grace at De Sota to arrest the atten
tion of the traveler who may be in
quest of the busy marts of trade, but
to the one . who can get away from
the humdrum of metropolitan life
for a respite in the realms of rural
retreat there is much to admire and
to observe.
"Seeing-Nebraska First", ha been
suggested as a slogan which would
The Weekly
Bumble Bee
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 22, 1918.
THE WISELY BUMBLE BEE
A. STINGER, EDITOR.
.'. rAmmunlMilAn. An f.nv tAnle
received, without postal or
-alg-nator. Nona returned.'
) NO ADS AT ANT PRICE
' 'l-:;' DECEIT.
Th ' Oermani have the
tamouflagtnt ( their own de
feat! "down to fine point
Instead of aaylns "we lost the
towns ot Schnlta, Donner and
Wetter." they tell the people
"the enemy remained in. poa
aeMldn of the . towni of
Sohnlta. Donntr and Wetter.
Last week th German of
flclat . Wort atated. "the
nemy fallowed th German
crow th Veile." Make It
Bound a though the German
went acrosaHhe Vesle tn order
to (at th enemy to follow
tnem.. , . ... .
FATHER
. A. Borthald father, who, has
a very loquacious daughter, co
in; to high school, "got off a
clever bon jnot the other eve.
ami. ' Daughter w talking
on high speed, i
, "I'm going to take domestic
elene this .year,", (he chat-
tared. ,
"Better take some domestic
Hence. too," remarked
father.
Daughter wa real peeved,
bat the rest - ot the family
laughed and father Js all
puffed vp over his repartee.
; UriTlALS.
' "Hear ye!" Hear ye! The
middle name of Judge William
A. Redlck la Armstrong. Tie
first oain of W. Farnam
Smith la William. And Fred
D. . Weed, : the real estater,
use that . middle letter to
signify Duane. Bom day we
re going to find out what
th "W" stands for Jn Gurdon
W. WatUea's name. Look
for tt. .
''. .,' CMXXt
Among th funny things we
aw right her In town wa
working-man an the street
car earning .two live chlck-
us, all wrapped op to paper
with their head sticking out
He held them In hi arm as
though they ware babies. And
th;- chickens had most
. alarmed and apprehenalv
expression on .their face.
' ' WSCTNATUfO .
..Among th tilings worth re
membering is th fact as w
"s in a scientific journal, that
"the moan energy of one cubic
root or sunlight la about
e.M990S81 of foot-
Forgotten Poet is
Brought to Light
By Bumble Bee
Searching Through His Great
Library, Leaned literary
Masj rtlecovefs Hidden
Gems of Poetry.
The editor of The Bumble
Bee, like most people ot cul
ture and refinement, loves
beautiful poetry. HI aoul la
delighted by (graceful meter,
perfect rhyme and rhythm.
In our rambling through the
"green valleys of poesy, we
have made something of a
study of the various great
authors. We aro well ac
quainted with the works of
Shakespeare. Longfellow, Ten
nyson, Byron, , Whlttler,
Homer, Vlrgtl and numerous
others. " '
Now wa hava discovered a
new poet, apparently unknown
to the general public. Tes. we
thrill with our accomplish
ment like ah astronomer who
finds ' new star. We find
that - this poet has , written
some. very fine things, beauti
ful In their thought and feel
ing, to say nothing . of their
rhythm and the perfect rhym
ing of the last words In each
line.
This poet's name Is Ibid.
How many of our readers
have beard of him? We dare
say, not many. We even fall
to find him mentioned tn the
cyclopedias! The dictionaries
are also Ignorant of his ex
istence! '"A Rare Book.
Wo ' cannot understand It
We discovered quotations from
his works tn one of the treas
ured books of our large library, !
called "Gems for the Fire
side," ' containing , various
poems aAd pros pieces, h tu
morous, dramatic, tragic, etc.
It seems that The Bumble
Bee Is again to come forward
with aomethlng absolutely new
and unique, spreading , th
works of this forgotten poet
before th eyes of its reader.
'The Bumble Bee has . fre
quently don this" In ' the past,'
scoring beats on Its would-be
rivals, which .ara left far In
the rear and Invisible .because
of the dust.
