PAGE SIX THE WORKMAN, SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1919 Laughter in the Infernal Regions IMPROVE YOUR SIGHT GLASSES TO SUIT EVERY EYE water of old Charlie beauties (BY PHILLIP GIBBS. Written for the Montreal Gazette Water, The Scadron Optical Go.
the United States Pharmacy Basty, grinning at do that.
im Launch ALBA.
Germans have left behind them about English was limited, and their presence ten thousand of bottles sparkling soda stimulated roars of lauzliter ringing in water and, better still, several bottles gusts and storms. Seeing the mass of lor most excellent brandy. We will have men below the stage, an officer whispera love feast before blowing them off the ed to me, It a bit riskr. There would map over there at Kite Copee. We be a nasty mess if a shell catne through drank German brandy and German soda the roof.
out German mugs, and Dear But the men themselves did not seem proposed a toast to the of England, the to think of that, and whether they the darknation of the Kaiser, and the health of his nine thought of it or not they enjoyed two point two He was man of infinite hours of glorious mirth and risked the wit, stimulated by brandy and chance of death. All these men kept which we drank not wisely but too weld their sense of humor unless they lost standing on the edge of Pigeon Wood and their nervos. Even in the heat of battle wiping Kite Copee off the map. Every they had a spirit of irony.
time a 9, trench mortar sent a mons Merey, merey, Kamerad!
trous shell crashing into the little wood in German with his hauds up in surrenover the way, all the gunner officers der, shouted with laughter We re about Not so much of that merey, Kimed two miles ahead of the infantry, said red, said a chockney soldier, Charlie Lowndes. We re fighting a Hand us over your blinkin ticker.
battle in our own way. The situation And he took the German Watch is full of humo!
souvenir bated to leave that merry group of Can you speak English? naked lads, and when walked back on the way sergeant outside a dugout in a newlyto Gommecourt Park, hated to see, as captured trench to German unterI kept looking back, that the German offizier who had just surrendered.
guns bad found out Pegeon Wood and Nein, nein! said the German were strafing it unmercifully. never met Dear old Charlie again, nor any of Well, you ve got to learn bally quick, his brother officers, but shall always re said our sergeant. Go down and tell member their laughter on that day.
your pals to come up toute suite or something will happen to them someThey were incorrigible jesters, those thing boys of ours who died in such great numwers. Even when they lay wounded and English from the look in the sergeant The German unteroffizier learned in agony, some of them had courage to eyes and after he had shouted down the joke. What fun the kids will have with entrance of the dugout, a big batch of my wooden peg.
said a fellow who lay men came up and surrendered.
in the buteber shop at Corbie after an operation, which had taken his right leg Some of the funniest scenes at the off to the hip bone. When was sick of front were caused by a division called trench fever for a time in a military hs the Bantains. They were little men, pital at Amiens, the ward was full of under five foot one inch high who had voung officers who had passed through ou rejected by the recruiting agents the blood bath of the Somme. Some of because of their size, but had volunthem bated to sleep because of their teered for service, and had been formed dreams and implored the little New Zea into a division. Most of them were land night nurse to wake them up when about four foot and a half, and it was they dozed off. We were bombed three comical sight to see one of them struttimes one week, and it was not pleas ting up and down with a bayonet high it to men shaken in nerves by sit they above his head, doing sentry go out(had been through. But that did not preside his headquarters vent them from falling in love, in a playful In the middle of a battle of the way, with the little nicht nurse, so that Summe, their were shouts of laughter one boy, who looked a mere child in his rising to a prolonged roar, when a Battalto potrebe money on the Ban termen were recent coming her, which he real out to the of joy of the ward. They played all kind of ha pened to be the prussian Guardeof prisoners who. pranks, when one of the officers borrow. tatt men over six foot high, who looked ed the the costume of the chief matron and tion to the like giants in the hands of pigmnies, and came on a visit of inspection to each bed, much disgusted at being led back by mimicking her so that we laughed exceedingly. The boy chest and shouldered their rifles with an her starchy ways to perfection those little men, who threw out their pet was killed a few months later, poor air of immense pride. One story about child, and what happeded to the others Bantam Soldier went the rounds of the do not know, but guess, knowing the law trenches and caused great mirth, though of averages in modern warfare.