But' the discovery of a poet
who. but for Too Bumble Be,
might have faded . entirely
from human : knowledge, wa
mors than we dreamed would
be eur good fortune. It show
that wa are aver on. the look
out tor big things for' eur
reader not only tn the beatea
paths at news and features, but
also In the Higher realms of
literature. - ' -V'
Jtempla of Poem.
We glv. today Hine IltHo
poem, which we, found, written
bv Ibid.' It la very beautiful
poem' with muck, feeling, be i
log th reflection, evidently,
of man looking at the skull
of deceased person. It Is
as ' follows: , .
"Behold this ruin! TIs a skull
Once of ethereal spirit full)
This ""ow cell was life's re
treat, This s-sca was thought's mys
terious seat
Whst beeiit-ons pictures 'filled
th's "et '
Whs rm of pleasure long
rrT ! ." ,
Nor "!. nor Joy, nor hope,
por fr
Has l't one .trace of wtord
tnre" IF").
Tt ts onr nurnnse to h"b
-fm wek tn week, selections
feom fb's rt noet. T"" s"
a rmmboT of hpi In onr book,
"Oems for ? Fireside."
I.OVR
A pe-en ses ell sorts 'of
fntiv tMTi bv Verlnr
eves oren. fb other dv we
saw a rwhn- n aofcee
TtiM-rtteeprtie sMrt. -trousers
n,irV In Mr).''1d bnna "d
1 te rest of 1. t
h bns'MT counter , of the
Ww-es-w-sh store, buvlnff
tpd!." !' bose of tb finest
ni-Mitv and In eonsidrch'
misntltv. Can't vott Jnt
irro-tr hnw but "''' wl
h the het-neefl In town
when he ges bsek home? '
. HATL!
The most 'ir!nnrea.lve hn
man beina- we know of Is a
k'nsr, when b. Is surrounded
bv a lot nf renemig and .r'fcer
imnortant war neon!. Poor
klnirs! Thev have aolpte'v
no rower and iust have to
m about. trvn to pretend
tbev don't know they are
only dummies. .
' "Nero.! "niave; the firtdf.
n-hHe Tlrtem buried and svde
thtre , no, more
Wft't'' - to ' enViter," a well
jneonln schoolboy recited the
other day. .
' WT.X. , .
Psners ppM4ah a rumor that
"Vanelseov villa,.: a Merles n,
baa heenfle'Med. Peems to ns
wo hern of a., man by' this
name onow-r- ceneral or ban
dit, or enra"M"'.
After dta xnirterlon and
ensn't"'nn nf all-th mem
bers of The BrnnMe Bes s".
we have, d'eHed to continue
our naner at four' column, as
heretofore. .-.;
Our I4a of a good "e-'
marnr" la the fei'nw whn "eatl-
mates' the; plumber of - vote
rart "nn.to rioon" on registra
tion day. : : ; .
;:J ' OHLLT. .,"...,'
Fireplace . 'flrn " teals ' rood
on .etna ot these -aAenlngj,
doesn't itt ' ; ,'' j,
Reporters and
Their Ways in
, Newspaper Office
Statistic An Compiled Show
ing That While Many Ara
Deatroyed, Some Live to
Become Writer
One of the odd biological
facts about the lower species
of mammal Is that a cub re
porter, when using someone'
typewriter In a newspaper of
fice, Invariably changes the
spacing and th margin holder
and Invariably he (of she)
neglects to restore these things
to their former condition.
Amtther peculiarity of this
species Is that ho (or she) al
ways leaves nates, pencils and
other debris, lying on the bor
rowed desk. Still, the cub re
porter Is recognized by most
soologlsts as a human being
and capable In some Instances
of development to a fair state
of' mentality. Of course, this
takes great patience such aa Is
required to train seals and
other animals.
Many cases, in fact, are on
record, 'Where It has been done.
Statistics of murders, on th
other hand. Indicate that this
course of training is fraught
by many dangers, both to the.,
editors and to the, "cubs." -
Out of J.765 murders com- -mlttcd
in the United 'States
during the year 1917, we find
that 2,234 (more than 25 per
cent) ot the victims were. cub
reporters who left note paper,
pencils, etc., lyings around the
typewriters of editors on news- .
papers.
- i Xo Convictions.
These figures are startling.
They Indicate that, the offens
committed' by the cub report,
ers was aggravating, for edi
tors and writers on newspapers'
are . characteristically mild
jnen with tender hearts, men
who will star n-ch before
their ire Is aroused.
When such mo.i t.y to pieces
and commit' murder it Is evi
dent that the provocation
must have been beyond human
endurance.
. It la Interesting to note that
there ts ne . case on record
where a newspaper man has
been convicted for slaying a
cub reporter who habitually
eft note paper, pencils, Hand
kerchiefs, packet knives, pen
cil wmiiungs, ana .omer ae-.
bris around -a borrowed typewriter-
or a borrowed .desk. ..
In act, many' such newspaper
men hare been commended
from th bench by the judge.
Only..4l cub reporters were
destroyed by newspaper men
Urpmaba last year, and-' as It
waavsnowa In eacn case mat
th :. deceased had habitually
left notes. . pencils. . handker- -
chiefs, etc., on borrowed 'desks.
th-police did not even arrest
th .slayers; ,-.-'
meet the exigences of this time of
high cost of traveling far afield, and
one of the best places to visit, from
a historical point of view, is Wash
ington county, starting at De Sota,
with its wealth of associative his
tory. School children might have
their history lessons made more im
pressive and appealing if they un
derstood that they are living in a
land which has been commemorated
tn' song and story.
HorseshoesTaken from the Door.
De Sota, if one turns back the
pages of history, appears today as
a deserted village. It was more
than a village in its heyday; it was
a proud and pulsating western
town, with every promise of a,great
and glorious future. But somebody
took the horseshoe from the door
and De Sou suffered a relapse from
which it never recovered.
We will 'take a little journey this
morning to De Sota. On the way
out it mav be remembered that the
town was named after Hernando
De Sota, Spanish explorer, who
was born in Cuba in 1500. He
promoted an expedition from Spain
to Florida in 1539 and then discov
ered th Mississinpi river.
Driving along the Washington
Highway, a few miles beyond Cal
houn, a large house appears in the
perspective as a pleasing variant to
the view. This imposing hillside
structure marks the township of
De Sota and arouses wonder why
such a pretentious place should ap
pear in otherwise humble surround
ings. The building has 27 rooms
and is now occupied by Mrs. Lee
Smith.
"Seed Corn Smith."
How many Omahans have heard
of "Seed Corn Smith?" It would
not be amiss if the school children,
in their studies of the agricultural
resources of their state, should
know of the men and women who
have been pioneers in improving the
yield of food products of the state.
Years ago, when the cultivation of
corn in this state began to be some
thing more than merely dropping
the seeds into the rows, a man at
De Sota became a propagandist in
raising seed corn and inducing oth
ers to do likewise. He produced
seed corn that would germinate
with the minimum of loss, which
meant an "appreciable increase of
yield. Corn statistics showed that
the average yield per acre was .be
ing increased.
Martin Smith of 'De Sota gained
a national reputation and won
many prizes and medals at fairs as
"Seed Corn Smith." He- lived in
this ' large house-which "stands by
the side of the , road." The seed
corn industry grew to be a science,
commanding the thought and effort
of many of the best corn experts of
the ' country. When "Seed Corn
Smith" died his son, the late Lee
Smith, kept up the .business. The
people of Nebraska owe much to
De Sota for their seed corn devel
opment.
The Smith home' formerly was the
residence of J. E. 'Market, who was
well , known in Umaha. It is said
by the old-timers that the original
building was a rude dwelling place
erected by T. M. Carter, who estab
lished Carter's mill and riow lives
at Blair. The Carters were pioneers
of Washington county.
The De Sota of Long Ago.