it was a grim subject. Bantam died They were professional laughter make in his billet, and was laid out by au ers at the Front and they were worth pal of his came to visit him and woman on the bed upstairs, an army. They were the theatrical Com. pal of his came to panies attached to each division, entire before he went upstairs to see poor Bil ly composed of soldiers who had dra the old woman, with some matie talent and who in time of battle hina to be sure to shut the door when he acted as stretcher bearers or transport came came Fermet la porte she said drivers, or in time of dire need as title with a wagging forelinger. When the men, but otherwise were kept out of the man este downstairs after the farewell, well line. They set up their stages in the the old Wom in.
him: Did ruins behind the trenches, and ai ver shut the door? What all this about tised their performances by sign boards ver: ferm2 la porte? said the man. The bearing the names of The Folies or or old woman leaned forward, and whis The Freaks or The Very Monsieur. The cat did take our friend of pered to door must he shut The Brass Hats, or whatever Ver they might be. There were amazingly talented out on the landing three times alre and there was always some well shaped That story is good, but untrue. But young fellow among them who could any story was good enough if it made make up perfectly as a suey girl with men laugh in a life where laughter was a all the tricks and oglings of the music the best cure for a sick headache Abd and hall siren, and with neat ankle for for men who, in spite of cheerfulness, skirt dance. The leading funny man had to to fight always against the devila was always a droll fellow, who could of des zur and the borrors get a mountain of mirth out of army life Many of their jokes were prima and in war time, with a casual reference to frightful mocking at death, and the ways deata; but in their hearts always they the sergeants, who pinched the rum rations, and the heraldie arms of kept the spirit of boyhood and the love two sergeant majors rampant on a field of laughter, by wh ch at last they helped to win the war.
of as you were.
It was interesting to watch the effet of these entertaiments on the fighting WHAT EVERY WOMAN in just back from a spell in the trench 4, or from a battle in which casualties OUGHT TO KNON ind not been light. Sometimes for quarter of an hour or so the men sat in lazed way, without any response to the Buying wisely to the fundamenokes. Then presenly there was a guffaw tal principle of Economy. Let rom the back, and the brooding look me do your shopping and you left men eyes and they brightened up. will soon realise the im nang until presently there were roars of laugh saving that can be made on ter. It was the best cure for men suffer. Dress Mur Silk, cotton ing from the orrors of war.
war. Generally and Wolen fuories of the very these entertainments were given in tents, latest Styles. am an expe.
but now and again the strolling players rienced shower and know how found a theatre not too damaged. There and where to buy.
was one in Arras, and in spite of the ruins. hu Novelty Lousins Silk of that old city which was under shellfire for nearly four years, the Theatre Royal is a beauty had only two holes through its roof. DurMRS. ANN THOMAS, May of 1917, when high velocities were 17th Street Central, ing the battles of Arras in Dressmaker, still coming into the city and smashing into the houses, there were many variety House No. 11 Pausina.
shows given in this Theatre, and it seemed to us a wonderful thing to sit on covered chairs, rather tattered, but very Panama Hats grand, and to walk upstairs to real boxes.
To give additional grand»ur to one gala night of The Jocks, the presence of ladies was earnestly desired. It was not CLEANED, and BLOCKED easy to find the fair sex so close to the and TRIMMED to Order battle lines, but in Arras there were many women who had lived in the deep Vaelted behind the city all through the. ALSO war. Some of them were invited, and.
having donned their best black gowns, MILLINERY DRESSMAKING sat like dowager duchess in the Royal Box to the huge delight of the soldiers. HOUSE No. 965, La Boca Some of the jokes were not quite adapted Ito royal ladies, but their knowledge of Canal Zone old Belgian won of men working Bravity, uked a ridge near have written many words about the man, he said in a meditative way, tragedies of war, not only in this series seems to love me like a father! Carefully of articles in which have given without Properly roar of laughter greeted those words reservation the black reality of the evils Shur suffered by our men, but all through Tested You poor blithering fool! said the my Fitted dispatches from the front during four comrades of the young private. The years of war, when never let the world sergeant has drawn you in a lottery.