Continuing on our little journey,
we will wander northeastward from
the Smith house and try to visualize
De Sota of the long ago, in the days
when the town boasted of Banks,
rjewspapers, stores, .- and wi'dcat
money, and when .Orriaha was in its
swaddling clothes. A barb wire
fence between two farms marks the
location of the once busy street of
Broadway, whose terminus was at
the river. Thin thoroughfare was to
have been the great Rialto 6'f the
city that was to have been, but which
died for lack of nourishment. A
S. D. (UNCLE SAM) BOWIER,
the humanizing influences of thpse
good old days. Today there is only
one small store, which serves as a
postoffice, gasoline filling station
and general information bureau. At
the little railroad depot a flag is used
to stop trains when passengers wish
to depart.
"The De Sota Pilot," of more
than 60 years ago, contained an ad
vertisement of Abram Castetter,
who announcedto the world that he
was a real estate and collection
agent In those days real estate
men were not dignified by the name
of "realtor," as they are today in
Omaha. It may be said, however,
that De Sota real estate enjoyed
quite a boom. Urban Cachelin,
who sti.I resides in De Sota, in his
76th year, stated that 60 years ago he
was offered several Omaha lots for
un equal area df land on Broadway,
De Sota. He informed his Omaha
friend. that he would not consider
such a proposition while he was in
his right mind.
While town lots of De Sota are
not bringing a premium on the real
estate market today, farm lands are
firm and steady. Not long ago
Zachary Taylor Leftwich, resident
farmer, was offered $225 an acre tor
some of his land.
Turning over the pages of the
De Sota Pilot of 1857, references
may be read of the activities of this
promising community. Several
brick buildings were being con
structed and P. C. Sullivan was
building a home on Fourth street.
34x34 feet in dimensions.
Prominent Omahans Lived in DeSota
One of the few buildings which
has survived the ravages of time is
the old brick house which was
built for the late Judge Wakeley in
Wo7. I his building was the birth
place of L. W. Wakeley, who now
resides in Omaha and holds an offi
cial position with the Chicago, Bur
lington & Quincy railroad. It is a
notable fact that nearly all of the
old residents of De Sota have given
a good account ot themselves.
Judge Wakeley was appointed by
President Buchanan, and the late
Judge Doane, who formerly lived in
Decatur City before moving to
Omaha, was prosecuting attorney.
A story which is told m the hills of
De Sota adverts to a barn dance
held there in the early days. The,
r., r tt e ionrd in tne coun-
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 22, 1918.
Sunday Morning Offensive
Is Launched Before Dawn
They were waiting in the cold
black mists that preceed the dawn.
Crouched behind a parapet of wet,
sticky, clinging mud they fingered
their guns, polished them upon their
sleeves, and stared into the inky
blackness as they waited for the
zero hour.
An idle wind brought a tang of
chill fim the north.
A slight sound broke the still
ness. The long row of shadowy
forms stiffened and listened, alert.
A noise, indistinct and indefinable,
came to the strainging ears a noise
such as might be made by a man
crawling along the ground or some
object being moved slowly through
water. Then it ceased and the sil
ence closed in utterly.
A pale glow became percepitable
.in the east. Slowly, very slowly,
hidden objects took shape and were
recognized as fences, rocks, trees,
and a body of water.
The men leaped to their feet of
one accord and the toar of guns
shattered the silence. Five volleys
reverberated to the far-flung skies.
No. 5, 6, and 7J- shot spattered on
the surface of the water like rain.
And from the midst of all this a
small green winged teal arose
gracefully from the water, banked
at a sharp angle, and was Of? into
the rosy glow of the sunrise.
"It's gone," shouted a man attired
in khaki, with big pockets, and a
belt crammed with shells.
"Why in hell wouldn't it be
answered another. "That's enough
to scare ANY duck!"
The day's hunting at Carter lake
had begun.
Omaha Boy Finds Navy is
Eager to Drive on in War
"The war must be pushed through
to a thoroughgoing conclusion. No
peace must be made until the seas
are safe from the Hun. That's the
sentiment in the navy," says Wallace
Mitchell, first-class gun pointer and
coxswain on board the United
States cruiser. Seattle, who has just
returned to duty after spending his
furlough of three days in Omaha.
Mitchell, who is but 19, is the
son of Prof. Charles A. Mitchell,
head of the department of anthro
pology of Bellevue college.
"Although I lett my snip ana me
Atlantic seaboard just after the Ger
man peace proposal was made,"
Mitchell said, "nevertheless I know
the sentiment in the United States
navy. It is for a strong, just and
durable peace. Every jack tar afloat
that I have met feels that the coun
try has made too many sacrifices to
give Germany another chance such
as she had at Brest-Litovsk. We
were slow in getting into this war,
but now that we are in it, all of
us in the navy feel that we've got
to fight it to a finish."
Mitchell was the first Bellevue
college student and the first man
from the town of Bellevue to enlist
in the service of the United States
after the outbreak of the war. He
joined the 'navy a year ago lasj
March when he was only 17. His
example was followed by over 50
Bellevue students in college at the
time.
The Seattle is on convoy duty
and is the flagship of the squadron
with which she operates. Young
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Mitchell has made eight round trips men.
from the Atlantic seaboard to
French harbors.
"Usually we leave the transports
outside the French harbors," he said.
"In a few hours another fleet of
transports to come back to this
country is ready for us. For that
reason we don t get much shore
leave. I saw a little of France,
however, on the two occasions that
I was granted permission to go
ashore."
On one of his early trips across,
a torpedo passed within six feet of
the bow of his ship, he says.
"It was just dusk, one fine even
ing, and we were steaming along
some distance from the French
coast. Other ships of the convoy
ing squadron were within hailing
distance and our transports were
all in sight.
"Suddenly we saw a white streak
off the port bow some distance
ahead. The lookout gave the alarm
and the order to back was given at
once. Even then we came near to
getting it, for we saw the wake pass
less than six feet ahead of the prow.
None of the other ships in the fleet
was touched.
"That is the only really exciting
experience that I have had, if you
call that exciting. Of course, see
ing a few periscopes now and then
doesn't count. The subs usually
seem afraid of a large squadron or
of armed 'merchantmen."
Since he has joined the navy
Mitchell has been advanced to the
post of gun pointer of a six-inch
gun crew. He is also coxswain of
one of the boats of the Seattle and
is in charge of a boat's crew of 25
Fall in Mud
Causes Legal
Light to Pass
Omaha By
charge of murder. Citizens con
ferred with Judge Wakeley and
Prosecutor Doane and it was agreed
that the prisoner should play for the
dance. At daylight the prisoner
musician was taken back to his cell.
F. B. Kennard of Omaha recently
wrote from memory a list of many
of the early settlers of De Sota. His
uncle, T. P. Kennard, now living in
Lincoln at the age of 92, was art at
torney in the former seat of Wash
ington county. He served as the
first secretary of state of Nebraska.
M. W. Kennard, the Omaha man's
father, also was one of the men who
beheld visions of De Sota's future
greatness.
Reminiscences of Kennard.
Among Mr. Kennard's reminis
cences is one which relates to
George E. Scott, who was cashier
of a wildcat bank. Scott is said to
have dropped $5 gold pieces into the
church collection box. E. A. Allen
moved from De Sota to Omaha
when his Broadway realty holdings
became aenemic. Allen gained
prominence in Omaha as the man
who gilded the hoofs of his horses
with silver.
Another pioneer mentioned by Mr.
Kennard was the late Charles Seltz,
whose son, Harry, now resides in
De Sota. The Seltz family, like the
Smiths, was identified with the seed
corn industry.
West of De Sota is a Mormon
graveyard, a grim reminder of the
days when these pilgrims made their
overland trip through Nebraska to
Salt Lake City. History of early
Nebraska would not be complete
without reference to these Mormons
who were encamped north of Oma
ha for a winter and who suffered
many deaths on account of hunger
and illness.
Buffalo wallows on the hilltops
recall the days when the monarch
of the plains roamed over the virgin
soil. Along the river, in a south
easterly direction from De Sota, is
the site of Rockport, a village which
disappeared without even a marker
left to remind the passerby of its
former existence.
"Uncle Sam" Bouvier.
Going to De Sota without seeing
than Bouvier. Cachelin figures it
out this way: He insists that he
settled in De Sota in the springtime
and during the next fall Bouvier ar
rived and bought turnips which
were raised at the Cachelin place.
Therefore, if Bouvier bought tie
turnips, as claimed by Cachelin,
then somebody, is mistaken. Bou
vier says he has no recollection of
the matter and thinks that Cachelin
has his dates mixed.