imagine that moden warfare is a pleas d ave won seventeen and sixpence if ant and romantic thing. Yet there is you been it!
another side to the picture which must Battle Fought to Order.
he written because if that were left out One of the most remarkable battles on picture would be as false as if the horrors were left out. That side is the the front was fought by a battalion of griety of men, the cheerfulness of men, Worcesters for the benefit of two English PANAMA CITY NEW YORK COLON the laughter of men, in the ugly place members of Parliament. It was not a where they dwelt in war, and in their very big battle, but most dramatic 23 Central Arenue 44 Front Street hours of peril.
while it lasted The Colonel (who had sense of humour arranged it after a Expecting the Imprint of telephone message to his dugout telling Tragedy the New Comer him that two politicians were about to Firds a Smile.
visit his battalion in the line, and asking him to show them something interesting.
To any man coming out to the front for the first time that was always aston Interesting? said the Colonel. Do ishing. He expected to see the imprint they think this blasted war is a peep of tragedy on the faces of the soldiers in show for politicians? Do they want me the trenches. Instead he saw men arrange a massacre to make a London JUST ARRIVED!
at some private joke theirs, holiday? Then his voice changed, and and heard, now and then, gusts of laugh he laughed Show them something inter LARGE ASSORTMENT OF NEW AND FRESH ter coming out of their dugouts. This esting? Oh, all right, daresay can PATENT MEDICINES spirit was so general, such an established For use both internally and exter ally The further law, that we use to say away from the front, the more gloom, rived, apparently at the front line trenchHe did. When the two MP ar.
the nearest to the line the most optimes, they were informed by the Colonel SIMMONS LIVER REGULATOR, FOUR FOLD LIVER ism. And that was absolutely true, in TONIC, Dr. SIMMONS SQUAW VINE COMPOUND, spirit of ghastly losses and frightful that, much to his regret, for their sake, the enemy was just attacking, and that DARBY PROPHYLACTIC FLUID, FOUR FOLD sights, his men were defending their position LINIMENT, Dr. SIMMON VEGETABLE It was really a necessity of the minds desperately.
LIVER MEDICINE of men. They knew, unconsciously, that We hope for the best he said, and laughter was the best medicine of fear, think there is just a chance that you will All these preparations have been used successfully by the and that those who kept smiling kept escape with your lives if you stay here people of the United States for more than 20 years.
their courage; so that the funny man of quite quietly.
company always had a responsible auFor Sale at Pharmacy dience to his quips and pranks, and any Great God! sud oue of the MP Opposite Railroad Station)
slight excuse for mirsh was seized upon and the other was silent, but pale.
for a roar of laughter. The comrade ship LOPEZ, Proprietor.
Certainly there was all the noise of a of boys help. this spirit along. They On and after August 1st, this store will remove to forgot the misery of yesterday, as boy ibig attack The Worcesters were standto on the fire. 149 Central Avenue, opposite El Sol Silk Store.
forget, and did not think of the troubles ades and throwing bombs with terific of tomorrow. They made the most of energy. Every now and then a a man fell to day, and looked around for any jest and the stretcher bearers pounced on which would raise a smile or a gust of him, tied up in bandages, and carried mirth. Danger itself, unless it were too him away to the field dressing station, deadly and damnable, w: a constant whistling as they went We Wont Go Sailings for Bocas source of merriment to men of strong Home Til Morning. in a most heroic nerve, and have often seen men laugh way. The battle lasted twenty mining at the freakish tricks of shellfire, utes, at the end of which time the Colonel when some comrade, a group of pals, announced to his visitors: had to run like rabbits from shells that came bursting behind them. rememThe attack is repulsed, and you, genDer bearing much gusts of laughter gotlemen, have nothing more to fear.
Leaves Colon for Bocas del Toro up from a little party of One of the was thrilled with behind a near the village of of excitement. The valour of your men Versaelles, and was startled by their was marvellous! he said. What imshouts of mirth when two five point pressed me most was the cheerfulnes of nearly caught as they ran the wounded. They were actually grin Taking Freight Passengers towards an old French chateau which ning as tney came down on the stretchwas in brigade headquarters. had been ers.