In any event, Sam Bouvier is
known throughout Washington
county and by many in Omaha. His
mother was present at the birth of
A slippery and muddy sidewalk
and a ruined suit of clothes was
what caused Judge W. H. Kelligar
of Auburn, Neb., one of the leading
lawyers of the state, to pass up
Omaha and select the county seat of
Nemaha as his-permanent home.
"It was in 1883 that I arrived in
Omaha," . said Judge Kelligar. "j
had come from the northwest, where
I had been fed on blue beef in
frontier hotels. The Paxton hotel
had just been completed and it was
the pride of Omaha. It seemed lik
a palace to me and the impression
it created was so favorable I .deter
mined to make Omaha my pirma.
nent home and hang out my
shingle.
"After a fine meal I started out to
see the city. It was a drizzly and
rainy day. The sidewalks on Far
nam street were made of boards and
were coated with an inch or so of
oozy mud. I plodded over these
until I came to a spot on Farnam
street opposite the court house. I
had on a new suit of clothes and
was a veritable Beau Brummell, ex
tremely satisfied with my personal
appearance and filled with self-pride,
"Well, that pride came before -fall.
I suddenly slipped on an espe
cially slimy and oozy stretch of Far
nam street mud that coated the side
walk and skidded and slipped sev
eral times my length. My new suit
of clothes was ruined and my hands
and face coated a dirty black.
"Some unfeeling wretches laughed.
It was too much for me. I checked
out at the hotel, went to Auburn,
then as now the fairest city of the
plains, located there and have been
there ever since.
"From that day to this I have had
a feeling of antipathy for the aide- j
walk on that side of Farnam street, (
and when occasion calls me to the.'
Douglas county court house I
ways slip up the back way on Har
ney street." '
Tom Quinlan, general manager of
the Brandeis stores, and washed
Tom's face for the first time. The
old Quinlan home was two miles
west of the Bouvier place.
Bouvier relates that he drove aa
ox team between De Sota and Oma
ha more than 50 years ago, making
the one-way trip in 12 hours, more
or less. Today he says the boys
make the journey in their tin Lizzies
in 45 minutes. ,
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War Diet for Germany is Most
Efficient Hun Anti-Fat Cure
Amsterdam, Sept, 21. War diet
in uermany nas accomplished a
greater reduction of the corpulency
of the average German than all the
Merienbad cures, Russian baths and
drastic courses of exercise.
Obesity, writes Professor Albu in
the Berlin Lokal Anzeiger, has dis
appeared to an amazing degree,
especially in the urban centers. The
disappearance of excessive flesh has
been more thorough than medical
treatment could have effected, says
the professor.
Brings Hope to Hopeless.
The war diet, he asserts, has been
an education and a cure for many
who had given up all hope. It has
upset medical prognostications thai-
were once regarded as incontro
vertible. "I have known people," says Pro
fessor Albu, "who in two years'
time dropped 90 and 100 pounds so
that their friends scarcely knew
them. They could almost cut up an
old suit and make two new ones out
of the material without having to
bother about a clothes card."
Worry Helps Reduce Flesh.
The writer then' repeats the now
trite remark that "we all eat too
much." and he adds that most cor
"Uncle Sam" Bouvier would be like pulent persons involuntarily reduced
going to London in t:.e old days
stomach and intestines have often
completely vanished. The professor;
ascribes this to a strictly regular life
in the open air. In the field as well .
as at home, especially among wom
en, flagging nerves have received
a marvelous brace-up.
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10,000 Green Men
Made in Short Time ; ;
Into Shipbuilders
Washington, Sept. 21. Records
of the United States shipping board
show that, through the educat!on and
training section and the industrial
relations group, the Emergency
Fleet corporation has taken 10,000
absolutely green men and made them
competent shipbuilders.
Many never before saw a ship.
Included among them are clergymen,
physicians, lawyers, college profes
sors, high school and grammar
school teachers, traveling salesmen,
clerks, street car conductors, real
estate agents, contractors, bank
clerks and insurance agents. Out of
such material as this, the yard in
structors are finding mechanical
ability which is being utilized to
build in record time, a gigantic mer
chant marine.
4 '-.,
sidewalk one mile long was one of try side -was being held in jail on a J
without visiting Madam Tussard's
wax tigure exhibit, lhe Bouvier
home is situated a few rods up the
draw from the Smith house and is
cl.scured from the view as one tra
verses the vmain highway. "Uncle
Sam's" father, Louis Bouvier, trav
eled from Louisville, Ky., to De
Sota in the ' early '60's. Sam has
lived on the old homestead during
all of the years and his habitat is
noted for its hospitality. The Bou
vier house is a quaint old domicile
which rests beneath the protecting
presence of tree-studded bluffs. The
scene is picturesque.
"I'd know ou if you were in a
haystack and your feet were stick
ing out," is a characteristic greeting
from Sam as he appears in the door
way, shouting a welcome to the vis-"
itor within his gates. '
Oldest Inhabitant Claim in Dispute.
Sam wears a medal and thereby
is a story which may be unfolded.
The Nebraska Territorial associa
tion presented this medal to Bou
vier upon his claim of being the old
est inhabitant in this state, .oldest in
years of residence. The oldest in
habitant question remains among
the unfinished business of the old
settlers' organizations. The dis
pute has never been settled to the
satisfaction of the pioneers them
selves, except, prehaps, to Bouvier,
who shows his medal as the best evi
dence of his claims. Two sisters
living in Sarpy county are contend
ers for the honor, while Urban Cach
elin at present in De Sota, claims
that he has lived in Nebraska laager
The Emersrencv Fleet corporation
tneir girtn witnout any injury to has established i training centers
their health whatever. He empha
sizes the tact that this attenuation is
not due to under-nourishment alone.
A very great deal is due, he says, to
in the various shipyards and at these
courses in building ships are given
applicants, a majority of whom
oecome competent workmen in a
unaccustomed bodily exertion and I surprisingly short space of time. One
severe mental strain, sorrow auu ot the largest of these training cen
vexation, the thousand-and-one do-! ters is at Hog Island shipyard near
mestic worries and troubles caused Philadelphia. At present about 1,200
by the war tend to prevent the for
mation of llesh. People at home are
generally more prone to giving away
to mental worry than the men in the
trenches. Hereditary obesity, he
adds, has in no way been cured by
the reduced war diet.
Professor Albu says he has found
a distinct improvement in the state
of health of diabetics, who can now
eat with impunity bread, potatoes
and other foodstuffs that were for
merly taboo to them.
Starvation Cures Gout.
Suffererers from gout have also
benefited by the reduction in the
meat diet and by the enforced ab
stinence from alcoholic liquors.
Rheumatism, especially of the mus
cles, has also become rarer.
. Indigestion has, in Professor
Albu's opinion, certainly improved
on the smaller bill-of-fare, which
has had a beneficial effect on the ac
tivities of the digestive tract.
All sorts of slight nervous ail
ments, especially among women,
have disappeared because less atten
tion is being paid to them in these
strenuous times. '
Of cre'at scientific and practical
value is the discovery that among
green men from all sections of the
united States are striving to ac
quire the fundamentals of a special
ized trade in shipbuilding. The
trades taken up at the school include
riveting, chipping and caulking, drill
ing, reaming, ship carpentering,
erecting and the preliminaries of
shipfitting and pipefitting.
It depends entirely on the indi
vidual intelligence and applicatiof
of the student how long it takes hin
to pick up the trade he has selected.
Usually it requires from two to four
weeks for a student to prepare him
self, although some grasp the funda
mentals in a much quicker time.
After serving an apprenticeship of
10 days to two weeks in the train-'
mg school, the student is turned
over to production foremen and put
to work on the ways in the shipyard.
During the neribd training
student earns from 50 to 65 cent's per
r our. When they go into the shin--
yara ror actual productive work the
amount they can earn depends on
their individual ability. ' .
The education and training section
still is accepting students for this
training and is offering opportunity
to. men in all occupations to serve
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wie Miuin tti int i'' v" j i w'c vuwiiuy uy joining tnc ttctMQ
nprvmitt affection a the heart.l work of tnmti ajV '"N
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