For Further Particulars Apply to invited to that headquarters to tea and wished had not been when stifled a fit of laughing. Fumy devils, The Colonel grioned, too. In fact, he walked across the grass where sheep he said, They are so glad to be going were browsing under a fleecy sky just as home.
the enemy was searching for chateau 25 BOTTLE ALLEY Phone 325 The members of Parliament COLON with several batteries of heavy guns. As arrived there, three of our own gunners away enormously impressed, but they killed in the back yard, and when had not enjoyed themselves nearly as entered the chateau found the headquar well as the Worcesters, who had fought a ters staff assembled in the hall, while sham battle, not in the front line trench.
the brigadier and a visiting general were es, but in the support trenches, two seeking cover in the cellar. All of miles back. They laughed for a week these young officers about eight of them, afterwards.
knew that they were the target of the The Boys Laughed in Real FOUNDED IN 1881 German guns, and that it was question of Tuck, and the skill of German Battles.
THE OLDEST DRUG STORE IN PANAMA runners (who were very very skilful) whether In real battles, as well as in sham batthey would be blown to rags of flesh and tles, there was laughter. remember CITY, AND THE MOST MODERN ONE.
bone in the next few minutes. They e merry group of gunners, with whom did Just in Stock a large Assortment of General A. a boy by a running fire of jokes. The Gommecourt, one of hell gardens, Brook Powdered of twenty, told in the spring of 1917, when we were Barley about a little chasing the enemy back to the HindSMALL AND LARGE TINS actress girl, and everybody laughed ex enburg line during his first big receedingly, almost treat on the British front. young BROOK GROA moment or two of cold cold silence when gunner officer guided me through the Specially recommended for children an persons there was a great crash close to the chaos of Gommecourt Park and Convalessing.
back door of the hall, followed by filled with laughing excitement at the the collapse of some outhouses in the work of his trench mortars and especially MANUEL ESPINOSA yard. The strafe lasted half an at the work of Charlie Lowndes, the hour, and the strain of it became long commanding officer of the 2 trench Central Avenue, 33 bear, but the boy was not fried up in his mortar battery. Every now and then Opposite La Merced Church Panama.
How of funny stories, although now and he stopped before an enormous shell again there was a queer catch of breath crater and said: Do you see that hole?
in his laughter.
That was made by dear old Charie.
In the trenches there was always some His would blow a cathedral JUST OPENED joke afoot, and the men invented many in about twenty rounds. We ve the Boche games and pranks to keep merry and my hell, who insisted that of Dear bright, though the heavens should fall. should make the acquaintance One of their little ways of gambling was old Charlie, who at that very moment to bet on who should be hit first, and in was preparing the greatest sunt of his 122 Central Ave. Panare certain section of trenches, near La life about three miles furibur on in an (near late Continental Bank)
Basse, a advanced outpost far in advance of the funny thing happened to ad out BROWNE MALMON, Prop infantry. With his team of gunners young private, who has just come out with a new draft. The enemy begail to he had rushed up his big trench mortars bombard that part of the trench line to a little place called Pigeon Wood and heavily, and every now and then a ser was about to blow the enemy out of large assortment of DRUGS and CHEMICALS geant came to the dugout where the Kite Copse, Such thing has never PATENT MEDICINES the young officer new private sat with a group of comrades. been done before, said Dear Charlie will give the Boches the Is private Smith all right? shouted surprise of their life. He a TOILET WATEÁS, PERFUMERIES, SOAPS wonder!
the sergeant.
WA walked three miles or more, with And the answer came up from the a few shells whizzling about us, and we dugout.
came to Pigeon Wood, where met Prescriptions carefully compounded Dear old Charlie and his brother off Yes sergeant, e all right? BROWNE cers, who were laughing uproariously in a DAVIDSON When this had happened three times, German dugout about fity yards from the Druggist Druggit Private Smith became rather emotional. enemy outposta. This is a great day, Phone 939 That their sergeant is a very kind said Charlie Lowdnes, The good kind Tuined Every Tuesday.
them as CARLOS HENRIQUEZ to him The door already!
or the went were killed Central Drug Store. around tha iu.
feat not like the idea, but they some very funny excessively with with just a stories was court the horrors bis to The Chemical Hall high in April and, on plush cellars